Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-03-01
400 YEARS OF GREAT EVENTS

Stage Manager Could Not Have Fourd
More Romantic setting-Was Seat Of
Aztec Pover-Taken by ccnquista-
dores Of cortes and Alvarado Scene
of incuisition.
No better setting for the eight to de
eide whether Francis I. Madero or Fee
Tx Diaz should rule In Mexico could
have been picked u by the best Of
stage managers than the historic Plaza
de Ia Constitution, the largest open
space Ii the City Of Mexico. Upon this
trout the most important buildings Of
the capital. in themselves combining
memories OF the past glories and great
events of the country. In its day, 400
years ago, the geographical center OF
the great Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.
the plaza. also known as the Plaza de
Armas. the Plaza Mayor. the Plaza de
la Cathedral and the Zocalo-bas wit.
messed scores of stirring events. The
most tragic feature of the present o
fict, perhaps. is that it threatens de
struction to some of the most distin-
guished monuments of Mexico's great,
ness. links In the chain of tradition
which binds this Mexico of %recurrent
revolt and modern aspiration with the
days of the ConquistadoFes, of Cortes
and Alyarado.
Temple of Aztec God.
On this Plaza de In Constitution
stood the ~teocalli or temple of Huitzilo-
pochtli. the Aztec god of war, and part
of it was included in the gardens mr..
rounding the enormous palace OF Mon
tezuma. the Aztec emperor. Converg-
ing canals crossed its surface. inter
seeting it with impossible barriers.
Here in 1921 was fought one of the
most sanguinary battles between the
Spaniards and the natives, and after
the fall of Nenochtitlan before the
might of Coftes' arms the Spaniards
revengcd themselves for all their snf
ferings by ,yrecking the massive tenn.
pies and palaces that ringed the square
and using the material thus obtained to
fill in the canals. As it stands today, in
fact, the plaza is a depository of quaint
Aztec sculptures, which every now and
then are brought to light by the pick
of the laborer.
Here in the plaza, after the Spanish
rule had been set up. the gallows was
built and the dread auto-de-fe of the
inquisition was held. On Sept. 81.
1921, Ar1gustin de Iturbide rode into
the square at the head of his victorious
army and was cheered as a liberator.
aud on the night of May is, 1892. he
and his wife crossed the square TO the
cathedral to be crowned first Christian
emperor and empress of Mexico In
this vicinity centered the great retolu-
~tionary riot of December. 1898. aud the
American troops bivouacked il the
plaza in 1877, during the occupation by
SCOTS army. In 1864 it was the cen
ter of the gay events of Maximilian's
brief reign. and here. too, on June 81,
1867, Poririo Diaz was welcomed as a
l%iberator, even as was Iturbide, And
so it went through the rest of the e
fury.
The Palacio Nacional.
The FaIacio Nacional extends along
the entire eastern side of the plaza.
with a frontage of 6T5 feet. and cccu
pies an entire city block. 1t is a gisan-
tic mass of buildings, two stories high.
with thick and ponderous walls, pierced
by Il dozen OF more patioS and gate
ways, and housing a dozen or so of the
government offices as well as u mu
scum, galleries of records and suits OF
state apartments. IN army could be
hidden away in the hundreds Of echo
ing roou and corridors contained in
its labyrinthine bulk, and its walls are
~impervious to all but the heavy cannon
a part of the extreme rear of the pile.
constructed of a peculiar pink native
stone was built by Cortes.