The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-12-31

petuate slavery we otherwise cause
l.ssly attacked them, and in a
shameful war robbed them of pro-
vinces to which we had no more
claim than any bully to the property
of his Mt ighbor. Most writer's, and
especially the one l have just re-
viewed, do not paint Mexican life
all rose color. What splendori it has,
and what opulence, it owes, as life
everywhere owes ITS spleudor and
opulence, largely to the hopeless
poverty of those that dig in the fields
aud delve in mines and toll in mines,
that hew the wood and draw the
water. The system of peonage stIll
exists. and the employer lawfully
owns the employe he can keep in
his debt. The political disturbances
are rife and show no indication of
an early abatement, economical dis
turbances have not Begun in their
fullest, but only because labor is
sunk in deeper ignorance of its right
to the pursuit of happiness than with
some other nations, but they are
sure to come. In the mean time
there is widespread want, onlT not
So grim as in the North, because
nature IN that gentler climate forbids
the worst of winter and famine.
There is much good will among the
cultivated people toward modern
ideas, there is religious toleratlon,
and there Is in large degree free
education.
The steamship and the railway
and thoughts that shake mankind
are already the property of the Mex.
leans, who are only less shaken by
them than we are because they do
not think that sort of agitation good
form. They have their passionate
outbreaks, however, and in the nice
conduct of bull fight they are even
morally exigent. They have adopt
ed from us many modern ideas and
convenience such as street railways
and other public necessities and
which, are accepted by Latin people
and cherished with a devotion un-
excelled in any of our American
cities; and the cities of Mexico we
learn are not less train wayed than
those of Italy.
But immutaole under these super
fclal changes lie the immemorial
customs of the country, from which
there seems no appeal, so that
No Es COsTUMBRE is final against all
suggestions of novelty. We get
from the book just read, upon the
whole, the impression that if civillz-
ed lite ever ceases to be battle and
IA game of chance. the Mexlcans have
qualities which will fit them to
adorn it at least as much as our
selves. Probably they have not
much liberty and not much notion
of it; we have rather more notion
of liberty than liberty ourselves;
and of equality they appear to have
no conception. The division OF
classes is as sharp and deep as III
Europe; and it would not be safe TO
argue from the exceptional success
of an exceptional Aztec like Juarez,
a parito Of conditions and opportuDi-
ties for different races. 1t is the
Spanish race. with its various grades.
which gives the written and un-
written law to Mexico; though these
have not prevailed to the extermlna-
tion ot the natives after our fashion
Nearly four millions in Mexico still
speak their ancient tongue and re-
tain many of their former ancient
costombres, however, as whole and
looking at the Mexican nation by
and large, as nation of mouarchial
and self-governed it has proven
worthy of a place and mention a.
moDg those dismal failures that may
be said to be beautiful in aspect.
-Go-+1ooo,