Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1915-04-02

The outlook in Mexico at present
is really encouraging, though the con-
fusion attendant upon military opera;
tons has served to make this country
consider the situation more dark than
ever before. All the patriotic ele-
ments in Mexico are rallying to Car
ranza's standard. Villa with his own
division of the army is fighting the
rest of the nation and an Indication
Of what his movement really signifies
is the fact that he has invited all the
old Federal army officers against
whom the Madero revolution and its
successor that drove Huerta from pow
er was waged, TO join him.
World conditions are such that no
government in Mexico can exist with
out the friendship OF this country and
without its moral and financial help.
IN a sense then, Americans are in duty
bound to look upon the situation N
Mexico from an intelligent and SYM
pathetic angle.
Carranza Misunderstood.
Carranza has been grossly misun-
derstood in this country. He is
man Of probity, clean living and In
tense patriotism. He is not wealthy
man. He has reared his family IN
comfort, having made his living from
the raising Of cattle. He himself has
visited the United States many times.
He has had his family educated in
this country. Every man whom he
has selected to become a member OF
his Cabinet he has first sent to this
country to become acquainted with the
American idea, system and plan OF
conducting the Office he is about to as
sumo.
Carranza is unmilitary, educated,
having taken a law degree, intensely
Mexican, and intellectually dcsiT-
Gus Of helping the downtrodden peon
to obtain "his chance in life" Villa
contrastingly is ureducated, ignorant,
brutal, unrestraincd in his passions,
totally unappreciative of the needs of
his country and is simply ridi'I his
vanity to what he hopes will he the
dictatorship of Mexico.
Illustrative of the charac'c~ Of the
two men is the fact that Ca""@n%' not
even to gain valuable Doiiti""j "nds,
would stultify himself to The n,,t@pt Of
currying favor with tho Washington
administration as lorg IS CIT troops
were at Vera Cruz. lis f2o2ir%s OF
friendship he kept locked IN his heart
until the time he deemed TT0DCr to
express them. Villa, On the other
hand, has been one thing to this
country and another TO 3aoyic0. He
has taken every occasion TO slohhor
iugly express his Teeard ana friend
ship for this counIrT AL the admin
istration, while in Mexico lie has at.
tempted t. gain recruit for his army
bv dema~oaica1lv declaring t"@t 10
United States intends to annex Mexico
and that he in the role OF his couutrY' 3
savior calls UPON The eX-Federa!s tG
join him in resisting the invasion th9i
he announces soon is to come. Villa
is forced to make this explanation to
his own troops because otherwise they
would keenly resent the presence OF
these Huertistas in their ranks.
CarranZa and the Constituencies
cause has been assailed in this coHn.
try as being not only Anti-Catholic,
but Anti-Religious. The true facts
show both these accusations to be
false. The Constituencies cause is
opposed to any church taking part IN
the politics of the country and is We
hemently opposed to its aligniag itself
with the reactionag.>1 and privileged
classes. as unfortunately the Catholic
church has done {. &c the colonization
of Mexico by the Spaniard.
Rafael 7"Nar~7 CaDmany, former
agent Of uD9 Cclstitutionalists in
Washington, and now minister OF the
interior il T~-,-n;. rs Cabinet, stated
in the following manner the COnstitu.
tionalists' position in this respect:
Church Question.
let The ~-..'iO,.cs Of America I'M
derstand that the occurrences which
have happened ard are explainable
under tA1 .---..-C disturbed cOndi-
ticns, do not, nor cannot constitute a
part Of tho r"o"~"-n Of the Constitu-
tiOnalists 49, g. pIedged to the prin-
ciple Of the separation of the State
and church ord GRO firm believers in
the principle oil religious liberty"
One Of the main reasons that has
prevented a better feeling Of cordial.
ity existing between Mexico and this
country has been the fact that the
ordinary American looks upon ali
Mexicans as 'greasers" and affects an
air OF superiority towards the nation
that has bred the worst or understand.
ing between the two countries. The
lower class OF Mexicans, commonly
called the 'peon," is undoubtedly ig-
norant and illEempt. but he has. ster-
ling virtues Of honesty and a genuine
: love Of his country that deserves re-
spect.
President Wilson by his just atti
tudc towards Mexico has wiped out
the old memories that country has
held OF us since the Mexican war,
when we took from it the greater por.
ton Of its territory. McXicans now
universally recognize that the only
ambition this country has in, regard
to Mexico is TO be Of help and assist
alce to it