The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-07-03

the Mexican army. He kept resist
ance alive in the face of Bazaine. a
marshal of France, who was then
heading the French forces, but in
1864, after desperate defence of the
city of Oaxaca surrendered to Bazaine
to prevent the sacking of the city.
Diaz's Military Success.
Diaz spent the next five months dig
ging tunnel through his prison wall.
Just as he was nearing the end of his
work he was transferred to another
prison. He got assistance from the
outside and escaped by climb over a
convent roof. In few days he had
gathered force and was beginning
the third campaign against the French
invaders and the Mexican imperials.
Diaz won several battles in quick
succession, and when the United
his troops, leaving Macmillan sup
and the troops of the foreign legion
Dlaz was at the head of a consider
able force and in control of the east
ern and southern states. He retook
Oaxaea, and sweeping everything be-
Mexico city
Macmillan was captured on Nav
10, 1867, and later put to death. Diaz
entered Mexico city at the head of
$4,000 men and at once took stern
measures to preserve order while he
sent word to President Juarez to re-
turn to the capital.
Returning to his native city Of OAK
aca, where he was showered with hon
ors, Diaz began farming on a small
plantation. He was elected to con
gress in 1870, but got weary of the
wrangling and returned to his farm
The following year Juarez stood
again for election and Diaz consented
to run against him. Juarez was de-
clared elected when congress canvass
ed the vote, but Diaz s friends raised
| cry of fraud and there were upris-
| ings in many parts of the country.
Diaz's brother, Felix, who now
fought on his side, was captured and
killed, and Diaz, meeting with heavy
reverses, was soon a fugitive. He went
into hiding in the mountains, but soon
| reappeared at the head of a band of
Indians and captured the city of Chi
| huahua. While fighting in that neigh.
| borhood he heard of the death of
Juarez
Lerdo de Trejada, president of the
supreme court, succeeded Juarez by
control of the government. Lerdo
president quit the field and returned
to his farm.
Diaz next headed a revolution
against Lerdo, and on November %,
1876, entered Mexico city and got
| control of the government. Lerdo
fled to the United States. Diaz at
once ordered a general election and in
1877 the new congress declared him
elected president
After restoring order Diaz went to
work to revive the national credit
Next he turned his attention to rail
road building and got the cooperation
of fnaneiers in the United States.
While working at high pressure to
establish commerce and extend the
educational system Diaz oddly
enough, in view of what was to hap.
pen forced through an amendment to
| the constitution prohibiting a presi
dent or a governor succeeding himself
His term ended, Diaz, supported Gen
| Manuel Gonzales, who was elected his
| successor. The Gonzales administra-
ton ended with Mexico on the verge
of financial ruin. Diaz, in spite of the
constitutional prohibition, was almost
unanimously elected to the presidency
and not long after the constitution
was again altered to permit his con
tinuanee in the office, which he held
without serious opposition up to the
Madero revolution. Diaz's long term
| of constructive government caused
Elihu Root, when secretary of state,
to say:
II look to Porfrio Diaz as one of
the greatest men to be held up for the
| hero worship of mankind. -