The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1915-03-17

the convention: That Villa retire or
we will fight him and uphold the reso-
luton of the convention, Villas re-
tirement being with the understanding
that Carranza will be forced to retire.
The reply we received from Gen
eral Gutierrez was that he had given
Villa the command Of the forces which
we're to fight against Carranza; that
is, he had violated the fundamental
resolution of the convention, which
was the basis of the whole agreement
and the essential condition of our obli-
cation.
This violent and illegal decision re-
heved US of every obligation toward
an assembly without patriotism or
moral force, the tool of an ambitious
and savage faction to which we had
shown undeserved complacency out
of love for peace, but whose blind and
unconditional igureheads we could
not and would not be.
Thereupon we decided with full
consciousness of our act, certain that
We were following the course of pa
trlotlsm and duty, to fight Francisco
Villa with all our force until we had
removed from the horizon of the na-
ton this menace Of reaction and bar
barity."
Carranza Civilian.
Carranza is essentially a civilian
rather than military man. From the
inception of the revolution he sought
to direct it's destinies as did Presi-
dents Lincoln and Davis control
events in our Civil war. Accordingly
when Villa commenced his military
campaign against Carranza the latter
had not single soldier directly under
his personal command. His only
strength lay in the justice of his cause
and the only means he used to or
ganize an army was to unfurl the ban
ner of patriotism and to allow such
generals and their armies to gather
around it as desired to combat for
right and justice. The entire Consti-
nationalist army, exclusive of the Divi-
sion of the North, commanded by Viii
la, Hooked to the support of Carranza.
Carranza withdrew from Mexico
City and established the national cap
ital at Vera Cruz.
Pathetic in its note of helplessness
is the story that President Gutierrez
told of conditions existing in Mexico
City while he occupied the presiden-
tial chair. He narrated this after
he had fled from the city and endeav-
ored to attach himself to Carranza.
The following parts of his narrative
are taken up after he recites in detail
the executions of Alberto Garcia Ara
gon, Vice-President of the Aguascali-
entes convention and Professor David
Berlango, another distinguished mem
Der of the convention, both of whom
had been brutally murdered by the
orders of Villa.
He says: "The members of the
Aguascalientes convention which was
now meeting in Mexico City, Justly
alarmed by these daily murders, in
formed me that they desired to change
their residence from Mexico City to
the town of San Luis Potosi, where
they expected to convene in safety.
"A large number of the members Of
the convention proceeded to the above
city and General Villa having been in
formed by his agents of what had hap
pened had the audacity to issue or
ders Of arrest and execution against
these persons whose immunity was
absolute and who we're the source
from which Villa derived the authority
with which he is invested.
Delegates Flee.
In view of these terrible orders the
delegates, carrying the flag Of the con-
vention, called for protection on the
-Carranza Governor of she State of
Nuevo Laredo, in which State they
are at present"
Indicative of what an empty honor
Gutierrez held and how the so-called
convention party now means but one
man-Villa-is the following excerpt
from the same narrative:
"On Sunday, December 31st, Cen
eral Villa came to my home, revolver
in hand, accompanied by ten or
twelve armed men, besides two thou
sand cavalry, who surrounded nv
house and removed the meager guard
of twenty men who were defending
me. With the courage instilled in him
by such an array Of force, Villa shame
fully insulted me and hurled baseless.
notifying and criminal charges at
me.
with shame and indignation had
to be spectator of all these outrages
because did not have sufficient force
to halt the reign of murder and rob-
berry that Villa conducted"
The flight of Gutierrez from Mexico
City, accompanied by many prominent
men in the so-called Convention
party, strikingly illustrated to the
world the impossibility of this or any
other kindred government ruling in
Mexico that was not subservient to the
wishes of Villa
The abandonment of Gutierrez and
the other prominent men of the Con-
vention party has left Villa isolated
and alone and made the issue in Next
co now definite and certain. 1t is:
Shall Villa be allowed to become the
dictator of the country, or shall the
people themselves rule?