I am doubly sensible of the high honor which you have conferred upon me
by this audience today. I am sensible also of the great mark of
friendship to my country involved in the reception of one of her
officers in this distinguished manner by the lawmaking--the popular
lawmaking--body of this great republic. I sincerely hope, not merely
that I personally may never do aught to show myself unworthy of your
consideration, but that my country may forever, in its attitude and
conduct toward the people of Mexico, justify your kindness.
You will gather from my words, which your president has been good enough
to quote in the admirable and graceful address he has just made, that I
am one of those who believe that the old days when nations sought to
enrich themselves by taking away the wealth of others by force, ought to
pass and are passing. I believe, and I am happy to know that the great
mass of my countrymen believe, that it is not only more Christian, not
only more honorable, but also more useful and beneficial for all
nations, and especially all neighboring nations, to unite in helping
each other create more wealth, so that all may be rich and prosperous,
rather than to seek to take it away from each other.
I find here in this sanctuary of laws, in this body charged with making
the laws, the most interesting, the most important, and the most sacred
thing in the republic of Mexico. I am not unmindful of the difficulties
which confront you, gentlemen of the Chamber of Deputies, in the task
that you perform for your country. The discussion of public questions,
the reconciliation of differing opinions, the adjustment of different
local interests all over this vast country, the reaching of just
conclusions, the compromises necessary so often between different
interests, present to the members of a legislative body of a republic
difficulties little understood by the people at large and requiring for
their solution the highest order of ability, self-denial, and love of
country. I beg you to take my testimony, coming from another land long
engaged in grappling with the same kind of difficulties; I beg you to
take my testimony that the troubles of your body in legislating for your
country, and those which you are to encounter in the future, are not
peculiar to your country, to your race, to your institutions, to your
customs. They inhere in the task before every legislative body
representing the vastly differing interests, opinions, sentiments, and
desires of a people.
Mr. President and gentlemen of the Chamber of Deputies, it is my sincere
desire and the desire of my countrymen, that in the performance of this
task for the republic of Mexico you may be guided in wisdom and in
peace. May you possess that self-restraint which is so necessary to the
preservation and security for property, for enterprise, and for life,
guarding you always from unwise extremes, leading you always to test
every question of legislation by sound principles taught by history. May
you always, and every one of you, be so inspired by love of country,
that you may be able to sink all personal ambitions and interests, to do
only that which is for the benefit of your country; so that through your
actions and inspired by your example the spirit of nationality which I
see growing among the people of Mexico, may continue to increase until
it is the living and controlling spirit of all the people from the Gulf
to the Pacific. May you have in your deliberations and your action
something of the self-sacrificing spirit of the humble priest Hidalgo,
which, without ambition on his part, with no other motive but the love
of his country, has written his name among the great benefactors of
humanity. May you have something of the patriotism and genius of Benito
Juarez, which enabled him with his strong hand to take Mexico out of the
conditions of warring factions when individual ambition rose above the
love of country. May you have something of that constancy and high
courage which has made for the soldier and the statesman who now sits in
the chair of the chief magistrate of Mexico, a place in history above
scores and hundreds of emperors and kings with high-sounding title and
no record in life but the desire for personal advancement.
And so, members of the Chamber of Deputies--may I say, my
friends--brothers in the work of seeking by law to advance the peace and
prosperity of mankind--may you be able to bring in the rule of justice,
of ordered liberty, of peace, of happy homes, of opportunity for
children to rise, of opportunity for old age to pass its days in peace.
My brother workers in the cause of popular government, of human rights
and human happiness, I thank you for the opportunity to say, "God bless
you in your labors", which will always have my sympathy and the sympathy
of my people.