INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT DIAZ; HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE AND HISTORY.--A
CHECKERED CAREER.--SAVED FROM THE SEA.--THE FAITHFUL PURSER AND HIS
REWARD.--CHARACTERISTICS OF DIAZ'S ADMINISTRATION.--MADAME DIAZ.--A
DIPLOMATIC MARRIAGE.--THE ARMY AND NAVY OF MEXICO.--THE POSTAL
SERVICE.--NEWSPAPERS AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS.--PRINCIPAL WRITERS OF
FICTION.--FROM MEXICO TO PUEBLA.--HOW THE MEXICAN RAILWAY WAS
BUILT.--DIFFICULTIES OF ENGINEERING.--APIZACO.--THE CITY OF THE ANGELS;
ITS CATHEDRAL AND OTHER CURIOSITIES.--MANUFACTURES OF
PUEBLA.--BATTLE-FIELD OF _CINCO DE MAYO_.
It was a fortunate thing for the youths that they did not remain another
day at the cattle-hacienda of Señor Sanchez. After listening to a short
account of what they had seen, Doctor Bronson told them that he had a
pleasurable surprise in store for the next day.
"If it's a surprise," said Frank, "I suppose we must wait and ask no
questions."
"There's no occasion for secrecy," responded the Doctor. "The American
Minister has arranged for me to have an interview to-morrow with the
President of the Republic, and you can accompany me."
"That is a pleasurable surprise, indeed," said Frank, and Fred promptly
expressed a similar opinion.
"I am to go to the legation at eleven o'clock," continued Doctor
Bronson, "and meet the Minister, who is to present me to the President.
The interview is fixed for half-past eleven at the National Palace."
It is unnecessary to add that Frank and Fred were ready at the appointed
time, and that a carriage left the door of the hotel early enough to
deposit the trio at the door of the legation a few minutes before
eleven. The arrival at the palace was duly arranged, and the party was
in the anteroom of the President when an official came to call them to
an audience with the President.
The time of the chief of a nation is valuable, and the interview was
over in about twenty minutes. There was nothing official about it, and
the visitors came away much pleased with the way they had been received.
The conversation ran upon general topics; it related chiefly to what the
strangers had seen during their visit to the country, and some pleasant
allusions on the part of the President to the United States and a few of
its public men. He did not follow the customary form of politeness by
saying that his house and all it contained were theirs, but as they rose
to leave he shook hands with them cordially, and said that if he could
be of any service during the rest of their stay, he hoped they would not
hesitate to apply to him through his and their friend, the American
Minister.
[Illustration: PRESIDENT PORFIRIO DIAZ.]
"A more courteous gentleman than President Diaz," wrote Frank, "it would
be difficult to find, and I believe this is the testimony of his
opponents as well as of his friends. Perhaps you would like to know
something about his history; well, here it is:
"Porfirio Diaz was born in August, 1830, in Oajaca, and was educated
there. He began the study of law, but in the war between the United
States and Mexico he entered the army and fought in defence of his
country. He remained in the army and studied military science for
several years, when he went back to law again, on account of the triumph
of the party that gave the Dictatorship of Mexico to Santa Anna. He
fought in the revolution that drove Santa Anna away in 1855, and a few
years later he joined the Liberal party in the War of the Reform. He
continued with the Liberals during the French occupation; at the capture
of Puebla by the French, in 1863, he was made prisoner, but escaped. He
was then given the command of the Liberal army, but accepted it on the
condition that he should soon be replaced, as he was afraid that his
youth might cause the older generals to be jealous of him.
[Illustration: VIEW IN OAJACA.]
"He fought all through the war under great discouragements, was captured
a second time, and a second time escaped. After the retirement of the
French from Mexico, in 1867, he rapidly increased his army, and
besieged and captured Puebla; then he laid siege to the city of Mexico
at the same time that Maximilian was being besieged by another part of
the Liberal army at Queretaro. In the following autumn he was a
candidate for the Presidency, but was defeated by Juarez; then he laid
plans for a revolution, but was unsuccessful and obliged to flee from
the country. He went to New Orleans, and after a time was permitted to
return; then he was concerned in another revolution, and went again into
exile, whence he was called back by his friends in Oajaca, who had
revolted against the Government.
[Illustration: SAVED FROM THE SEA.]
"In his return he ran a great risk, as he was obliged to come to Mexico
by way of Vera Cruz. He took passage under an assumed name, and remained
in his room on the steamer under pretence of being sea-sick. When the
steamer was leaving Tampico he suspected that his identity had been
discovered by the officers of a Mexican regiment, which had been taken
on board at that port. Discovery and arrest meant execution, and he
jumped overboard and endeavored to swim to the shore, which was about
ten miles away. The captain thought he was a lunatic, and sent a boat
after him; he fought against being rescued, but was taken into the boat
and returned to the ship. The purser took charge of him, and Diaz
immediately told who he was, and asked for protection.
"The purser promised it. The colonel of the regiment suspected that Diaz
was on board, and in the hearing of the latter offered $50,000 for
information that would lead to his capture. Diaz tells how his heart
sank when he heard the offer, and how it beat with satisfaction when
the purser replied that he knew nothing about the insurgent leader.
"The purser smuggled him on shore disguised as a coal-heaver, and Diaz
reached Oajaca in safety. After his elevation to the Presidency one of
the first things he did was to appoint that purser a consul to represent
Mexico at a French seaport, and afterwards gave him the consulship at
San Francisco.
"The Oajaca revolution was successful; Lerdo, who was then (1876)
President, was driven out of the country, and there was a very disturbed
state of affairs for a time. It ended in the election of Diaz as
President; he held the office from May, 1877, till November, 1880, when
he was succeeded by President Gonzales, the Constitution then in force,
and originally proposed by Diaz, forbidding the President to succeed
himself. He succeeded Gonzales in 1884 for a second term of four years;
in 1887 the Constitution was modified so as to permit the President to
serve for a third term, and in consequence of this modification he was
again elected in that year. On the 1st of December, 1888, he took the
oath of office, in accordance with the Constitutional provisions, and
began his third term, which will expire December 1, 1892.
"There you have a personal history boiled down. President Diaz is a
thorough believer in general education, and in railways, telegraphs, and
other modern enterprises; in this belief he has been bitterly opposed by
the Reactionary party, which is principally composed of the old
aristocracy. In his first term concessions were granted for the
construction of railways by American companies, and other concessions
have been made since that time. One writer who is not particularly
friendly to the President says: 'Under the administration of Diaz
manufactures have increased, the resources of the country have been
developed, commerce has multiplied, education has been advanced, the
revenues have been appropriated to the purposes for which they were
designed, travel is safe, bandits have been dispersed, and railroads and
telegraphs are extending.' And from all we can learn this is by no means
an overstatement of the case."
For the benefit of his young lady friends at home Fred added to Frank's
sketch that President Diaz had been twice married, his present wife
being the daughter of Hon. Romero Rubio, Secretary of the Interior. She
is said to be a beauty of the brunette type, charming in manners, an
accomplished linguist, speaking several languages, of which English is
one, and an exquisite judge of feminine apparel. Her dresses are made by
Worth, the famous man-milliner of Paris, and therefore she may justly be
considered the leader of fashion in the capital of Mexico. Her duties
are less onerous than those of the wife of the President of the United
States, as there are no receptions similar to those of the White House,
and consequently the Mexican capital is free from the social ferment
which is constantly going on at Washington.
[Illustration: HOUSE WITH TILE FRONT.]
Doctor Bronson added a note to the effect that there was a considerable
amount of diplomacy in the marriage of President Diaz with his present
wife. Her father was one of the leaders of the Church party, and the
marriage strengthened Diaz with the Conservatives by making them less
hostile to him and his policy; the party was further conciliated when
Señor Rubio became Secretary of the Interior, and other members of the
old opposition were provided with places under the Government. But
though the hostility of the Church party has been diminished it still
exists; its leaders are ready to take advantage of any mistake of the
Government, and if they could again obtain control they would speedily
overthrow the present Constitution, whose authority they have never
acknowledged.
"The hostility of the two political parties in Mexico to each other,"
added the Doctor, "is far greater than that between the two great
parties of the United States. The Liberal party in Mexico believes in
general education, in the construction of railways, the encouragement of
manufacturing and other commercial enterprises, and a complete
separation of Church and State. The Clerical party believes in the
condition of affairs which existed before 1858, in a union of Church and
State, and the control of education by the Church, and it has been a
steady and consistent opponent of the railways that connect Mexico with
the United States. It looks with alarm upon the present influx of
foreigners and the adoption of their ideas by the Mexicans. It is
proper to add that this alarm is shared by many adherents of the Liberal
party, who fear that their country is being denationalized, and will
some day be gathered into the fold of the United States."
[Illustration: AMERICAN RESIDENTS OF MEXICO.]
Frank and Fred examined the Constitution of Mexico, and found that it
had many points of resemblance to that of the United States. Each of the
States has the right to manage its own local affairs, but all are bound
together for general governmental purposes. The central government
consists of legislative, judicial, and executive branches, as in the
United States; the President is the executive head, and the Senate and
House of Representatives form the legislative branches. There are two
Senators for each State, and one Representative for every forty thousand
inhabitants; Senators and Representatives alike receive $3000 a year.
Congress meets on April 1st and September 16th, and each of its sessions
lasts two months. During the interim between the sessions a permanent
committee of both Houses remains at the capital. Representatives must be
twenty-five years of age, and Senators thirty years, and both must be
residents of the States they represent. All religions are tolerated, but
no ecclesiastical body is allowed to acquire landed property.
Regarding the army and navy Fred wrote as follows:
"The President is commander-in-chief of the military and naval forces,
just as he is in the United States. According to the official figures,
the war footing of the army comprises 3700 officers and 160,963 men;
these are divided into 131,523 infantry, 25,790 dragoons, and 3650
artillerymen. On a peace footing the army includes about 30,000 men of
all arms of the service, including the Rurales, who keep the brigands in
order, as we have described elsewhere. A friend at my elbow says the
officers are almost as numerous as the privates, and he has known a
garrison where there were twenty-nine officers and only twenty-seven
soldiers.
[Illustration: A MILITARY POST.]
"The navy won't take long to describe, as it contains three small
gunboats and two larger ones. The small gunboats each carry one 20-pound
gun, and the larger boats two guns of the same calibre. They are
unarmored vessels, are not fast, and from all we can learn we don't
think the navy of the United States need have any fear of that of
Mexico, at any rate, after we complete some of the ships we are now
building."
[Illustration: A COUNTRY POST-OFFICE.]
"While we are considering public matters," wrote Frank, "let us look at
the Postal Department. There are about 1200 post-offices in the
republic, or one for every 8750 inhabitants; in the United States we
have a post-office for every 1200 inhabitants, or seven times as many as
Mexico in proportion to the population. The number of pieces of mail
matter handled in a year in Mexico is an average of two to each
inhabitant, while in the United States the average is fifty-one. The
Mexican mails are increasing in importance every year, and will continue
to do so as the people become better educated. The extension of the
railways causes many new post-offices to be established, and also many
telegraph offices. There are more than 20,000 miles of telegraph and 500
telegraph offices; 14,000 miles of telegraph belong to the Government,
and the remaining portion is the property of private companies,
railways, and individuals.
"If you want an example of progress look at the railways. Mexico had 379
miles of iron roads in 1879, while in 1887 it had 3962 miles open for
traffic, including 92 miles of city and suburban lines. The length of
railway completed and in operation at the end of 1888 was something more
than 4600. Competent authorities say that by the end of 1889 the length
of railways in operation in Mexico will exceed 5000 miles. A great many
concessions for railways have been granted by the Government for lines
that are not likely to be constructed in the life of the present
generation. At one time there seemed to be a mania for railway
concessions, and the holder of a permission to build a line over an
impracticable route, between two insignificant points, believed that he
would be able to sell it for a fortune to an English or American
corporation.
"Newspapers and other publications have increased in the last few years,
but not as rapidly as have the railways. The number is constantly
changing, new publications being started and old ones discontinued; and
sometimes the starting and discontinuance are very close together, as is
the case in other parts of the world. Altogether there are about 300
newspapers in the republic, and of this number fully one-third are
published in the capital. Mexico City has as many newspapers as New York
or Chicago in proportion to its population, but their circulation is not
by any means as large; Mexican publishers are not obliged to stretch
their consciences by making affidavits every morning as to the hundreds
of thousands of copies they printed on the previous day, or the
hogsheads of ink they used for each edition. But though they may not
print and sell as many copies as the New York dailies, it is certain
that the Mexican papers are steadily gaining in circulation and
influence, and the future is full of promise for them.
[Illustration: COMPOSITOR FOR "THE TWO REPUBLICS."]
"The capital city has a daily paper called _The Two Republics_, which
is printed in English; it is specially interesting to strangers, as it
has a list of the things and places they wish to see, and contains
time-tables of the railways. Sometimes it has special despatches from
the United States and other parts of the outside world, but as it has no
competitor and its circulation could not be greatly increased by a large
expenditure, it wisely studies economy to an extent that would not
succeed in New York. There's a weekly paper called _The Mexican
Financier_, printed in English and Spanish; it circulates all over the
world, and is an excellent authority for everything relating to
railways, banking, and commercial matters in general. The _Financier_
discusses important questions relating to the affairs of the Government,
attacks abuses of every kind, and suggests ways in which the prosperity
of the country and the welfare of the people may be improved.
"The French population is large enough to have a daily paper in its own
language, and the Germans have a weekly one. There are twelve or fifteen
dailies in Spanish, and they represent all shades of politics. Generally
it pays better for a newspaper to be on the side of the Government than
against it; but some of the opposition papers are profitable, and edited
with much ability. The style of opposition writing here is to attack
very savagely, and sometimes the editors find themselves in prison on
account of the bitterness of their editorials and their sweeping charges
against public men and measures. Some of the editorials we have read
since we came here surpass anything in New York or Chicago papers in the
heat of political campaigns, and that is saying a great deal. The
editor-in-chief of _El Monitor Republicano_ served a sentence of seven
months in the Penitentiary for a too free use of his pen. He was
charged with exciting sedition; he was ably defended, and his case was
carried to the highest court in the country, which affirmed the decree
of the lower courts.
"You couldn't remember them all if we should give a list of the daily
papers in Mexico, and so we refrain; still worse off would you be with
the names of thirty or more weekly papers, and as many monthlies and
other periodicals. You can find publications here on almost any topic
that one could name, and you can find an abundance of romances, at least
that is what they tell us. The popular novels deal mostly with Mexican
life, manners, and history; a friend tells us that we should read
'Guadalupe,' by Irenio Paz, 'Calvario y Tabor,' by Vincente Riva
Palacio, and 'Paisajes y Leyendes,' by Ignacio Manuel Altamirano. The
first is a novel, describing Mexican home scenes and life; the second is
chiefly concerned with the reign of Maximilian, and the sufferings of
the people during the foreign invasion; and the third is an account of
the manners and customs of the Mexican people in former times and at
present. We intend to get these books, and read them at our leisure on
the way home."
The delightful and interesting visit of our friends to the Mexican
capital came to an end, as all things must. Farewell calls were made
upon friends and acquaintances, and early one morning the trio left the
hotel for the station of the Mexican Railway, as the line from the
capital to Vera Cruz is called. The daily passenger train leaves at 6.30
A.M., and reaches Vera Cruz, or rather is due there, at 7.33 P.M. The
distance is 263 miles, and there is a branch line to Puebla twenty-nine
miles in length.
The manager of the hotel told our friends that it was advisable for them
to procure tickets, and check their trunks in the afternoon preceding
their departure, else there might be mistakes and consequent delay in
getting away. Assisted by one of the runners of the hotel, Frank
attended to these formalities, and completed them to his entire
satisfaction. Tickets were taken to Puebla, and baggage checked to that
place; the trunks were carefully weighed, and all exceeding thirty-three
pounds to each passenger was heavily charged for. Frank remarked that
evidently the managers of the line were not running it for fun, but to
make money.
"And well they may," said an American gentleman who was talking with the
Doctor when the youth returned from the station. "This line of railway
is one of the most expensive in the world," he continued, "partly in
consequence of the difficult engineering over the mountains and partly
by reason of the wastefulness of its builders. According to the report
of the Minister of Finance, its total cost was $36,319,526, or at the
rate of more than $123,000 per mile; it was built with English capital,
aided by Mexican subsidies.
"It was begun in 1852, though there had been a concession for a line as
early as 1837. The concession included a Government subsidy, and one of
the conditions was that construction should be pushed from both ends of
the line towards the middle. This necessitated the transportation to the
city of Mexico of rails, locomotives, cars, and all sorts of building
material over the old diligence-road; the transport of these things gave
employment to great numbers of men and animals, but increased the cost
enormously, probably twice what it would have otherwise been. The work
was suspended several times by revolutions, wars, lack of funds, change
of government, and other obstacles; and the line was not completed until
the end of 1872. It was inaugurated by President Lerdo, on the 1st of
January, 1873, having been solemnly blessed by the Archbishop of Mexico
the previous day.
[Illustration: SURVEYING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.]
"When you see the section between Boca del Monte and Orizaba, where the
railway descends 4,000 feet in twenty-five miles, with numerous curves
of 300 feet radius and gradients of three or four per cent., you will
not wonder that a great deal of money was expended in crossing the
mountains. While the surveys were being made it was frequently necessary
to lower the engineers by means of ropes over the precipices, and the
workmen were often suspended in this way until they could cut deep
enough into the side of the mountain to obtain a foothold."
There was not much of interest along the railway line as the train
rolled out of the capital. Our friends found themselves skirting Lake
Tezcoco, and they had a near and farewell view of the famous church of
Guadalupe; in order to avoid heavy grades, the railway takes a
circuitous course, and is much longer than the wagon-road connecting the
capital with Puebla. For many miles it is bordered on both sides by
fields of maguey; Frank and Fred estimated that the acres of maguey
plants they had seen since entering the country were sufficient to
supply pulque enough for a population three times as large as that of
the republic at the present time.
As they neared Apizaco they saw some changes in the general aspect of
the country, but it was still the _tierra fria_, or cold region, in
which they had been so long sojourning. At Apizaco they changed to
another train, which took them over the branch line to Puebla, landing
them at the station of that city at the hour of noon. They sought the
Hotel Diligencias, and found it a comfortable establishment, from a
Mexican point of view.
Puebla is a city of 70,000 inhabitants; it is old and wealthy, and its
cathedral is one of the finest in Mexico--some do not hesitate to give
it higher rank than the cathedral of the capital. Our friends went the
usual round of sight-seeing in the city, and according to custom, one of
the first things they saw was the cathedral.
"Stop a moment," said Frank, "the cathedral was not the first object to
attract our attention. Our eyes had been fixed upon the great volcano,
Popocatepetl and his white sister; they are in full view from the city
and much nearer than at Mexico, so that they are far more impressive.
Then, too, we had a view of the noble peak of Orizaba, of which we
shall have more to say later on.
"Puebla has so many churches," continued Frank, "that you can't expect
us to visit all of them. We went to the cathedral, which was consecrated
in 1649, and therefore is a venerable building; additions have been made
to it at various times since then, and within the last two or three
years a handsome monument to Pope Pio Nono has been erected on the
terrace on which the cathedral stands. The building has two fine towers;
we climbed to the top of one of them, and had a fine view. Fred and I
did the climbing, while the Doctor remained below.
"You can judge of the richness of the interior when I tell you that the
high altar cost more than $110,000. There are eighteen bells in the
tower, the largest of them weighing nine tons, and an inscription on the
tower tells that this large bell cost $100,000. The chapels abound in
sculpture and paintings, and if we should make a list of them, without
any comment whatever, I'm afraid you would find it too long for patient
perusal. The cathedral is 323 feet long by 100 wide, and occupies an
imposing position which is well calculated to impress the beholder.
[Illustration: RUINS OF THE COVERED WAY TO THE INQUISITION.]
"We visited two other churches, the San Francisco and La Compañia, and
found them well worth the time we devoted to them, and a great deal more
than we could spare. Our guide showed us the ruins of the covered way to
the Inquisition; for Puebla, no less than the city of Mexico, had a
branch of this institution of the Church. Puebla has always been noted
as a religious city; it was founded as an antidote to heathen Cholula,
which is only a few miles away, and its full name is Puebla de los
Angeles--'Town of the Angels.' Before the Laws of the Reform went into
force four-fifths of the valuation of real estate and other property in
Puebla belonged to the Church, and one-fifth to private individuals.
[Illustration: CATHEDRAL OF PUEBLA.]
"Puebla has extensive manufactures of cotton cloth, glassware, and
pottery. Like Guadalajara, it is famous for its pottery, and it is also
famous for glazed tiles, which have been liberally used for ornamenting
the houses, both inside and out. Domes of churches and their outer and
inner walls are covered with these tiles, and the same is the case with
many private buildings. The effect is very pretty, though sometimes too
gaudy for our taste; but then, you know, the Mexicans are fond of color.
Another famous manufacture of Puebla is braided straw-work. Baskets and
mats were offered to us in great quantity and variety, and we found them
so pretty that we invested a handful of dollars in these articles. They
will come in very well at Christmas-time for friends whom we wish to
remember.
"The city has a Plaza Mayor, a Zocala, an Alameda, and a Paseo, just
like any and every Mexican city. We gave a glance at them, and then went
to the battle-ground of the _Cinco de Mayo_ (5th of May, 1862). It is on
the hill of Guadalupe, and from one point we have a view of three
snow-covered volcanoes, together with a fourth mountain that just barely
misses reaching the snow-line. A much more important battle than that of
the _Cinco de Mayo_ was fought here April 2, 1867, when General Porfirio
Diaz, now President, stormed Puebla and captured the imperial garrison."
[Illustration: STREET SCENE IN PUEBLA.]