THE CENTENNIAL
After Mexico had thrown aside her burden of oppression, and had
risen to the dignity of a well-governed nation, the powers of the
world regarded her not without astonishment. After a half century of
hardships came years of reconstruction and pacification. The greater
difficulty of gaining faith in themselves was surmounted by men who in
their generalship gave the Mexicans that which they required more--a
knowledge that they had a place in the world of great republics; and
events of the past hundred years have demonstrated it.
In the earlier days, after the reign of the viceroys was over,
the Mexicans had to fight for their rights, which were overrun by
highwaymen and guerrilla bands, and until a man could be found who
would have the strength to cope with this situation there was no
safety for life or property. With the advent of General Diaz all this
changed. Mexico proudly stands before the world as one of the best
regulated governments.
The industrial and agricultural development of the country began with
Juarez. But during the periods of foreign intervention the Mexicans had
little heart for anything more than protecting their rights, for they
had to make a noble stand, and the rich mines that had yielded without
ceasing so many years were left unworked; the broad, sun-kissed acres,
which for centuries had furnished golden grain were neglected; the
miner’s pick and the farmer’s plow lay rusting while the sword dripped
with the blood of battle. This fairest country on the globe, despoiled
by human greed for gold, has at last risen into proud prominence and
when General Diaz assumed the Presidency, Mexico began to see the dawn
of a great light. She needs no poet to sing her praises, she is her own
colossal and imperishable monument, the base of which is planted on
centuries gone by and the summit of which will raise its head in the
enduring future.
Mexico is free--free to enjoy without stint the fruits of the bounty
she was forced to get through sacrifice, and having shed upon her dear
soil the red blood that surged in the patriot’s heart, the rulers of
this great nation have by their sound judgment placed her foremost in
the ranks of the world. During the reign of the viceroys when Spain was
disporting herself in the garb of her riches, gained from her golden
possessions in America, the Mexicans began to show signs of discontent,
and occasional uprisings gave these petty kings a great deal of
misgiving and concern. Foreigners were not permitted to enter the
country, the Church had the monopoly of education, only Spaniards could
hold lands and influential government offices and those great patriots
who did all in their power to uplift their country and protect their
people are revered by the Mexicans with a love that is almost divine.
It was during the reign of Francisco Javier Venegas (1810 to 1816)
that the revolutionary period began, and from that time the power
of Spain declined. Before long the country was in the throes of war
which Spanish troops could not quell. A great man appeared from the
mountains. He was a lowly priest, living in obscurity ministering
to the wants of his little band of Indian Christians. His followers
knew him to represent God and His teachings and his influence among
them was very great. He implanted in the minds of the simple people
that Mexico must be free to worship, free to govern. Foreign wars and
civil dissension followed the first and noble stand of this patriot.
The Indians were incited by him to open rebellion and in the midst
of excitement a great bell hanging in one of the church towers was
rung proclaiming liberty or death. The deep, mellow tones from this
old cathedral inspired every Mexican with the desire for a liberty
that meant more than a proclamation, and for many years there was a
bitter war in which advanced to the front many brave men whose names
are graven in the history of Mexico’s great deeds--Allende, Aldama,
Jimenez, Guerrero all seemed alive to the needs of their beloved
country. They cast their whole souls into the cause for freedom and
gave their precious lives to Mexico. This war was not without its
romances as well as its tragedies.
Like the stories of the Roman warriors, like the Judas who betrayed his
Christ, Hidalgo was given into the hands of the enemy by a friend, a
Spaniard named Mariano Galvan, on whose head many times had rested the
hands of the patriot priest in blessing.
José Maria Morelos y Pavon, a Mestizo Indian, also a Catholic priest,
called a congress in 1813, and in November declared Mexico independent.
He was a most intrepid fighter and was known as a “Hero of a Hundred
Battles.”
The centennial festivities were as much in honor of the heroes of the
wars as of the growth and progress of the country. The year 1910,
celebrated the first century of Mexico’s political emancipation. She
followed the natural outburst of her pride in the realization of her
wonderful growth during the past century. For she knows that no country
has been beset with more unfortunate events that tended to retard
rather than promote her advancement, and when she lifted her proud head
in her own triumphant recognition she invited the world to come and see
the results of her century of golden harvest.
Invitations were sent by the president to every foreign monarch and
ruler, who, excepting the King of England, whose mourning for the late
King, Albert Edward, prevented, sent special ambassadors to be the
guests of Mexico for the month of September. So magnificent were the
entertainments given, so great was the display of wealth and refinement
that those who had scant knowledge of what Mexico really is, returned
to their homes much enlightened. Mexico has long been looked upon as
a faraway land of mystery, with nothing to offer beyond relics and
romances; but here they found science, art, advancement, men and women
who could hold their own in the world of brilliancy--here they found a
warm hospitality, and gathered together in this great capital, like a
big happy family, they grew to know each other like brothers. Thus did
Mexico, in bringing together so many representatives of foreign lands,
create good feeling that will spread in many directions.
[Illustration: MONUMENT OF INDEPENDENCE.]
A tribute should be paid to Mayor Fernando Pimentel y Fagoago the
president of the National Commission, Governor de Landa y Escandon,
and the other members who planned this wonderful entertainment, which
will go down in history as one of the greatest jubilees that ever took
place. Thirty days of hospitality to the world! It was an unheard of
generosity and those foreign envoys who carried back reports of it to
their monarchs must have been very much impressed with it all. The
guests of the nation were treated with every consideration and courtesy
and their wants attended to with remarkable forethought. They were met
at the borders and ports and escorted with all honor to Mexico by a
selected body of society’s most brilliant men and the stations along
the line of travel were festooned with the national colors. Each city
sent delegates to meet the trains and speed them on their way to the
capital. It was like a scene of grandeur of the days when kings went
visiting, and not one representative of his ruler went from Mexico
without knowing the full measure of the manner of Mexico’s whole-souled
hospitality. At the capital, a protocol of ladies and gentlemen, met
the special trains bearing the foreign delegates and conveyed them
in all honor to their abodes, which were luxuriously furnished, some
of them being homes of citizens and officials. Fresh flowers were
sent each day, automobiles, carriages and servants were furnished and
everything the heart could desire was at the disposal of these visitors
during the Centennial. President Taft sent a special commission. The
distinguished gentlemen were selected for their fitness to represent
the United States. They were Special Ambassador Honorable Curtis Guild;
Congressman David J. Foster; Senator Overman; Senator Coe I. Crawford;
Congressman James R. Slayden; Representative George W. Fairchild;
Justice James E. Girard; General Harrison Gray Otis; and Colonel Rook.
These gentlemen occupied the Cobian Palace, one of the most magnificent
mansions in the capital city.
The other Envoys were the Marquis de Polavieja, Special Ambassador of
Spain; Monsieur Paul Lefaivre and Admiral de la Croix de Castries,
Special Ambassadors of France; Marquis di Bugano, of Italy; Special
Envoy Carl Buenz, of Germany; Chinese Ambassador, Chang Yin Tang;
Japanese Ambassador, Baron Uchida; Special Ambassadors from Chili,
Honorable Carlos Subercaezeaux and General Juan de Dios Vial Guzman;
Special Minister from Brazil, Don Antonio do Fontaura Xavier; Special
Minister from Costa Rica, Honorable Joaquin Calvo; Special Portuguese
Ambassador, Visconte de Alte; Peruvian Special Ambassador, Señor
Fedrico Alfonse Pezet; Special Envoy from Holland, Jankherr J. Loudon;
Colombian Minister, Señor C. de Corrodor Latorre; Cuban Special Envoy,
Honorable Loinaz del Castillo; Guatemalan Minister, Dr. Juan Ortega;
Salvadorian Minister, Señor Don José Antonio Rodriguez; Honduran Envoy,
Señor Don Salvador Cordóva; Bolivian Minister, Señor Don Santiago
Arguello; Austro-Hungarian Minister, Count Maximilian Hadik; Russian
Envoy, Honorable Andre Stalewski; Belgian Envoy, Monsieur George
Allart; Norwegian Envoy, Honorable Michael Lio; Ecuadorian Special
Envoy, Señor Don Leopoldo Pino; Swiss Envoy, Mr. Enrique Perret;
Venezuelan Delegate, Señor Don Eduardo Urdaneta; Argentine Special
Envoys, Señor Don Jacinto Garcia and General Enrique Fleiss, Commander
of the Warship _Presidente Sarmiento_; the resident Spanish
Minister, Señor Bernardo J. Cologan y Cologan represented Greece.
One of the first ceremonies was the opening of the lunatic asylum at
Mixcoac, one of the most splendid modern edifices erected in Mexico.
The president, bearing his eighty years with all the strength and
vigor of a man of forty, conducted the formalities with great dignity
and poise. Surrounded by representative men of all the world, he stood
out among them a figure never to be forgotten.
[Illustration: PRIESTS AND SERVANTS OF CORTÉS IN THE
HISTORICAL PARADE.]
All public buildings finished or nearing completion were formally
dedicated during this eventful month, each cabinet minister and
official taking an important part in the ceremonies. Speeches that
glided from the lips of orators from every clime seemed to mingle with
the golden atmosphere, carrying with them a spirit of good feeling.
The first ten days of the Centennial were devoted to receiving
the credentials of the foreign delegates, and impressive official
ceremonies appropriate to the occasion, but from the first day of the
month the president and his colleagues went through the ceremonies
of dedication, laying corner stones and opening schools and various
enterprises. The new Federal Legislative palace, which is one of the
most magnificent structures in America, was dedicated in the presence
of many foreign diplomats.
A flag parade of school children dressed in clothes made by the society
women of Mexico was one of the most interesting processions, because
of the youth of the participants. Notable among the events of the
Centennial was the opening of the University of Mexico in the presence
of General Diaz and other high officials and distinguished foreign
educators. In an unostentatious way the ceremonies began with strains
of the national anthem resounding throughout the large amphitheatre
of the National Preparatory School. Special delegates of foreign
universities with the caps and gowns of their respective institutions
of learning were present, among them, Dr. James Baldwin, representative
of Oxford University; Licenciado Manuel Garcia Alvarez, a delegate
from the University of Oviedo, Spain; Doctors Lendian and Dehigo y
Mestre, of the University of Havana; Professor Ernest Martinenche of
the University of Paris, founded in 1810; Dr. Benjamin Ide Wheeler,
President of the University of California, one of the best educators of
the United States; the American Commission and ambassadors from other
countries.
Before a brilliant assemblage of men and women the Minister of
Education and Belles Artes, Señor Don Justo Sierra, read a splendid
paper treating of the subject of education of the youth of Mexico, who
must be fitted to receive the reins of the government, which sooner or
later must fall to them. It was a splendid oration, and was followed
by a response from the President who in a few dignified words of
encouragement and praise pronounced the University of Mexico a thing of
reality, to endure forever. Other addresses followed and the dedication
of the University of Mexico passed into the annals of history.
The National School of Agriculture was opened and was one of the most
interesting of the ceremonies of the Centennial, being of importance
for the advancement and development of agricultural resources. An
exhibition of live stock in connection with this showed fine breeds of
cattle and horses from all parts of the republic.
A congress of education in the School of Arts and Crafts for men held
its session with important delegates from all the States of Mexico.
The new Normal Schools for men and for women, and some high schools
were opened and the new seismological station was dedicated during
the earlier days of the celebration. Following the dedication of
monuments of industry and statues, came fiestas of every kind, in
which Mexican women in all their splendor of jewels and toilettes did
their part in showing the world something of the magnificence of their
entertainments.
One of the beautiful tributes paid to President and Mrs. Diaz during
the festivities was a musicale given at the Castle of Chapultepec by La
Estudiantina musical club of young people.
Public and private balls, free theatres and bull-fights for the people,
fire-works, electrical displays and parades of every kind were the
order of this month of continued festivity.
[Illustration: A PART OF THE HISTORICAL PARADE.]
President and Mrs. Diaz extended magnificent hospitality to the
visiting ambassadors and their families, the diplomatic corps and
officials, with a banquet at the National Palace. It was a brilliant
function. The distinguished guests were received in the red hall. This
is the historical room of the Palace, filled with old paintings of the
battlefields and portraits of Mexican heroes. After the banquet the
guests attended a gala opera performance in honor of the President.
The national commission to entertain the visitors to the capital
left nothing undone to make the people enjoy the great event, from
the humblest of Indian peons to the representatives of the mightiest
monarch. Thousands of working men were given employment during the
preparations for the Centennial, and in addition to the payment given
them, each man was presented with a fitting suit of clothes for the
occasion. It would not be unusual, if the poorer classes were neglected
during festivities of this kind, to have some discord among them. With
a forethought, born of a natural tact, all this was regulated and the
poor were furnished with entertainments with such wisdom that there was
not a ripple of discontent during the great parades.
Mexicans regard the national events of the past with great reverence
and love and they enter into the spirit of hero worship whole-souled.
They do not forget the trials and sacrifices of years; they won their
right to be free and fought for their country, and having conquered
their enemy, they can afford to be magnanimous. This was demonstrated
by the kindly reception given the venerable Marquis de Polavieja, the
special ambassador from the Court of Spain, who was received with great
honors and given the greatest ovation ever accorded a foreign visitor,
on his arrival at the port of Vera Cruz, where three hundred years ago,
the envoys of the Spanish Crown came to wrest from the people their
possessions and native land. All this has been forgotten and Spain with
her great respect to the Mexican government sent her most distinguished
noble to represent her. With him came a suite of royal personages
bearing costly gifts and messages of goodwill from their sovereign. The
uniform and portrait of José Maria Morelos, the intrepid hero of one
hundred years ago, which was taken to Spain after the execution of the
patriot, was returned to Mexico with all due solemnity and reverence
and the Mexicans have a kindly appreciation of this delicate tribute.
Drawn through the streets upon a gun-wagon draped with the flag of
the nation, for which the patriot died, in a glass covered case, so
arranged that thousands could view it, the faded and blood stained
uniform was borne amid muffled drums and strains of martial music to
the National Palace, where the President of Mexico was waiting with
his Cabinet and a large assemblage of distinguished people to receive
the precious relic. It was a most impressive sight and brought tears
to the eyes of the multitude that stood on the streets, with hats in
hand, to see men of military distinction and high official life walking
with slow step before the carriage that conveyed the sacred relic. Old
warriors who had given their youth to the service of their country,
men in the prime of life who were serving their country to the best of
their ability, and youths full of the inspiration of patriotism, walked
side by side with bared heads, while the soldiers and marines kept step
with the solemn music.
This gift from a friendly country has cemented the cordial relations
between Mexico and Spain.
In the Hall of Ambassadors, the splendid representative of Spain made
the presentation in these few well chosen words:
“Mr. President--In the name of my august sovereign I have the high
honor of delivering into the hands of your Excellency, that it may
remain on Mexican territory, the portrait, the uniform, and other
objects which were the property of General José Maria Morelos y Pavon,
which, as belonging to a great general and citizen, my country kept
with great care for a long time, guarding them jealously in its museum
of artillery.
“His Majesty, King Alfonso XIII., wishes that your Excellency may
see in this act, and with you all the noble Mexican people the most
complete expression of the sincere satisfaction with which he and the
Mother Spain associate themselves with your centenary of independence.
You are to be praised for the greatness of your progress, and the rapid
strides Mexico has made toward internal and international peace.
“To-day for this reason, the Mexican republic merits and possesses the
respect, the esteem and the regard of all people. In her there shone,
in past times, all the glories of the art of war, and now all the arts
of peace, which have had brilliant development and expansion.
“May God continue to dispense to her his favors.
“These are the wishes of my King and the Mother Spain, proud of her
daughter, whom she embraces, on this momentous occasion, with all the
affection of her soul and with all the memories of her great labor as
the discoverer, explorer and colonizer of the Americas.”
The President with much feeling thanked the monarch of Spain in the
name of his people and expressed appreciation for the relic so highly
prized.
At the conclusion of the ceremony the audience of brilliant men and
women gave many “_vivas_” for the respective rulers and also for
the venerable Marquis who had the honor of presenting the gift. The
Grand collar of the Order of Carlos III. was conferred on General Diaz
at another ceremony and a painting of Alfonso of Spain was unveiled.
A marble tablet erected on the front of the Artillery Arsenal in the
Cuidadela in memory of the imprisonment of the patriot, José Maria
Morelos, was unveiled by the Governor of the Federal District, Señor
Don Guillermo de Landa y Escandon. Little children from the schools,
dressed in white, assisted the Governor in this ceremony by singing
the national anthem. The oration of the day was delivered by a noted
attorney, Licenciado Isidro Fabela.
The unveiling of the Monument of Independence, with orations from many
distinguished men, was one of the principal events of this month. This
was built to commemorate the National Independence. It is an impressive
looking column, some parts made in Mexican marble, surmounted with
a bronze winged female figure. The plaster casts of the allegorical
figures were made by native sculptors and sent to Italy, where the
castings were made. The four figures on the lower pedestal represent
Law, Progress, Resistance and Force.
[Illustration: NOBLEMEN WITH ESCORTS IN THE HISTORICAL
PARADE.]
From the base rises a column, surrounding which are figures of the
Heroes of the Independence. The central figure is of Hidalgo, and
standing on each side are figures of Morelos and Guerrero. From this
pedestal rises the shaft ten feet in diameter and sixty-seven feet
high. It is the work of Antonio Rivas Mercado and was completed in 1910.
One of the most significant ceremonies during this month was the
unveiling of the statue of Benito Juarez, first president of
the republic after the empire. Before a brilliant concourse of
distinguished Mexicans and ambassadors, and the surviving members of
the Juarez family, the president, with tears streaming, drew aside
the canvas that hid the most fitting monument ever built in Mexico.
It is of Doric style, constructed from Italian marble, severe and
magnificent, typical of the character of this great man. It is the work
of the sculptor Lazaroni, after the design of Heredia, and seems to
represent the true character of Juarez, whose intense patriotism and
upright principles immortalized him. The sculpture represents Juarez
between two allegorical figures of Glory and Mexico--these figures are
seven metres high and are most imposing. This monument is a recognition
of the greatness of the reformer who did so much for Mexico in the
closing years of his life.
Señor Ingeniero Ignacio de la Barre, in a well delivered address
explained that the massive work of construction was completed in ten
months, the workmen in a spirit of patriotism working day and night.
On this occasion the American government presented an immense wreath
of flowers which was borne to the foot of the statue on the strong
shoulders of two most distinguished ambassadors, Honorable Curtis Guild
and Honorable Henry Lane Wilson. This monument is most conspicuously
placed in the Alameda, on the avenue which bears the name of the great
patriot.
The site in Plaza Dinamarca upon which will stand the monument to
Washington presented to Mexico by the resident citizens of the United
States, was dedicated by General Diaz. The introductory address was
made by Mr. C. R. Hudson and the oration delivered by Honorable Henry
Lane Wilson, the resident American ambassador, was concluded in most
brilliant language. This monument is now in construction, and is one of
the many contributions in honor of the Centennial.
On September 14th, the statue of Baron Alexander Von Humboldt, the
magnificent gift from the German Emperor to the republic was unveiled
in the garden of the National Library. In the midst of glittering
uniforms and decorations, with the German band discoursing strains of
Tannhauser, the President and his suite arrived to hear the address
of presentation by Ambassador Carl Buenz and his diplomatic staff. It
was the most brilliantly garbed assemblage of people at any dedication
during the celebration. The chief executive drew the cord which parted
the curtains that hid the dignified statue of the man whose faith in
Mexico had inspired his predictions of its great future. The marines
and sailors of the man of war _Freya_ made a great impression by
their splendid bearing. A chorus of male voices, hidden in the recesses
of the building, rendered selections of classical music. The oration of
the German ambassador was delivered in an eloquent style. He said:
“Mr. President:
“Ladies and Gentlemen:
“This day belongs to the fraternal feeling between Mexicans and
Germans. We find ourselves to-day under the emblem: ‘The German Emperor
to the Mexican Nation.’ These are the words written on the base where
has been raised the monument which we are about to dedicate to the
Mexican nation, as a permanent symbol of our friendship.
“Marble upon granite symbolizing the purity of our sentiments and the
firmness of our friendship.
“His majesty, the Emperor, desiring of his own initiative to give to
Mexico a visible and permanent sign of his sympathy, could find no
better means to realize his intention effectively than by the erection,
in the capital of the republic, of the statue of the great explorer of
this country, Baron Alexander Humboldt.
“Over a century ago, a young German, animated by the enthusiasm of
youth and the desire for scientific knowledge characteristic of our
race, was inspired to explore the Latin lands across the seas.
“As a simple traveler, he will soon appear to our page as a hero of
science penetrating the most recondite mysteries of the New World,
despite innumerable dangers, cruel fatigues, almost insurmountable
obstacles.
“The author of ‘Cosmos,’ his immortal work, belongs to the world, the
illustrious man of science, to our nation, the author of Essay on New
Spain, to Mexico.
“The European world heard with surprise the revelations of the beauty,
the wealth, and the possibilities of a country in which he had become
interested solely for its heroic history, for its past.
“With Alexander Humboldt, modern Mexico celebrated its apparition as an
actual power, as a valiant member of the family of modern nations.
“The Mexican nation, always chivalrous, was quick to recognize the
merits of the explorer of its territory and made him an honorary
citizen. In this manner the son of Germany became the adopted child of
the Mexican nation and Germany and Mexico became brother countries.
“It is for the fraternity thus effected that the German Emperor offers
to the Mexican nation the statue of her native son, the adopted son of
Mexico.
“And Mexico? What a marvel!
“Another Alexander Humboldt, native born of Mexico, came and by his
intelligence, through his love for his country, the energy of his
character and the weight of his hand when it became necessary, he
formed a new Mexico, a state worthy of occupying a distinguished place
in the community of civilized nations.
“It is for this reason, General, that to-day the representatives
of civilized foreign nations participate in the celebration of the
Centennial of the declaration of Mexico’s independence. It is for this
reason that His August Majesty, the Emperor, has sent me to express to
Your Excellency, in the presence of the representatives of his army and
his navy, his sincere sympathy for Your Excellency, his cordial desires
for your welfare and for the prosperity of the Mexican nation, and it
is for this reason, as a permanent symbol of this goodwill and love,
that His Majesty furthered the plan of erecting in this, the capital
city of the republic, the monument we are about to unveil.
[Illustration: SITE OF THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT. PRESENTED BY
THE AMERICAN COLONY.]
“The erection of the monument in front of the National Library is
significant of the universality in which all the differences of races,
all the evolutions are resolved; of the universality of science, of the
harmony of ultimate ideas, of the chief ends of mankind. It is with
this idea, Mr. President, that I to-day have the honor of delivering in
the name of the Emperor, to Your Excellency as the representative of
the nation, the statue of Alexander Humboldt, sole honorary citizen of
this republic. That this monument be a ‘monumentum sere perennius’ of
the friendship which happily binds our nations and our governments, a
witness, dumb, but eloquent, of the continuous progress of this country
towards the goal of its destinies.”
After a selection from Mendelssohn, the response for the president was
delivered by the brilliant governor of the Federal District, Honorable
Guillermo de Landa y Escandon. It was an entire day of festivity.
Lunches and dinners were given at the German Club and theatrical
performances in honor of the Germans in all parts of the city. The
cadets and officers from the warship were given the freedom of the town.
Many other statues were dedicated and unveiled, among them monuments in
honor of Garibaldi and Pasteur.
In the Monumental Tribune at Chapultepec the president and his cabinet,
the foreign ambassadors and ladies and gentlemen of Mexican society
witnessed the ceremony of the dedication of the ground for the statue
of Queen Isabel, the Catholic, which was presented by the Spanish
Colony.
All honor was paid to the cadets who fell in the battle of Molino del
Rey, on whose monument were placed wreaths of flowers.
Not a day passed during this great Centennial without some wonderful
form of entertainment. The Civic parade which took place September
14th, was one in which all classes of society participated. Over ten
thousand people marched in this procession, amid waving banners. It was
headed by all the officials of the government, and took in every labor
organization and employees of the government. The president reviewed it
from the balcony of the National Palace.
On September 15th, the most unique pageant known in history took
place. It was the historical parade which comprised every character of
Mexico’s history. It was a drama enacted before the president with the
oldest site of Mexico City, the Plaza de la Constitucion, as its stage.
The actors numbered over twelve thousand and many came from parts of
the republic in which the event they were to depict was originally
enacted. All the magnificence of the Emperor Montezuma as he went
forth to greet Hernán Cortés was faithfully represented in costumes
of their times and races. The following is a translation from the
_Mexican Daily Record_, of the programme furnished by the members
of the National Commission, to whom all honor should be given for this
stupendous success:
APPROACH OF CORTÉS
The troops of Cortés, composed of four hundred Spaniards and seven
thousand Indian allies, passed the night in the town of Amecameca, in
the valley formed by the “Montaña que Numea,” (mountain that smokes),
on the 5th of November, 1519. The following day they continued their
journey toward the great Tenochtitlan, the proud Lady of the Lakes;
passed by Tlalmanalco and held to stop in Aytezinge, a village near
Chalce. On rising the next day to continue the journey, Cacama, the
king of Tezcoco called the Spanish conqueror and presented him with
rich gifts in the name of Montezuma.
The march continued, and on that day, November 6th, they arrived at
Ixtapalapan where they were received by Cuitlahuac, brother of the
emperor of Mexico, where they were comfortably lodged.
Very early on the 7th, the journey was resumed; it is said that Cortés
appeared somewhat distrustful and for that reason he formed his troops
in line of battle. The flags were unfurled and the drums made a
tremendous noise to terrorize the Indians.
[Illustration: MONTEZUMA’S ARMY IN MILITARY PARADE.]
Great was the excitement in the hearts of the Spaniards at the sight
of the panoramic view of the city, where numberless temples rose to
view majestically over the crystal lakes. The exuberant vegetation
and luxuriousness, the gifts or presents consisting of gold, precious
stones, rich plumage, and so varied vegetable products, all must have
caused a great impression on the minds of these men of insatiable
thirst for adventure.
EMPEROR MEETS CORTÉS
Emperor Montezuma prepared himself to meet the conqueror. Two brothers
accompanied the emperor and also the lords of Tezcoac, Ixtapalapan and
Coyoacan, the king of Tlacopan, the treasurer of Montezuma, Tlacatecat,
the captain general and other great personages.
Four of these men conducted the emperor in a luxurious palanquin, with
shafts of polished gold and showy blankets, under a pallium or canopy
of woven feathers. Preceding the monarch a group of ministers with gold
rods in their hands marched heralding the approach of the emperor, and
the party was completed by the members of the council, the priests, the
captains in front of their warriors and their servants.
Cortés arrived preceded by a cavalry guard, he mounted his white horse,
Molinere. The vanguard was composed of drummers and buglers and the
companies of arcabuceros and ballesteros. At the rear was a platoon of
Tlaxcalteca warriors, allies of the emperor. Cortés was surrounded by
his captains, Pedro de Alvarado, Juan Velasquez de Leon, Gonzalo de
Sandoval, Alonso de Avila, Francisco de Luga, Diego de Ordaz and the
distinguished soldier, Bernal Diaz de Castillo.
When Montezuma and Cortés finally met, the former alighted from the
palanquin and advanced to receive the latter upon several rugs which
the servants placed upon the floor before the emperor so that he need
not step upon the ground, all the great lords and members of the
cortége remaining with their heads bowed, so as not to see the face
of the monarch. Four great lords covered him with the pallium when he
approached the conqueror.
GIFTS EXCHANGED
Cortés dismounted and advanced to greet Montezuma, making two bows or
reverences. Montezuma responded by placing his hands near the ground
and then to his lips. The conqueror intended to embrace the monarch,
but the great lords advised him that the emperor was a divinity who
could not be touched. He placed on the neck of Montezuma a collar
of stones of marcasite glass in gold thread and scented with musk.
Montezuma surrounded the neck of Cortés with a rich collar set with
stones and a string of roses. He then ordered his party to offer
his presents to Cortés and the latter received flowers and birds of
beautiful plumage.
The priests passed swinging their censors and the procession continued
in the aforesaid order.
ORGANIZATION OF PARADES
The first group, which consisted of eight hundred and thirty-nine
persons, commenced its march from the Plaza de la Reforma, following
up Avenidas Juarez and San Francisco. When they reached the corner of
Empadredillo, Montezuma and his party passed in front of the portales,
and Cortés and his party to the front of the Cathedral, in order that
the meeting of the two would take place under the central balcony of
the National Palace. The order of the procession was as follows:
[Illustration: UNVEILING OF THE HUMBOLDT STATUE. PRESENTED TO
MEXICO BY EMPEROR WILLIAM.]
MONTEZUMA’S GROUP
1. Nineteen Mexican warriors with banners.
2. Grand captain escorted by eight warriors with badge of noble
distinction.
3. Fifty Mexican warriors.
4. Thirty-eight priests.
5. Lords of Tezcoco, Ixtapalapan, Coyoacan and Tlacopan accompanied by
twenty Knights of the Sun.
6. Fifteen noblemen, or great lords.
7. Twenty Indian women escorted by six warriors with fixed banners and
two Tiger Knights.
8. Servants carrying tapestries and rugs or blankets to place them on
the ground when the emperor alights from his palanquin.
9. Ten ministers with gold rods in their hands.
10. Emperor Montezuma in his palanquin, conducted by four great lords.
Another four noblemen carry large fans, fifty more great lords surround
the emperor.
11. Group of warriors, priests, who escort the emperor.
12. The procession is closed by seventy-two Mexican warriors with their
respective chiefs.
CORTÉS’S GROUP
1. A guard of six soldiers, carabiniers on horseback and twenty on foot.
2. Drummers and buglers.
3. Ballesteros.
4. Hernán Cortés, accompanied by Doña Marina (Malintzin) and his
distinguished captains.
5. Priests and servants of Cortés.
6. Archers.
7. Tlaxcalteca warriors allied to Cortés, in the following order:
Advance guard of ten warriors.
Chiefs of the republic of Tlaxcala.
Standard bearers.
Eighty warriors with their respective commanders, or chiefs.
SECOND GROUP
The second group represents the epoch of Spanish dominion in Mexico, in
the procession of the banner.
To commemorate the 13th day of August, the anniversary of the conquest,
the procession used to be organized in the following order:
Preceded by the drummers, buglers and the several foot ushers, the
cabalgada marched from the church of San Hipolito to the municipal
palace, the procession being formed by the councilmen, the mayor, the
first constable, one honorary colonel and lieutenant-colonel of Spanish
infantry, the members of the council of his majesty, the members of
the _audiencia_. In a prominent place was the alferez or chief
ensign of the town. The rear of the group was a military force and the
principal Indians of Santiago and Tlaltelolco, walking on foot with
their typical square blankets, wide trousers, a cape and sandals. As a
rule these Indians were the governor, the mayor, the judge and first
constables of the aforesaid places. On reaching the municipal palace,
the alferez real would take the banner which was placed upon a scarlet
pillow under the main balcony, and before a notary he would pledge
abject submission and return it to the place whence it came.
[Illustration: THE JUAREZ MONUMENT.]
The procession again formed, the royal alferez proceeded on the
march through the streets of Tlapalros, Refugio, Puente del Espiritu
Santo, San Angel, San Augustin, Portacoeli and Flamences to the main
entrance of the viceroy’s palace. The viceroy would come down and join
the procession, surrounded by the high dignitaries of the palace,
the alferez real to his left and to his right the oldest judge of
the supreme court. The cavalcade would take the streets of El Reloj,
Encarnacion, and Santo Domingo, to arrive at the platform erected
in front of the palace, on which four maidens and four knights were
waiting. Once on the tribune, the alferez would deliver to the viceroy
the banner to be raised above his head. This ceremony was patronized by
the provincials of Santo Domingo and San Francisco. When the ceremony
ended, the viceroy entered the palace with his party and the alferez,
with his party, returned to the ayuntamiento to leave there the banner,
the whole procession then being dispersed.
This group consisted of two hundred and eighty-eight persons and
marched in the order indicated. At the main balcony of the municipal
palace the royal ensign was placed, which is of crimson damask with
the royal emblem embroidered in gold, trimmed with a flounce of gold,
cords and silk tassels. The royal emblem is surrounded by the following
inscription:
“Non in multitudine Exercitus Consistit sed in Voluntate Dei.”
When the royal alferez returns to the municipal palace to deposit the
banner he leaves it in the hall of sessions of the ayuntamiento.
Facing the National Palace, a platform with curtains was erected for
the ceremony of raising the pennon or royal standard.
MODERN TIMES
The third group represented the era of independence and the present
time, as follows:
1. Glorification of Generalisimo Miguel Hidalgo. Allegorical float of
the Independence, offered by the government of the State of Hidalgo.
2. Float in honor of the insurgent Generalisimo José Maria Morelos y
Pavon, by the government of the State of Michoacan.
3. Representation of the entry of the army of the Three Guarantees
into the City of Mexico, under the command of Augustin de Iturbide,
accompanied by Generals Vicente Guerrero, Manuel Mier y Teran,
Guadalupe Victoria and Anastasio Bustamante, leading some sections
of the regiments who formed the Trigarante Army, among others the
following:
Imperial grenadiers. Regiment of the Crown. Regiments of Celaya, Tres
Villas, Guadalajara, Light of Querétaro, Light of Morelos, Stationary
of Puebla, Mexico and Valladolid. Regiments of Santo Domingo of
Ferdinand VII. Dragoons of Mexico. Dragoons of the King. Dragoons of
Santander. Faithful of the Potosi, Sierra Gorda and San Fernando.
Regiments from Puebla and Mexico.
This being the eve of the great day of Independence, as well as the
celebration of the eightieth birthday of General Diaz made it one
of the most brilliant days of entertainment during the Centennial.
Congratulations poured from all parts of the world to greet the Chief
Executive on the occasion of his birthday and a galaxy of men and women
at the National Palace furnished a scene never to be forgotten. True
to the yearly custom of the past century, as the hour arrived when
the ringing of the Bell of Liberty incited outbursts of enthusiasm,
the masses gathered beneath the balcony of the National Palace, the
president stepped out into the night and pronounced the Grito de
Dolores, “Long live our most holy Mother of Guadalupe: Long live
America, and death to bad government.” The peals of this great relic of
the past sounded like the silvery voice of Hidalgo embalmed in metal.
On September 16th, the great review of the army of the republic took
place. On this occasion the foreign delegates had the opportunity of
viewing the army of Mexico in all its glory.
A splendid official reception given by Governor de Landa y Escandon in
the new Municipal Palace brought together a concourse of distinguished
men and women. This was one of the great social events.
One of the most magnificent spectacles that occurred during this gala
Centennial was the ball given by President Diaz and Madame Carmen
Romero de Diaz, the Diplomatic Corps and Mexican society. The large
_patio_ of the National Palace was a fairyland with myriads of
lights and flowers, and in no part of the world could there be a more
wonderful display. It was an honor to the nation. Mexico may justly be
proud of the display at this function, she may well be proud of her
beautiful women who in their magnificent toilettes and jewels carried
themselves with such dignity. A special ambassador of one of the Courts
of Europe remarked that he had never seen among crowned heads a woman
who bore her dignity with such grace and beauty as Madame Diaz. Over
ten thousand guests assisted at this beautiful ball.
During the brilliancy of the _fiestas_, the nation’s dead heroes
were not forgotten. The urns containing the remains and relics of
Mexico’s patriots were transferred from the Cathedral to the National
Palace, and a most touching apotheosis was held in their honor.
[Illustration: THE ARMY OF CORTÉS IN PARADE.]
[Illustration: RECEPTION HALL OF THE SPANISH CASINO.]
[Illustration: PATIO OF THE SPANISH CASINO.]