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VOL. XXVIII.--xo. 5.
pHRONICLES <™»
«at> <>/ Count Antonio-
By ANTHONY HOPE, Author of “A Prisoner of Zenda,” Etc.
Copyright. 18$l. by, Anthony Hope.
CHAPTER 11.
COUNT ANTONIO AND THE TRAITOR
PRINCE.
Or all the deeds that fount Antonio, of
Monte Velluto. did during the time that
he was an outlaw in the hit’s, a price hav
ing be* n set on his head by Duke Valen
tine. there was none that made gr«.at-~ r
stir or stru-k more home to the hearts
•■f men. howsoever they chose to look upon
It. than that which he performed on the
high h'II that faces the wicket gate in (hi
west side of th- city, and is call'll naw the
hill of Duke Paul. Indcvi. it was the act
of a man whose own conscience was his
sole guide and who made the law which lit*
own hand was to carry out. That it had
been a crime in most men. who can d übt?
That it was a crime in him, ail govern
ments must hold, ard the same, I take it.
must be the teaching of th-- char -h. Yet all
ni. n held it nut u crime, although they
had n« t ventured it themselves, both from
the greatness of the p mn wbuni the deed
r— ri
V I
I ’:• 'J?
*‘ & - I
■jO>
~../wF '
i
4'W 's/* <r»
a-- ' -
1 fe:
1 AUI, ON HIS KNEES TO ANTONIO.
con. erm >l. an i al- o for the burden that it
put vii the com iun-e oi him that uid it
Here. ? n. .s the story of it. a- it Is yet
told Uth in t < houses of the nobles and
li. pear ants' e- :tages:
Whil • Count Antonio still dwelt at the
court t nd had not yet tied the wrath arous
es! tn h« duke by tne count s attempt to
< «rr> »ff Lndy I.u’.a. the duke's ward, the
nuptia s of his hig'.m-s had been celebrat
ed ril’d great mazniil en«-e and universal ,
rejoicii g. and the ft sting and exultation i
fr. J be-n most happily renew -1 at th. birtn .
of an infant prince a vear !at» r. let h«-.ivy •
was th! prise paid for thta gift of to awn. ;
f-r her highness, the duchess. a la-:y or |
rare yrace and kindliness, survived the *
Luth ••! Uc-r son only thr. • months, and .
thea died amid Hie passionate mourning of
the pc pie 1-avii g the duke a prey to bit
ter soi ow. Many ta.j that she had turned j
his he., rt to g. cd had she but lived, and that
tt was the less of her that sour«-d him and
twist..l his nature. If it be so. I pray that
h» his r» - iv. d pardon t< r all hi* sins, tor (
his s f was yr-at sad hardlj to to -•*-
s .age ■ ..... a tl •• 1 • i.a . forth- in
t\- ; rw front • -jm xx ui i never v.
parte 1 ter -a he . if he c mid < ouirive to ,
have th- » i ' i him. and in whom he
W. si't. Ia : he i-ir of tes thrwn..
Now. in th. toy of th- wd-ling and th* I
pnef a the du -s death, none ha 1 more |
ost nti tlous sign of sharing than his ii.- i- i
h~?s-b »ro her. link- Paul. Y-1 hollow alike |
wrr- his joy and Ins sorrow, save that ho |
found true eau-o for sorrow in that tho j
duehes left to her husband a dear m«m«»- j
rial of tl> r brief union. Paul rival- 1 the
duke i» his caresses and his affected love |
forth. boy. but he had lived long in the
»nt,e t»ia- lis I -hness would not marry.
. , W, . I h.m in
Ins piss A and ihi.< hope he could not put out |
of his h-art. Nay. as time puss.-d and th.- |
baby £-■ vv tn ah« althy boy. Paul’s thought
t<s»k a s’ili m per Uu of guilt. It uis no >
longer for him to hope for his nephew s j
d- ath. nor even to meditate how he should I
bring I about. On wi« k-d imagining led on. j
a- it i wont in oar sinful nature, to anoth- j
er. amt Satan whispered in Paul’s -ar tha ;
the duke hims -If was short of forty years ■
by a > ar. that to wait tor power till youth 1
w-rr "gon was not a I •old man’s part, and |
that contrive the child’s d-ath. leaving .
1; - fail* C alive, was but to double th- risk ‘
without h dvitig th. guilt. Thus was Paul i
Indi- • to . a II on the d- ath of both fath-r ;
f
father went first the son would easily fol- ‘
low: a .d tiiat with one cunning and ccur- |
stroke tho path to the throw*
might tie cleared.
In the I - ruling of the second year of
- Antonio’s outlawry, his highn-ss was
inert mightily im « ::s.d against him. nut ,
mer-ly I- *us* h<- had so won the affection ;
of th,- country folk that none would betray |
his hiding plac* either for threats or re- <
wu ls. but most rhi-tly by reason of ac« r- I
tain a- t which was in truth more of Tom- j
masir >'s doing than of Antonio’s. For 1
Tornm- sino, n. —ting one of the duke s far- >
pi . . . ’ tax. - Irid light, nod him of his fat (
bag of money, saying that he would himself
t um th- honor of banding what was
fair:y <lu.- •• h- highness, and ha i up< n ;
that scatt-r I thr.-—f am ths of th- spoil •
among tl. P« r. - ; "• *” ® ■' ' i
mint ira.lv by i.ight to the gat- of he j
city with a writ::... 'Thre is honor among !
tn • ' . I r,! ' i
thiev..-T' Ai 1 th < writing I •' Is-n read |
by many, a-d the report «-f it sprva .ing j
thr 1--i tIM city hud in;. :- men laugn. j
Taeref »re the duke had sworn that by no |
means should Antonio ga‘n pardon eave by
d« hv«: ng that impotent j.-mg robber to the I
lords . 1: ;.s 1.. VM p
• ed when his brother sought him n the gar
| den (for he sat in his wonted place under
! the wall bv the «i hpond) and hade him 11s-
I ten to a plan wher by the outlaws should
bo brought to punishment. The duke took
I his lit io son upon his knees and prayed
‘ his brother to tell bis device.
! -You could not bring me a sweeter gift
I Ih-.n the head of Tommasino.” said he,
<?.- -Mie »-< '!■"!
• shrink closer in his arms, for the child
i did not love Paul, but fear, d him. ,
“Antonio knows that 1 love your hlg.t
--' n« <s ” said Paul, seating himself on the
; >e:!t bj the diike. "but he knows also that
j I am ids friend an I a friend to the Ladv
‘ Lucia. and a man of tender lie.in. Would
• it se-r.i to 1 K.i deep treachery if I should
• go privately t<; him and tell Idm how that |
lon i certain day J u would go forth with j
your guard t . ~rnp in the spurs of Mount ,
I • , the city desolate, tnd that
! in the night .f that day i could contrive I
! that E i ia should come secretly to the gate |
[ and that it j-uvutd be open for her, so that |
I by a ruld.-n descent she might be seized
and can led safe to ills hiding place before
aid could come from your highness?”
“But what should the truth b< ?” asked j
Valentine.
“The truth should be that while part of ,
th- guard vv-nt to the spurs of the mount, !
the rest should lie in ambush close Inside 1
the city gates and dash out on Antonio and
his company."
“It is well if he will believe."
i Then Paul laid his linger on liU brother’s
. arm.
“As the eI.H-k in th* tower of the cathe- 1
. d: .1 stnk< s . in the morning of the 15th of
i the month, do you hear, dear brother, be
’ in your sunim r home at the corner of the
gardi n v .nd. r. and 1 will come thither
:.nd toll vou if he has b. 'ieved, and If he
. has come. F-r by then 1 shall have learnt
from him his mind. and we two will
straightway go rouse the guards ai d lead
the in- n to th. ii appointi i station, and
when he approaches the gate we can lay
j hands on him."
Jiow can you come to him, for we know
! not o. h- is hi IT’
' Al • : th. r.- is not a rogue of a peasant
• tin. < aniiot take a letter to him”
WI.. H 1 <n ,n them. ay. though
i bea ti-.-ni, they know nothing." cried 1
I V.lintlne, in chagrin. “Truly, the sooner
b> lhe htvU lhe b,tter r °r our
• Shall it b.. then, as I say. duke?’
I “So lei It be.” said the duke. "I will
j await you in the summer house.”
Paul, perceiving that his brother had no i
suspicions of him and would await him in '
i the summer house, conceived his task to be
J already half done. For his plan was that
. he and Antonio should come together to '
the summer house, but that Antonio should
I lie hid until Paul had spoken to the duke
. then Paul should go on pretext of bidding 1
the guard mak. ready the ambm-h an d
■ leave the duke alone with Antonio. Antonio
tm-n, .- Iddehly springing forth, should slav i
tin duke, while Paul—an 1 when he thought
| on this he smile 1 to himself-would j <on-
< body ..i m-ii should bar An
' -ip. and straightway kill him.
- inus shouli he b- quit both of his brother '
and Ant >nio, and n<» man u_oul<l live who
I k,:cw (1)e W .. IS c ,, ntr j vet t “And
1 oui'i i '■‘" l i,e ' r doubt whether the poor
• child ber.-ft of all parental care will long
’ Jr’L*" 1 tna nhold perils of infancy.”
JIJUS he Sehi-m-d. and when he had
j n>. t ie all sure and noised about th- duke’s
. intentions, tic himself set forth alone on
‘ his horse to .seek Antonio. He rode till
he reached the entrance of the pass lead
| ing to the entrance of the hills. Then he
dismounted and sat down on the ground
and this was at noon on the l.lth day of
lhe month. He had not long been sitting
. when a face p-.-r.-l from liehind a wall of
. mu- -ov.-red rock that fronted him and
[ Paul cried:
| "is it a friend?’
I "A friend id whom mean you, my lord?”
came from the rock.
"Os win in else than of Count Antonio?”
' cri. d Pau!.
A silence followed and a delay: then
! two men stole cautiously from behind th«
I roek and in on- of them Paul knew the
I iii.iii catli.i Uena. who had to-en of the
■ dukes guard. The men knowing Paul,
Ih.vv. • low to him and asked him his pleas-
I lire an] hi commanded them to bring
him to Antonio. They wondered, knowing
• not whether h« came from the dike or
d« -pit- Hie duke, but he was urgent hi
' his commands and at length they l.ed a
: ' - ■ . i ... ret him on I.) I ho:M
they wmt for ■ u
. hour. Then th y prayed liim to dismount,
I saying that th I • could go no further.
1 and thougu Paul's cw-g saw nothing
ATI, ANT A. GA., MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1895.
the whinny and smelt the smt 11 of horses.
"Here are your stables, then.” said he,
aid dismounted with a laugh. Then J’-en.i
I tcok him Ly the hand and the other gulled
his feet, and climbing up steep paths, over
boulders and through little water eouis. s,
they went, till at length Bena cued: “We
i are at home, h’y lord,” and I’aui, tearing
' off his bandage, found tdiiis-.lt on a small,
i level spot, ranged round with stunted, wind,
i beaten lira, and three huts stood in the
, middle of the space, and before one of the
■ iiuts sat Tommasino, composing a sonnet
' to a pretty peasant girl whom he hrea
] chanced to meet that day. For Tomma
sino had ever a hospitable heart. But. see
ing Paul, Tommasino left his sonnet, and,
with a cry of wonder. I’irang to meet him,
and Paul took him by both hands and sa
luted him. That night and the mornhu
that followed Paul abode with Antonio, eat
ing of good cheer and drinking the t ootl
wine that Tommasino, who had »!iar.-a ’•
himself with lac care of such matters, put
before him; whence they cante from i an!
a.sked not, nor did Tommasino say ni"ia»
tnan that tii -y wen- offerings to Count An
tonio, but whether offerings of free will or
no he said not. And durin- this time I’aul
spoke much with Antonio privily anil apart,
persuading him of his friendship and sp -lit-*
ing most pitiful tilings of the harshness
shown ly Valentine, his brother, to the
Eady Euekt, and liow tne lady grew pale
' . nd i-i’e-i and lined so that the physicians
i knit tlair brows over her, and the won» u
‘ said no di u, s would patch a broken h. art.
: Thus he inflamed Antani.j’s mind with a
i great rage against the duke, so that he tel'
' to <>-tinting the men he had and wondering
I whether there was force to go openly
I against the city. But in sorrow Paul an
j sw< red that, tiic pikemen were too many.
“But lit re is away and a bi tter,” said
i Paul, leaning ills h-- >d near to Antonio’s
I ear. “Away whereby you may come t<
I your own again, ami rebut! I y<>ur house
' that the duke has burned, and enjoy the
] 1 -ve of Em ia, and hold foremost place in
! the duchy.”
“What way Is that?” asked Antonio in
wondering eagerness. “Indeed, I am wili
' ir.g to serve his highness in any honorable
j s-. i vice, if b_. th.it I may win his pardon
i and come to that I long for.”
“His pardon! When did he pardon?”
rncered I’; 1.1.
J To know honest rnen and ;eave then) to
j their h .u. sty :s the last great gift of vil
i lainy. But Paul h:.d it not, and n-w !><■
! unfolded to Antonio the plan that, lie had
- made, saving ms raids not la said) that
part of it whereby Antonio hinis- If was to
meet his <l« ith. For a pretext, he alleged
that tiic <luk< oppressed the city, anu tint
In, Paul, was put out of favor becaus
he had sought to prot.-ct the people, and ;
was fall n in groat suspicion. Yet, jud.'.ing
Antonio’s h< art by his own. he dwelt again
and longer on the charms of l.uci.t and of ;
the great things he would give- Antonio !
when he ruled the dm-hy for his nephi .
for of the last crime he medltat- d,
<;• th Ihe < lild, h< lid li < i :H t .
;r. f. to b.ve lie- chilo. \ I. ■-
ii.ri iH-rait *» .-ti >i<iit i«i‘i u. t , .
Antonio, and his face flush--d; I lit h< -it
still and listened with uumov .i face, his ,
eyes gravely regarding Paul the whit--. '
No anger did he show, nor word. r. m>r •
scorn, nor now : ny • agcrn.ss; but !i - z-d
at the prince with culm, musing g)
as though he considered of some gi’.-it
qi;, ti n put l>< for-> him. And when P-iul
end. d b.is t ile A itciiio sat. j .-t sib nt and i
n.i sing. But Paul was tremblii.a now. ;
ami he str. t lied out his hand ar ! )e*-I it or '
Antonio’s knee ami asked, with • • i.- ...-j ,
' laugh tii.it clmked in the utteran e:
“W. 11, friend \ntoiiio. is it a clever plao I
1 and will you ride with m< ~ ,
Minu.e followed minute before Antonio rt - I
■ : a. ■ -i. At hr. th the frown vanish d from
! ) i In ov and his fa.-.- gr. w < alm and set, |
and h<- answered Duke Pa-.1, saying:
“It is such a plan as you, m\ lord, of all '
men in the du by, could mak-, and 1 will <
i ri l<- with you.”
Th-ii Paul i i triumph caught him by the
I h.' r Is ,•••! 1 nr -- . d his han.'s, c tiling him a,
‘ i.mn of line spirit and a tin.- tri' nd who
* should tut lack reward. And ail this An
, t- mo sass.-r- I sib r.lly and in d- ir- -, still
( he listens' while Paul told him that a path
1 led secretly fi• n the bank of the river
through the wall to th. siirnm- r house,
v. h< ■ the dub- was to U“- *’• this gate
he :>b ne, rave the duke, bad the key; tlr-v -
h id but to swim th. riv. r and . ut. r bv this ;
gate. Secreting Antonio. Paul would talk
with the duke; tlu r h. would go and carry '
off wh it r. main i of tla- guard ov r and 1
above those that had gone to the hills: and ,
Antonio, having done his deed, could tc
turn bv the same s< e'-<-t path, ro the ■
river u-rain, ar.d rejoin bi: friends. And in i
V '
/ ./ J (A-x'
PAUL AS ANTt.NIO LEFT HIM.
1 -A I Lt, AS L>IW 1 lll.u.
a short space of time Paul would recall ,
him with honor to the city and give him !
Lucia to Wife.
"And if there be a question as to the \
hand that ths.lt the blow, there is a rascal 1
whom tlie duke Hogged but a few days
since—a steward in the palaeo. He de
serves hanging, Antonie, f. r a thousand
things <f which he is guilty, and it will
trouble me little to hang him tor one wher
< I' be chances tc lie innocent.” And Duke
J iul lauglud heartily.
”1 will ride with you,” said Antonio >
again.
Then, it being full midd iv they set dow n
to dinner, Paul bandying many merry
sayings with Tommasino, Antonio being
calm, but not uncbeerfttl. Ami when the
nn al was done Paul drank to the good for
tune of their expedition ami Antonio, having
dr.Lined his glass, s.aid: ‘‘May God approve
•’ e issue,” and straighway b ole Torn
masino and Martolo prepare to ride with
him. Then Paul, being again blindfolded,
they climbed down the mountain paths till
they came where the horse.- were and
thus, as the sun began to decline, mt
forwari at a fair pice, Duke Paul and
Antomo leading by some few yards, while
Tommasino and Martolo, having diank
well, ami snitling sport in front of them,
sang, jested and played pranks on one |
another as they passed along. But when
mght fell they became .- il«-nt: even Tom- .
on First Column Second Page.]
ON THE BORDER.
VNDF.n THK Tltl-COT.OR OV PKESb
Iti-.NT rol-ililO JfIAZ.
I A TALK ABOUT THE MEXICAN PEOPLE.
Jlow Porflrio Diaz Came to be President of
Mexico —It in (.latitude to (ionzalen—T he
Free Zone on the Mexican Side.
Nueva Laredo, Mexico, F< liruary L—[Spe
cial Correspondence.)—l am now tn the
free zone—so fruitful of contention, and
so little understood.
V. ith the turbid waters of the Kio
Grand" as the boundary line, thertj come,
face to face, two great nations. The one—
the United States, the heir of 6.W years
of training, coming to her through Saxon
:.nd Celt and Scandinavian—she is at om-e
the inheritor of all that has been written,
invented or restrained. Every ra -e of
ji-ople within her borders, save the negro,
; has brought to her inheritances which,
I ... I
’V ' *
■
-
PRESIDENT PORFIRIO DL\Z.
vvlien combinod, should make h-r invincible.
She is a nation full armored in maturity,
without the memory of childhood, or the
mistakes of ado- secn- i'. This side the
river a nation from the darkness of whoso
past it is hard to gain a gleam of light,
j Hooks ar.- fitted, it is true, with wonderful
-torn s <, great nations upon the plain
of Anah itic, but their descendants of to-
■ d:!j give little evidence of it. Mexico is
■ generally spoxen of as a Spanish country.
1-ut to -ay that is to hold these people to
it unjust ne oitn’abilit v. The Spanish
1 t-.b-od that has found its way into tlie
' ’ V .
I-iiin ii . ti-n. I -»-;.y’-due '
Indian test tint site should be j. tuged.
The Ilmi<! of Jtiarex.
One cannot lo>k into the faces of these
f ]» <>ple and in : them to the same aecoun
< lability as he woi'lif the white. Up to
I P'.i, when Juarez triumphed and had
i framed the const it u‘ mii, w ai- h Is in ex
j isten-e today, the Spaniards had really
continued th- ruling power, through force
of wealth and so< iai i>ositi..n. But the
hand of tiie It lain for ,i tai -z was as pure
b’o.-.led an Indian as ev -r wrapped his
i 1,1 inker about iiim—has brushed all that
' away, at.-J these Spanish M- xicans who
j do not live abroad, are content to retire
’ within the shade.* of tit t own dignity and
enjoy that awful exelusivelie- • which they
i mi .■■take lor sup.-rt -nty.
< onsul Oi-iieliis Talks.
One of the best edueat d Mexicans whom
I I have in-t is Dr. P. Ornelas, of the con
. sular steviee. lie has been educated in
the b- i colleges of tin- world, and enjoys
an acquaiiitaiiec with English and Ameri
can literature to be rarely found. From
him 1 gained much of inter, st in relation
to Mexican life and character.
"My people are very much misunder
stood abroad,” he .-aid, "and It is wonder
ful that men should allow them
selves to be so much out of tile way.
“.Mexico has apparently been a land of
revolution. The frequency of such revo
j lull jus as we have had has been increased
by the kindness of th- ] r-.s.s, which seems
ready to magnify every little street dis
turbance. For ninety years lhe people of
M< xico have been lighting for freedom —
. for personal liberty. We did not begin
with the favorable auspices of Hie people
of tin- Unit 1 States. The discontent
against Spun, which resulted In the revo
lution of |S_”. was on th,- part of Sp inish
born ]><, ole in M« xico, trim took but little
more account of the common people titan
, Spain did of them. Whilst Mexico hid
. gaim-d her independence from Spain, yet
I th'< people of M-xico had not gained their
I indepenuence from elai-s and privilege and
i institutions, which had come down to her
as a legacy. The oilices w'ere in the
hands of the same men, the oppressions of
class continued. Against these the peo
ple had to tight, gaining little at a time,
; but always pressing forward to the just
aim of personal liberty. For this they
! had to live, learn, labor and transmit that
[ which was not completed to their chil
i dren. From the first principle they had
everything to learn.
"Then came the constitution of 1557, which
Is still of force. The age which led up
to that docum-nt is known as the heroic
period of Mexican history. As the price
of that constituth n o.er hA.OuV lives were
. lost. The man who led that light to its
j conclusion was Benito Juarez, himself
I sprung from the native race of Mexico.
That constitution was the culmination of
, th- struggle of tiie people tor relief from
I caste and privilege.
Aniiigoiiixiiiw the Church.
"It became necessary in ttiat struggle to
, antagonize tiie church—not the church re
ligiously, but the < nureh as an establish
ment es state. The church htld large j
amount: of ]>rr>;>erty outside of that re
quiri i for church purposes. Its dignitaries .
adnereit to to the kindie I establishments '
by which it was accompanied. Its ac- ■
. cumulation of wealth was continuous, and I
what am- red M- xicans was that this ac
ciimulaft*“ oi" wealth added to the political
importanc, and w i :ht <>f men who, while
priests,, were at the same time the active
political adherents of the very classes
vvlii, h the people wa-re determined to over- 1
throw. When the liberal government was
in need ot* funds, calling upon citizens tor '
aid, the church refused to contribute from i
its wealth. That but started a war which
easily widened its scape, until the revolt!- |
tlon was reached that the church should ,
no longer exist as a political power. Here
you must distinguish between the political
and financial establismvnt, ami the church !
as a religious body. There is not a more
Catholic nation on the globe today than ■
the Mexican not even excepting Ireland.
| which is, par excellence, the Catholic na-
I tlon of Europe.
1”No rconer was the constitution of 1857
adopted than was begun that conceit of ■
action between overthrown classes, the
church and foreign nations, which led to
the establishment of the empire under
Maximilian. That was a fateful period,
with her own upper classes against her,
and the nations of the civilized world, ex- ■
cept the United States arrayed against her. '
But Jaurez, the heroic, mid his gallant
band of men together, never allowing the ,
Mexican Hag to trail in the dust. He
preserved the independent nationality of
Mexico and, as the preserver, will always
be remembered.
“Up to this time. It Is true," continued
Consul Ornelas, “Mexico had made no ma
terial progress. A nation struggling for :
life and at war has neither the leisure nor
the opportunity to enter uiwn the develop
. inent of her resources. But now, us the '
i lit successor to Juarez, who preserved the
I nation, we have Porflrio Diaz, whose privi-
I lege it is to develop it.
Mexico In Improving.
“The Mexico of today is not. the Mexico i
of fifteen, ten or even live years ago. Ev- [
i ery year now marks a distinct advance.
! Schools are being established . verywhere,
i and our young men, not content with the
a !vantages of their own country, ami
crowding the colleges of foreign lands.
We have among us r.ow hi- toriaus, poets
and philosophers, who are building up a
Mexican literature as varied and as able
as that of th • United States. They du ■
not confine th. mselves, but cover every
department into which tiie human mind ,
can enter.
“In the work of natural advancement ,
we are keeping pace equally well. Im
proved methods are surely finding their
wav all through Mexico. Our far
mers are learning what is possible
with th<> soil, our .voting men are stu tying
every line of artisanship and no jealousy
awaits the newconi'-r trom whom s rye
thing inay be learned. In many resi>ei ts
Mexico is like Japan, whose anxiety to get
abreast of the times has met with such j
marked success.
“The controlling elem.-nt In Mexico today
is the middle class, eotnpesed of those <>f
mixed blood. It i« from the strong fono-s
of the peasantry that the nation is built trp.
The upper class, which has the money, is
inert, inactive. They have lost all energy,
* and contribute nothing to th' country.
They am nAt like the rich class of the J
United States, which is still comjx>s<sl,
m i inly, of the men who hav< • ■
money. Tiie wealthy men of M'-xieo are
tics - who have inherit. 1 it and who hare
not tie energy ol those who first m
From one cause or other they drop out Or
die. an I the native .M- xiean. the man with
the blood of the old tribes in his veins,
takes his place.
“1 am glad that the press of the Unitel
i States Is taking an into t in Mexie >. If
i Mexico could only have her Eiwin Arnold
1 as Japan had hers, it would be an untold
: blessing -some literary trim from abroad
■ who < ould cat -h up her people, their hopes,
ambitions and lives, into a literary gem
which would make them shin - out to th
-- ' .I, it..w- aid do more for Mexico than all
| who have culminat' d the • eras—Hidalgo,
our Washington; Juarez, our Lincoln, and
Diaz, our Grant—what a charming volume
it would make.”
The Free Zone.
The Mexican territory bordering on the
Rio Grande is known as the free zone,
which exends for an average of fifty miles
to the Int -rior. Its creation was a result of
the war of 1818. Previous to that time the
people of the United States and of Mexico
had an -t intense stretch of territory be
tween them, and no exchange < f trade took
place. Upon the selection of the Rio
Grande as the bor i.-r line, towns sprang up
on l»oth sides of the line. Those on the
north side nourished, because in the United
States there were no internal taxes, and
i-cstoms duties were low. while thosi on
' the Mexican side lingered because of thb
heavy internal revenue taves, winch h<iv<-
always been collected by that government..
The consequence was a loss of business,
population ami revenue to Mrxico, to the
more prosperous towns cn the other sl-lo
of the river. In 1851! the United States gov-
i # 7
BENITO JTAHEZ, MEXICO'S INDIAN SAVIOR.
■ eminent intensified this situation by al
lowing foreign goods to come through her.i
ports free, and to remain in bond on the
I Mexican border until a favorable time for
rushing them across. It was in this state
' of affairs that Tamaulipas demanded pro
tection against the advantages possessed
by the inhabitants of the northern bank
I of the river, ami the establishment of the
free zone was the result, in the course of
‘ revolution, so popular in M -xico at that
day. the state of Tamaulipas decreed that
all goods intended for the tt-e of the Iron
tier towns of that state, for the ranch's
■ within their trading territory, should be
i exempt from all federal duties, but not from
■ state taxes. Such goods could remain in
bond in the same towns either at the house
i of the importer or at the public warehouses.
J As the federal government had no ware
houses on the frontier, the goods were per- (
I milted to go to the house of the importer, -j
These foreign goods however, when shipped
■ further into the interior, became subject
■ to the tariff. This privilege was later ex-
• tended to all the border‘states, and exists
: today with few changes. One of the great ’•
i causes of the depleted returns to the treas- ‘
ury of Mexico is the smuggling which it .
I has been found possible to carry on under .
■ this license. In 1888, Secretary Romero
tried to have the zone abolished, but he was
1 unable to do so. and It was not until the .
, accession of General Diaz to tile presidency >
' that a beginning was made in what may 1
i prove to be the abolition of the free zone. *
It has been a fruitfid source of smuggling j
i on both sides. It may be interesting to ,
I know whether a stretch of country which
' has enjoyed absolute free trade for over ;
thirty years was more pros|>erotts than
■ that on either side of the river which was
subject to high tariff duties. In answer to
such a question Secretary Romero, who is
now the Mexican minister in Washington,
j says:
“I have to say that the condition
’ and Industrial status of that part ,
• of Mexico In the free zone is not better than »
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
that of the people in the other parts of
Mexico.”
A Modern Warrior.
I was speaking to a gentleman here who
knew General Gonzales well. In all the mu
-1 tations of fortune which have fallen to
: General Diaz, he had no more faithful
friend than Gonzales. 11. never heard of
Diaz being in trouble without going to his
relief. In fact, it is doubtful if Diaz could
have got safely through his career, had
it not been for the unflinching friendship of
oonzaits. it was in tne rising against ('resi
dent Lerdo which led to the installation
of Diaz as president that the gentleman
; alluded to, coining north toward Matamoras,
met Gonzales and half a dozen rather
j ragged companions riding southward. In
i answer to a question as to his destination,
he answered: ”1 am at the head of a revo
lution.” As he rode on south he was join
ed by hundreds of horsemen, until the revo
lution was a fact. In 1880, the constitution
not permitiing a president to suc-eed hini
l self. President Diaz had Gonzales elected,
thus repaying him for his 'i-i.-ndship of
years. In 1881, Diaz resumed the otJic.. and
still holds it, having had the constitution
changeil to suit his purpose.
An incident, showing the deep j-'-netration
of President Diaz into the auair. or otn-r
nations, is told here. In 18x4, while Diaz
was a candidate for election to th- presi
deney, James G. Blain.- was ruimii.g for
ihe same office in the United St u- . Son.u
one. desirous of knowing what Diaz thought
| about tiie proliab! ■ su -c .-s of til- great
[ American jingo, ask-<i him about it.
j “The Mexican people.” sai l h-. Io not
know Mr. Blaine, and do not know that an
election is pending th. re. The intelligent
|>eople of Mexico, however, do know him,
and would not like to see him president,
because he w.-o- clearly unjust to them while
secretary of state. But. a- for myself. I du
not care whether he is elect.-d or not. Tn
. the I nit: i States it is the , ,j r rule,
; and not the president, so ihat, if Mr. Blaii «s
I Should ever get that otll.v, he would have
i to bow to his masters—the people— wtio
would see to it that he wronged no friendly
pew. r.”
This clear insight into.the character of the
American peopi. was fu.ly jc -tilted by the
manner in whi h they brought Mr. Cleve
land to time in the Hawaiian matter.
A Ueh-iiiiH- Dictator.
This singular man, whose praises oao
hears as soon as < meets the border line,
from the lips of Mexicans and Americans
alike, has had a remarkable career. Like
Jaurez, he is an Indian; tne whit-.- strain in
: him, if there be any, being very remote.
Ife was lorn in Oaxaca, the southernmost
state of Mexico, of a tribe which never lose
I its iiidepender.ee of character, :mr contract
ed th. servility so well in irked in the other
off-colored eommuniti- s of the republic. It
was during the resistance to Maximilian by
Jaurez ’hat I’roilrio Diaz rose to eminence
as a soldier, and, as chief in command, he
rode at the head of the victorious troo;»s
on their entry into the t j-- < M< xico. His
.lash so dazzA-d the peopi-. ti, t on-- of the
first acts of President Jaurez w; to retire
him from the army, t ine of the most <>an
g. -ous ;a ors in the p. u iiar E«>c'ety of
this country is a soldi r out of a job,
and Diaz was no ex- eption to the rule; and
his r.-;ine at once became '-onne-ted with
plans and s- hemes for supposed reform.
To put it in he express!v - ia»,guage of
•!is< barged government employes in Wash
ington. in- was “on his uppers.” The people
favored him for the presidency, but Jaurez
held on to the office while he lived, and
•ip 'it his death was succe ■ led by Lerdo de
Tejada. In th-- approa- -ing elect: n of 1576.
Diwz. who bad b<fore d to absent him
self from the country, took st -anier in New
Or’eans, to reach some southern Mexican
port, whence h ■ might se-.-retly make his
way to Oaxaca where la could “pr aounce”
again. When the v---sel was of. Tampico,
be feared that be ha 1 been recognized, and,
to es, ape capture, he jumped into the water
and attempted to swim ashore. The appar
ently drowning man was iv-seu- i and se
creted by friends until Aera Cruz was
reached, when h stri • !■; out >n foot for the
country. i’enr.:.--ss, afraid to make himseif
known, his head the prize of his possible
captors, his situation v.as giooniy enough.
Hiding himseif behind some trees on the
roadside, lie held his pistol ready, <l. termin
! ed to make tiie fist ria--r who passed sur
render to him his hors.. The first party
; that came along consisted of two n:. n, and,
I fortunately f.-r Diaz, they were old coml
Fades of the I- reach • - ar. who procured for
their old chief a third horse, an 1 the party
galloped otY to the mountains of Oaxaca,
where they w re joined by the men of mili
tary turn of mind, and anchor revolution
was on foot. Within a year, Diaz was
president ot the repub.ic, which position h-»
has held for eig ati-.-n years, as I’r-s'-lent
I Gonzales was in-rely a eats|- iw in the hand
i ut his muster during the four years in
which he played “presid.-rt.'’
\\ hilst Diaz is as supreme a dictator as
- ever banta Anna dared to be, he unites his
j authority with the developin'nt ot tb>
; country, and the Amer; ans, to a man, a.*
his admirers. r. J. MURAN.
In Case ot Unr.
From The Chicago Record.
If there be anythin, that will prevent a
war between Mexico and Guatemala in
the name ot American newspaper readers
let it be called Into use.
If hostilities are opened then we shall
daily be informed by the hard-working
war correspondent that the Eleventh Te
p.-tilan infantry under the command of
• Colonel Lazarro Pazarro Is moving on
Que~a!tenango, which is garrisoned by two
batteries under Captain Umpterrio. Thea
Juntekholol will capitulate to General
L’Espinasse, who was a member of the
Guatemalan revolution in the year ot the
i failure of the cocoanut crop.
The next morning the startling informa
■ tiou will appear in typ« that a detachment
of Mexican cavalry has < ross--d the Ulsu
’ maeinta and is making a bee-line for Gue
guetenaugo and w.ll doubtless pulv< rise
the citadel betorc the cows come home.
Then the Guatemalan bushwhacker, Gen
eral Servedo Paesiello, wiil acc-mplish a
coup d'etat on the prefect of Huayman
guillo which will necessitate an immediate
return to Mexico of Colonel Lazarro I’a
' zarro and the Eleventh Tepctilan infantry.
! About th s time the governors general
i of Comayagua and Tegucigalpa, important
States of Honduras, will feel that it ia
; time they took a hand in matters. Thia
’• wiil cause the able war correspondent to
I load on :o the wir s the biographical and
: geographical dictionaries of Honduras.
Then it is merely a question of time when
: Nicaragua, San Salvador and Costa Rica.
with thvir several vocabularies, will tumble
i headlong into the strife.
‘ Unless the belligerent countries will
‘ agree to coniine their energies to k ilfng oft
iheir nouns foreign powers should interfere
tor peace.
Henrtily Endorsed
from The Cuthbert Liberal-Enterprise.
The following from the current issue of
The Sparrn ishinaelite is heirtily indorsed
at this ofliee: “Tne Atlanta Constitution
and The Augusta Chronicle are the only
big dailies in Georgia that haven’t bowed
the knee to the Wall street Baal. The
democratic masses should remember them
for good. They have fought a good tight
, and kept the faith.”
