the hispanic nations of the new world-第30章

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successor　in　case　of　his　retirement；　occasioned　his　overthrow。　The　truth　of　the　matter　is　that　these　circumstances　were　only　incidental　to　his　downfall；　the　real　causes　of　revolution　lay　deeprooted　in　the　history　of　these　twenty…six　years。　The　most　significant　feature　of　the　revolt　was　its　civilian　character。　A　widespread　public　opinion　had　been　created；　a　national　consciousness　had　been　awakened　which　was　intolerant　of　abuses　and　determined　upon　their　removal　at　any　cost；　and　this　public　opinion　and　national　consciousness　were　products　of　general　education；　which　had　brought　to　the　fore　a　number　of　intelligent　men　eager　to　participate　in　public　affairs　and　yet　barred　out　because　of　their　unwillingness　to　support　the　existing　regime。

Some　one　has　remarked；　and　rightly；　that　Diaz　in　his　zeal　for　the　material　advancement　of　Mexico；　mistook　the　tangible　wealth　of　the　country　for　its　welfare。　Desirable　and　even　necessary　as　that　material　progress　was；　it　produced　only　a　one…sided　prosperity。　Diaz　was　singularly　deaf　to　the　just　complaints　of　the　people　of　the　laboring　classes；　who；　as　manufacturing　and　other　industrial　enterprises　developed；　were　resolved　to　better　their　conditions。　In　the　country　at　large　the　discontent　was　still　stronger。　Throughout　many　of　the　rural　districts　general　advancement　had　been　retarded　because　of　the　holding　of　huge　areas　of　fertile　land　by　a　comparatively　few　rich　families；　who　did　little　to　improve　it　and　were　content　with　small　returns　from　the　labor　of　throngs　of　unskilled　native　cultivators。　Wretchedly　paid　and　housed；　and　toiling　long　hours；　the　workers　lived　like　the　serfs　of　medieval　days　or　as　their　own　ancestors　did　in　colonial　times。　Ignorant；　poverty…stricken；　liable　at　any　moment　to　be　dispossessed　of　the　tiny　patch　of　ground　on　which　they　raised　a　few　hills　of　corn　or　beans；　most　of　them　were　naturally　a　simple；　peaceful　folk　who；　in　spite　of　their　misfortunes；　might　have　gone　on　indefinitely　with　their　drudgery　in　a　hopeless　apathetic　fashion；　unless　their　latent　savage　instincts　happened　to　be　aroused　by　drink　and　the　prospect　of　plunder。　On　the　other　hand；　the　intelligent　among　them；　knowing　that　in　some　of　the　northern　States　of　the　republic　wages　were　higher　and　treatment　fairer；　felt　a　sense　of　wrong　which；　like　that　of　the　laboring　class　in　the　towns；　was　all　the　more　dangerous　because　it　was　not　allowed　to　find　expression。

Diaz　thought　that　what　Mexico　required　above　everything　else　was　the　development　of　industrial　efficiency　and　financial　strength；　assured　by　a　maintenance　of　absolute　order。　Though　disposed　to　do　justice　in　individual　cases；　he　would　tolerate　no　class　movements　of　any　kind。　Labor　unions；　strikes；　and　other　efforts　at　lightening　the　burden　of　the　workers　he　regarded　as　seditious　and　deserving　of　severe　punishment。　In　order　to　attract　capital　from　abroad　as　the　best　means　of　exploiting　the　vast　resources　of　the　country；　he　was　willing　to　go　to　any　length；　it　would　seem；　in　guaranteeing　protection。　Small　wonder；　therefore；　that　the　people　who　shared　in　none　of　the　immediate　advantages　from　that　source　should　have　muttered　that　Mexico　was　the　〃mother　of　foreigners　and　the　stepmother　of　Mexicans。〃　And；　since　so　much　of　the　capital　came　from　the　United　States；　the　antiforeign　sentiment　singled　Americans　out　for　its　particular　dislike。

If　Diaz　appeared　unable　to　appreciate　the　significance　of　the　educational　and　industrial　awakening；　he　was　no　less　oblivious　of　the　political　outcome。　He　knew；　of　course；　that　the　Mexican　constitution　made　impossible　demands　upon　the　political　capacity　of　the　people。　He　was　himself　mainly　of　Indian　blood　and　he　believed　that　he　understood　the　temperament　and　limitations　of　most　Mexicans。　Knowing　how　tenaciously　they　clung　to　political　notions；　he　believed　that　it　was　safer　and　wiser　to　forego；　at　least　for　a　time；　real　popular　government　and　to　concentrate　power　in　the　hands　of　a　strong　man　who　could　maintain　order。

Accordingly；　backed　by　his　political　adherents；　known　as　cientificos　（doctrinaires）；　some　of　whom　had　acquired　a　sinister　ascendancy　over　him；　and　also　by　the　Church；　the　landed　proprietors；　and　the　foreign　capitalists；　Diaz　centered　the　entire　administration　more　and　more　in　himself。　Elections　became　mere　farces。　Not　only　the　federal　officials　themselves　but　the　state　governors；　the　members　of　the　state　legislatures；　and　all　others　in　authority　during　the　later　years　of　his　rule　owed　their　selection　primarily　to　him　and　held　their　positions　only　if　personally　loyal　to　him。　Confident　of　his　support　and　certain　that　protests　against　misgovernment　would　be　regarded　by　the　President　as　seditious；　many　of　them　abused　their　power　at　will。　Notable　among　them　were　the　local　officials；　called　jefes　politicos；　whose　control　of　the　police　force　enabled　them　to　indulge　in　practices　of　intimidation　and　extortion　which　ultimately　became　unendurable。

Though　symptoms　of　popular　wrath　against　the　Diaz　regime；　or　diazpotism　as　the　Mexicans　termed　it；　were　apparent　as　early　as　1908；　it　was　not　until　January；　1911；　that　the　actual　revolution　came。　It　was　headed　by　Francisco　I。　Madero；　a　member　of　a　wealthy　and　distinguished　family　of　landed　proprietors　in　one　of　the　northern　States。　What　the　revolutionists　demanded　in　substance　was　the　retirement　of　the　President；　Vice　President；　and　Cabinet；　a　return　to　the　principle　of　no　reelection　to　the　chief　magistracy；　a　guarantee　of　fair　elections　at　all　times；　the　choice　of　capable；　honest；　and　impartial　judges；　jefes　politicos；　and　other　officials；　and；　in　particular；　a　series　of　agrarian　and　industrial　reforms　which　would　break　up　the　great　estates；　create　peasant　proprietorships；　and　better　the　conditions　of　the　working　classes。　Disposed　at　first　to　treat　the　insurrection　lightly；　Diaz　soon　found　that　he　had　underestimated　its　strength。　Grants　of　some　of　the　demands　and　promises　of　reform　were　met　with　a　dogged　insistence　upon　his　own　resignation。　Then；　as　the　rebellion　spread　to　the　southward；　the　masterful　old　man　realized　that　his　thirty…one　years　of　rule　were　at　an　end。　On　the　25th　of　May；　therefore；　he　gave　up　his　power　and　sailed　for　Europe。

Madero　was　chosen　President　five　months　later；　but　the　revolution　soon　passed　beyond　his　control。　He　was　a　sincere　idealist；　if　not　something　of　a　visionary；　actuated　by　humane　and　kindly　sentiments；　but　he　lacked　resoluteness　and　the　art　of　managing　men。　He　was　too　prolific；　also；　of　promises　which　he　must　have　known　he　could　not　keep。　Yielding　to　family　influence；　he　let　his　followers　get　out　of　hand。　Ambitious　chieftains　and　groups　of　Radicals　blocked　and　thwarted　him　at　every　turn。　When　he　could　find　no　means　of　carrying　out　his　program　without　wholesale　confiscation　and　the　disruption　of　business　interests；　he　was　accused　of　abandoning　his　duty。　One　officer　after　another　deserted　him　and　turned　rebel。　Brigandage　and　insurrection　swept　over　the　country　and　threatened　to　involve　it　in　ugly　complications　with　the　United　States　and　European　powers。　At　length；　in　February；　1913；　came　the　blow　that　put　an　end　to　all　of　Madero's　efforts　and　aspirations。　A　military　uprising　in　the　city　of　Mexico　made　him　prisoner；　forced　him　to　resign；　and　set　up　a　provisional　government　under　the　dictatorship　of　Victoriano　Huerta；　one　of　his　chief　lieutenants。　Two　weeks　later　both　Madero　and　the　Vice　President　were　assassinated　while　on　their　way　supposedly　to　a　place　of　safety。

Huerta　was　a　rough　soldier　of　Indian　origin；　possessed　of　unusual　force　of　character　and　strength　of　will；　ruthless；　cunning；　and　in　bearing　alternately　dignified　and　vulgar。　A　cientifico　in　political　faith；　he　was　disposed　to　restore　the　Diaz　regime；　so　far　as　an　application　of　shrewdness　and　force　could　make　it　possible。　But　from　the　outset　he　found　an　obstacle　confronting　him　that　he　could　not　surmount。　Though　acknowledged　by　European　countries　and　by　many　of　the　Hispanic　republics；　he　could　not　win　recognition　from　the　United　States；　either　as　provisional　President　or　as　a　candidate　for　regular　election　to　the　office。　Whether　personally　responsible　for　the　murder　of　Madero　or　not；　he　was　not　regarded　by　the　American　Government　as　entitled　to　recognition；　on　the　ground　that　he　was　n