Page:Mexico, California and Arizona - 1900.djvu/548

 528 support to be found while the change is being made? There is certainly no help unless it come from without. Now that peace is assured, why should we not do a service so slight for our own part and so great for its recipient.

I say that peace is assured. We have now well entered upon the eleventh year since any government has been overthrown by revolution—a thing not only unprecedented, but never even remotely approached since 1810. It is true that another election is approaching, and mutterings are again heard against the sway of Porfirio Diaz, who keeps his grasp upon the ruling power in a dictatorial way, but these are not very likely to be effective. There is no great evidence as yet of the growth of the habit of government by the popular will. The brief parliamentary opposition, towards the end of Gonzales's term, was utterly wiped out in the elections of 1886, so that there is now as usual but one party, namely, that of Don Porfirio. The constitution has just been amended in his interest to allow of re-election. Anywhere else this would seem slightly illogical, as he secured his place originally by wading through seas of blood on the campaign of "No Re-election!" a plank of the Plan of Tuxtepec even more important than that about the English debt. But the Americans have got into the habit of taking Mexico a good deal in her own way, and not expecting her to square to preconceived notions. As long as the peace is preserved, the present friendly leaning will not be abated, and the advent of more truly representative government will be awaited with the establishment of a better economic system.