Page:Mexico under Carranza.djvu/213

Rh Juarez upon the latter's death, he was successful and took his place at the head of the government as President in 1876.

For thirty-four years Diaz was in the actual control of Mexico's affairs, and during this period, with the exception of four years when his creature, Gonzales, was president, he was the official head of the Mexican Government. Although a number of revolutions were attempted during Diaz's incumbency, his great ability, and the stern use of force, enabled him to suppress that turbulent element which for more than half a century had been responsible for a condition of change and turmoil, and to retain control of Mexico's affairs. During this period Diaz, for the first time in the experience of Mexico as a democracy, brought order, tranquillity, and a fair amount of honesty into the administration of its governmental affairs. He addressed himself earnestly to the material development of his country and, whatever may be thought of the character of the structure that he reared, there can be no doubt that during his term of power he showed that he was a constructive statesman of great ability — a type of strong, original, and effective character rarely produced by any country oftener than once in a century or more. During his incumbency the material progress of his country was remarkable, but the beneficent results of that progress were so