Page:Mexico under Carranza.djvu/251

Rh that the authors of the "Plan of Guadalupe" used in making pledges which they afterward promptly violated when trusted with the government of their country. Readers of history will recall the fact that Santa Anna, who was probably the most perfect demagogue ever produced in Mexico, embodied his pledge of duty to his country, and of sympathy for her unfortunate masses, in language as eloquent and high-flown as any ever used in the pronunciamientos of that country's numberless revolutionary leaders. As a result of his eloquence and of the fact that he had lost a leg in the French bombardment of Vera Cruz, he succeeded in inducing his people to call him to the chief place in their government three separate times, and each time he signalized his election by promptly betraying the people whom he had pledged himself to serve.

Certainly our government officials must see by this time how utterly false and hollow have been all the pledges made by the party now in power in Mexico, both to its own people and to the nations of the world. If this demonstration has been made, then the question would seem to arise: Is it worth while to continue to sacrifice the rights of our citizens for a consideration which we ought to know by this time will never be delivered? If, as a people, we feel that we have no right to interfere to protect the vast majority of