Mr. Clayton to Mr.
Hay.
Embassy
of the United States,
Mexico, August 25,
1899.
No. 303.]
Sir: Referring to your instruction, No. 196, of
the 11th instant, concerning the invitation of the citizens of Chicago
to President Diaz and his cabinet to attend, as the guests of that city,
the ceremonies attending the laying of the corner stone of the United
States Government building on “Chicago Day,” Monday, October 9, 1899,
the anniversary of the great Chicago fire, I have the honor to report
that immediately upon the arrival of the committee, on the 18th instant,
consisting of Messrs. Charles U. Gordon, chairman, W. C. Hately, William
D. Washburn, Edwin F. Getchel, Josiah Stiles, John Ward Amberg, and
William B. Roberts, secretary, I arranged, through the minister of
foreign affairs, for their reception at the President’s residence at
Chapultepec on the following day, to which place I conducted the
committee at the appointed hour, and my daughter conducted the ladies of
the party, Mrs. Charles U. Gordon, Miss Pate, and Miss Stiles.
In introducing the gentlemen to the President, I stated that they
constituted a committee charged by the citizens of Chicago with the
pleasant duty of presenting to him an invitation to be present at the
ceremonies above referred to, and that after the chairman had extended
the invitation, if it was the pleasure of the President, I would
supplement, in a measure, what he might say, by conveying to His
Excellency the substance of my official instructions upon the
subject.
After Mr. Gordon had delivered his address of invitation, a copy of which
is herewith inclosed, I took occasion to say that I was instructed to
inform His Excellency that in the event of his acceptance of the
invitation just tendered, a representative of the United States would
meet him at the frontier and escort him to Chicago, where the President
of the United States, who had accepted a similar invitation to be
present as the guest of the citizens of that city, would have great
pleasure in meeting him.
The President replied to the invitation of the committee, indicating the
pleasure it would give him to be present and grasp the hand of President
McKinley and other distinguished citizens of the United States; but, he
said, to do so would require the consent of Congress, which he would ask
when it convened on the 16th of September next, and he would thereafter
inform the committee, through the Mexican ambassador at Washington, of
the result. A copy and translation of the President’s remarks are
herewith inclosed.
At the termination of these ceremonies the gentlemen of the committee
were introduced to Mrs. Diaz (to whom the ladies had already been
presented by my daughter), and Chairman Gordon, in a few well-chosen
remarks, presented to her an invitation to be present upon the occasion
mentioned. After a half hour’s pleasant social intercourse the party
took its departure, having first been invited to dine with the President
and. Mrs. Diaz on Monday, the 21st instant, at 1 o’clock,
[Page 506]
which invitation was also
extended to myself and family. The dinner took place as stated, at which
were present, in addition to the President and his family, Mr. and Mrs.
Mariscal, Mr. Gamboa, under secretary for foreign affairs, the members
of the committee, the ladies of their party, my daughter, and myself.
After dinner the ladies were escorted by Mrs. Diaz to the house and
grounds of her daughter-in-law, Mrs. De La Torre, at Tacobaya, while the
President conducted the gentlemen of the party through the military
school at Chapultepee.
The following day I accompanied the committee to the offices of the
different members of the cabinet, to whom separate invitations were
extended.
During the sojourn of the committee in the city they were treated with
the greatest consideration by the President, two of his carriages being
constantly at their disposal, as well as one of my own; also the
President’s private street car.
On the night of the 23d instant the committee left for their homes via
Guadalajara, the President having placed his private railway car at
their disposal, which they accepted as far as Guadalajara, and return to
the junction of the main line. The chief of the President’s staff
accompanied them, and the members of the President’s family and others
were at the depot with a band of music furnished by the President when
they took their departure.
The acceptance of the invitation by the President I consider a matter of
doubt, although he may conclude to do so.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Address of Chairman Gordon.
Mr. President: On the 9th day of October,
which will mark the twenty-eighth anniversary of the great fire in
the city of Chicago—a calamity which shocked all the nations and
aroused a universal sympathy, but out of which have come in a few
brief years a marvelous resurrection and a new life and social
development, surprising the world and receiving the admiration of
mankind—the corner stone will he laid of a noble public building, to
be devoted to the use of the Government of the United States of
America and its citizens. This occurrence will be signalized by
ceremonies appropriate to an occasion of so great moment. It is
expected that there will then be assembled many thousands of our
citizens in a demonstration of patriotic sentiment, and that among
them will be the President of the United States, members of the
National Senate and House of Representatives and of the Federal
Supreme Court, representatives of foreign countries, great soldiers
of the Army and famous captains of the Navy who have bravely borne
our flag on land and sea, governors of the States, high officials of
our cities and local communities, and many leaders in private
station of the thought and action of our nation’s life, gathered to
make memorable, by their presence, this most significant event.
A committee of Chicago citizens, of which committee I have the honor
to be chairman, have journeyed to the capital of your great nation,
and with profound respect are before you to extend, through me, the
most cordial invitation of our people that you be the guest of the
city of their love and pride as a participant in its
celebration.
Mr. President, I need not assure you of the friendship and sympathy
which hold together and firmly bind in common aspirations the
Republics of freedom, the United States of Mexico and the United
States of America. Side by side, their peoples are realizing
humanity’s long dream of a successful and permanent popular and
constitutional government, in which the citizen is the sovereign and
the liberty of the individual is subject only to the welfare of the
community and to the laws made in the furtherance thereof; and no
assurances need be spoken to you of the deep sentiments of respect
for your own personality and admiration for your magnificent career
which are earnestly entertained by the American people.
If you will grant us an acceptance of the invitation which is now
extended, you,
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as the
foremost citizen of the United States of Mexico, will be greeted by
the universal heart of the American Republic and be welcomed to its
most sincere hospitality.
I beg to hand you the formal requests from the governor of Illinois,
the governors of other States, the mayor of the city of Chicago,
mayors of other cities, presidents of many universities and
colleges, and other prominent men of the nation, and also
resolutions of our city council and other municipal legislatures,
urging you to favor Chicago with your presence and extend your
journeying to other portions of our Republic.
[Inclosure 2.]
Reply of President Diaz.
Gentlemen: I feel grateful, nay proud, at
receiving from the people of a city who are the model of energy and
intelligence, an invitation so courteous, handed to me through so
distinguished a channel.
The free and laborious citizens of Chicago are right in celebrating
the anniversary of a lamentable catastrophe, inasmuch as it served
by a species of vigorous reaction to display to the entire world the
immense power of their energy, intellect, and other characteristic
virtues.
It will be a pleasure and an honor to me to avail myself of the
commemoration of the twenty-eighth anniversary of the event in
question, to clasp the hand of the honorable President of the United
States, of the authorities of that Republic, and of the
distinguished soldiers who have carried its flag to so glorious a
height.
But in order to leave the national territory I must obtain the
permission of the Federal Congress, as is commanded by the
fundamental law of the nation. As soon as Congress meets—that is to
say, on the 16th of September next—I will ask for that permission,
and the honorable delegation which has been pleased to invite me
will be informed of the result of my petition through the Mexican
ambassador at Washington, whom I will instruct to wait on you in
Chicago. I will also communicate to the ambassador of the United
States at this city the resolution of the Mexican Congress.
