Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 3, 1912
File No. 812.00/2692.
The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State.
Mexico, January 6, 1912.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith for such action as the Department deems necessary to take, a copy of an informal note, with its inclosures, from the Mexican Minister for Foreign Affairs, relative to certain seditious propaganda being carried on by Dr. Emilio Vázquez Gómez from his present home in San Antonio, Texas.
I have [etc.]
The Mexican Minister for Foreign Affairs to the American Ambassador.
[Private correspondence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.]
My Dear Mr. Ambassador: Referring to the conversation which we had last Monday regarding Mr. Emilio Vázquez, who is commonly known by the name of Emilio Vázquez Gómez, I have the honor to send to you herewith a copy of a circular letter which the same Emilio Vázquez sent to all the governors of the States under date of the 10th of November last. The President of the Republic received various copies of the letter mentioned, which were sent to him by the governors of the States, and one of these copies was sent to our Ambassador in Washington, in order that he might make representations to the American Government, which up to the present time have had no result.
If you will read the letter in question, you will find it very astutely written. Vázquez in a very indirect manner makes invitation to the revolution, avoiding, nevertheless, any expression which would directly compromise him.
The principal newspapers of this city published yesterday another letter of Emilio Vázquez, which shows his decision to continue agitating this country. I inclose a copy of El Imparcial, in which you may see the letter, and I beg very earnestly that you give particular attention to the final paragraph thereof in which the so-called Plan of Tacubaya is set forth, this being the plan upheld by Vázquez and his partisans.
I beg you, Mr. Ambassador, to accept my thanks for your kind cooperation with us to prevent conspiracies on American territory, and again expressing to you my best wishes,
I am [etc.]
Emilio Vázquez to the Director of El Imparcial.
San Antonio, Tex., December 29, 1911.
My Dear Sir: Yesterday a reporter of a local paper came to visit me, and in the afternoon published an account of the interview; but, through the lack of knowledge on his part of Spanish and on mine of English, he published in his newspaper various mistakes of some importance, which I ought to rectify in the possibility that they have been telegraphed to Mexico City and published there.
He affirms that I stated that with the imprisonment of Gen. Reyes peace would return to the Republic, and, by way of rectification, I should express my opinion in this regard.
I believe that peace will not return to the country, and much less tranquility, while Mr. Madero and his followers govern, as they are governing, in a manner [Page 711] entirely apart, unfortunately, from the noble ideals of the revolution of 1910. The glorious revolutionary spirit never considered using our heroic army for the killing of our brothers and for the shedding of their blood, which is our own blood, and often simply for asking justice; nor did it ever think to use the army to occupy the halls of the legislators to impose, with fixed bayonet, chosen governors and to insult the sovereignty of the States and of the constitution of the Republic. Very different, and very high and patriotic, are the ideals which our revolution of November of 1910 has for our army, for the States, for Mexicans, and for the Fatherland.
Some of my partisans in Mexico, in order to continue the revolution on the Plan of San Luis, took my name when they signed the Plan of Tacubaya, honoring me with the belief that I am the true representative of the ideals of the revolution, in order that when the revolution should triumph, I may be elevated to the provisional presidency to satisfy there the high aims which are defined in that Plan of Tacubaya. The interview to which I refer states that I have disowned my partisans. That is not the truth and never will be; never will I disown my partisans; the voice of my own conscience demands that I do thus; the salvation of the ideals of the revolution which constitute peace, tranquility, and the salvation of the Fatherland impose it upon me, and I am not the one to betray either my conscience or the ideals of the revolution, let the consequences to me be what they may.
All by the Fatherland and for the Fatherland.
Thanking you in advance, I am very sincerely, yours,
Circular to all Governors of Mexican States, from Emilio Vásquez.
San Antonio, ex., November 10, 1911.
My Dear Sir and Friend: I have received word that there is a movement on foot in Mexico to bring to a head a revolution in my favor. When explanations were asked for, it appears that a revolutionary plan has been elaborated in which, with a basis principally in the supreme political errors of Mr. Madero and above all in the arbitrary and sudden imposition of the Vice President, the general elections of the 1st and 15th of October and the results emanating from them are declared null. The Chambers of Congress are declared dissolved, and it is said that, although I have always recommended peace, in spite of that I am declared chief of the revolution in order to elevate me to the Presidency of the Republic, where I shall enjoy, according to the plan, all the powers necessary to call and hold the elections for President, Vice President, Deputies, and Senators, in order to commence to put in force at once the ideals of the revolution and to restore to the country the peace and tranquility which are now lacking.
Such are the principal points of the plan, according to my information, as well as the following: The elections of governors and officials of the States, held since June last, are acknowledged as valid, and it is ordered that the already commenced movement to replace authorities shall continue without interruption, for the revolution is not against the governors of the States and the officials thereof, but against him who imposed the Vice President and against the Vice President imposed, in order that in the future there may not remain to any powerful person a desire to again coerce officials elected by popular vote, for they say that if they tolerate this imposition, identical at base and in form with that which caused the past revolution, those impositions will be continued indefinitely and with them Mr. Madero has broken and will continue to break the political ideals of “Effective suffrage, no reelection.”
As may be seen, the object of the revolution is perfectly defined, and, on the other hand, is not for vengeance or cruelty; it is solely for the salvation of the revolutionary principles in the exact moment in which the former chief is wrecking them.
I consider it my duty to give you this news for your information and guidance.
As ever [etc.]