BarbarousMexico JOHN KENNETH TURNER

318 BARBAROUS MEXICO
guished visitor praises Diaz or his work Diaz cries—
and the visitor is touched and drawn toward him. \Vhen
the "Circulo de Amigos de General Diaz" pays its formal
call to tell its creator that the country once more
demands his re-election lie weeps—and the foreign press
remarks upon how that man does love his country.
Once a year, on his birthday, the president of Mexico
goes down into the street and shakes hands with his
people. The reception takes place in front of the national
palace and all the while the tears are raining
down his cheeks—and the soft-hearted people say to
themselves: 'Poor old man, lie's had his troubles. Let
him end his life in peace."
Diaz has always been able to cry. While striving
against the Lerdist government in 1376, just before his
day of success came, he was beaten in the battle of
Icamole. He thought it meant an end of his hopes and
lie cried like a baby, while his subordinate officers looked
on in shame. This gained him the nickname of "The
weeper of Icamole," which still sticks to him among his
enemies. In his memoirs Lerdo calls Diaz "The Man
Who Weeps."
An oft-related incident which shows the shallowness
of the feeling which accompanies the Diaz tears is told
by Fornaro as follows:
"When Captain Clodomoro Cota was sentenced by the military
tribunal to be shot, his father sought the President, and on
his knees, weeping, begged him to pardon his son. Porfirio Diaz
also was weeping, but, lifting the despairing man, uttered this
ambiguous phrase: '1-lave courage and faith in justice.' The
father left, consoled, believing that his petition had been
answered. But on the following morning his son was shot.
The tears of Porfirio Diaz are crocodile tears."
It is said that Diaz does not dissipate. At least he
drinks deep and drunkenly of the wine of adulation.