Speech #460111428

This. the greatest honor ever offered to an American citizen by a foreign couqtry. was respectfully declined by the old hero who said to these genemen that "his whole life was consecrated to the service of his own country." I have often thought that it was a great misfortuno for this distracted people that he did not accept. le would have brought order and stability out of chaos and change. His government would not have bean a Maximilian affair. Half of the volunteers would have remained with him and a stream of immigration would have set in from the United States. bringing with it all the arts. energie. and push of our race. and Mexico would today. with a population of twenty millions of free and prosperous people. be found side by side with her northern sister. moving in the grand march of the nations in civilization and progress. or perhaps would have merged in and become an important part of the mightiest republic that has ever existed pon the face of the earth. The regeneration of this wonderful country cannot much longer be delayed. her marvelous possibilities must soon be developed. and Mexico is destined to play a grand ree in the drama of the coming century. There is another remarkable fact that deserves to be noted in connection with this war.