1894 
Orizaba 
(Tera Cruz) 
;• 
/ 
part of the people with this feeling. Were it not for the firm hold 
the present power has by means of its military forces, I am satisfied 
that a revolution of considerable magnitude would soon occur, or would 
have already taken place. 
% host talks much of the energy and the business capacity of Ameri¬ 
cans and says the Mexicans are too idle and careless to manage properly, 
and says that he thinks that the Americans will gradually secure a large 
part of the mines and other valuable property of the country and that 
the eventual result will be annexation to the TJ. S, This same idea has 
been stated to me by many other Mexicans, In many cases I presume it is 
done as a sort of flattery of iry nationality, but the idea is certainly 
a widespread one. At the same time, there is a strong feeling existent 
against Americans and the U. S. due to the Mexican war. 
Two of the daughters of my host are school teachers and one of them 
gravely informed me that the Americans could never have conquered the 
Mexicans in the war if Santa Anna had not sold the Mexican cause, and had 
the soldiers* supply of powder replaced by dirt so that their guns were 
useless and so the invaders triumphed. In the few days we have been at 
this house it is rather amusing to see the naive frankness that the young 
ladies of the establishment exhibit. They tell us,v as being a part of 
the family, of their loversj and the old folks - especially the mother - 
says that she has no use for the dissipated young fellows who hang about 
Y V- h !_■■ -A. .** • • a'- 
to make love to girls. She says she is willing that her daughters should 
have lovers who are men capable of supporting them but that she does not 
wish to have any idlers hanging about. 
The two oldest girls who are 22 and 24 eeho these sentiments. They 
also tell with great amusement that it is a common thing when a girl has 
a lover obnoxious to the parents for him to come to tho window to pay her 
court but if the father is heard approaching ho takes to his heels. 
- 210 
