The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-01-10

limitation, the responsibility referred TO in the 81
of the said Basis, was merely "a responsibility Q
opinion" that all the acts Of his dictatorship wer
Of the same permanent force as If performed by
constitutional government, and must be observes
as such by the FIRST constitutional Congress.
The new government was completed and install
ed in January, 1874, when the first Congress
under the new constitution assembled. Its early
acts seem TO have been in accordance with tht
views of Santa Anna, for it voted an extraordina
ry contribution of four millions, with which te
prosecute the war against Texas.
millions the Congress hesitated to give its assent
though il was notorious that but small portion o
the ordinary contribution had been realized, and
that the treasury, so far from being competent tc
supply the means for carrying on war against
Texas, was in fact incompetent for the ordinary
daily necessities of the government.
As affairs proceeded, heavy opposition 10 San.
Ia Anna began to manifest itself in Congress and
throughout the republic He had been raised to
power, though apparently with great unanimity,
yet, as the event has shown, by military revolu-
ton, rather than by the spontaneous general choice
of the people.
For, on his expressing wish to retire short
time to Manga de Clavo for the care of his private
affairs, Gas he had done in 1872 in which case the
new constitution required that the senate should
make choice of a president ad interim to officate
during his absence from the seat Of government,
the ministerial candidate, General Valentin Canali-
20, prevailed by one vote only over his opponent,
General Rincon.
Such then, was the position of things in Octo-
ber 1874; Santa Anna being president ,orop,ieta-
rio; CanaIzo president INFERNO; and the Congress
assembled in special session, occupied with the
foreign relations and the financial embarrassments
of the republic when the revolution broke out in
the large and powerful department of Jalisco
On the lst of November, 1874, the departmental
assembly of Jalisco, adopted and published what
is called an Initiative, being act provided for
bly, submitted the proposition following:
/. The national Congress will make effective The
responsibility OF the provisional government, to
which it was subjected by the sixth of the Basis
sworn to by the nation.
2 The law OF August 2lst, 1874, imposing ex-
traordinary contributions is repealed.
8. The Congress will occupy itself by preference
experience has demonstrated TO be contrary to the
of the department
This act was adopted by all the authorities Of
the department, civil and military, and made known
by public documents, issued under the signature
of the civil governor, Escovado, and of the CON-
mandant general, Galindo, with his principal Off
GERS; and thus far it was in Mexico unconstitutional
and not Revolutionary act; for in Mexico the
military participate equally with the civil authori-
ties IN all political proceedings. But, though
nominay constitutional act it was in reality
revolutionary one, skillfully arranged and combin-
ed for the overthrow of Santa Anna
To this intent General Mariana Paredes, who
had commenced the revolution of l94l in the same
department of Jalisco, and who had since that
time, acted with Santa Anna was pitched upon to
be the agent of his overthrow.
The secret movers Of the new revolution OBJ
tanned for General Paredcs the command of the
department of Sonora, to reach which it is neces
sary TO march through that Of Jalisco.
On the way to his government, Paredes stopped
at Guadalajara. the capital of Jasco, with troops
under his command, and there pronounced openly
aud directly against Santa Anna, and assumed the
functions of military chief of the revolution.
The four departments ofZacatecas, Aguascalien-
les, Snalva, and Sonora, concurred at once in the
of Jalisco; and thus the five
departments were in arms at once
against Santa Anna. Between these and Mexico
there intervene the two departments Of Guanajua-
to and Queretaro.
Paredes advanced to Lagos, on the frontier of
Jalisco, and there es stabIshed his head quarters,
with an army of 400 men 10 await the progress
Of events. In the contiguous department of GU
anajuato was General Cortazar with 1000 men, on
whom Paredes depended for support; but the
Cortazar from joining Paredes (if he had the i'll
tention) and compelled him for the present at least,
to declare for Santa Anna
For, instantly on hearing what had taken place
in GuadaIajara, Santa Anna, who was then at MAN.
ga de Clavo, in the department of Vera Cruz, and
IN whose neighborhood was large body of troops
professedly collected for an expedition against
Texas, set out for Mexico, being invested by the
president ad interim with the conduct of the war
against Paredes. He set out from Jdlapa OH the
7th of November at the head of $500 men, cross
ed rapidly the department of Pueb!a, where he
received some additional troops, and Oh the lStL
arrived at Guadalupe. town near Mexico, where
he fixed his head quarters.
He had left the departments of Vera Cruz and
Puebla full of professions of loyalty to his govern
men, and he found the same professions in that Of
Mexico, and similar professions came to him there
from Queretaro and Guanajuata, and he prepared
Ill