Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1845-01-10
AFFAIRS in MEXICO.

The great object Of the revolution is I,
decide whether Santa Anna shall be precip
Fitated from power, or whether, on the othe
band, he shall be the permanent dictator
and arbitrary master of the Government.
In order to understand we'll the actua
state Of things, it is necessary in the frs
place, to give brief explanation of the pre-
vious state Of things.
At the head of the Government, in IS4I
was General Anastasio Bustamente, under
the constitution which then regulated the
Mexican Republic In August, IS41, Gen
eral Paroles and the Department of Jalescc
pronounced against the Government of Bus
tamente.
A civil war of brief duration ensued
which was terminated on the 9th Septem.
Der, lS4l, by an arrangement in virtue oil
which the printing constitution was mainly
abolished, and Gen Santa Anna was invest.
ed with the powers of Dictator, for the pur.
pose Of recognizing the Constitution and
the Government
This temporary arrangement is known
by the name of the Basis of Tacubaya and
agreements of In Estanzuela
Under the auspices afSanta Anna, a Con-
gress assembled in June, 1912, and proceed
ed to deliberate on new Constitution.
Santa Anna himself retired to Manga de
Clavo, leaving General Bravo as President
ad interim and the proceedings of Con-
gress not being agreeable to Santa Anna, it
was dissolved by General Bravo in Deem
Der, 1912, and a National Junta, or Assem-
bly, Of Notables, was convened in its place
by the Junta.
On the 18th Of June, 1913, a new con-
stitntion was completed and made public, by
which, among other things, the Supreme
power was lodged in the hands of Presi-
dent, to be elected for five years; of an cleo
tive body called the Council Of Government
and of a Congress composed Of Senate and
Chamber of Deputies, and Santa Anna him
self was Immediately elected President under
the new constitution.
=. During this period the public had been
distracted, not only by civil war which dis
placed Bustamente and elevated Santa Anna
to power, bHt also by the Instruction Of
Yucatan aud the long civil war which ensu-
ed in that quarter, by an extensive rising of
the Indians in the extreme south, by incur
sions of the Indians in the north, by contro-
vcrsies with foreign powers, by the question
of Texas, and above all, by such incompe,
iency and corruption in all branches of the
government.
BY the Goth Of the Basis of Tacubaya it
was provided that The Provincial ExecIi-
tive shall answer for his acts before the first
Congress- and this is con
firmed by the Agreement of La Estanzuela
Nevertheless by decree Of Santa Anna,
issued on the I'd of October, lS43, (before
assuming, the Office of Constitutional Presi-
dent, it was declared that, as the power ex-
ercised by him under the Basis of Tacuba- |
va was, by its very tenor without limitation,
The responsibility referred to the 9th of the |
said Bases, says merely "a responsibility Of
opinion that all the acts of his Dictator
ship were Of the same permanent force as if
performed by Constitutional Government,
aud must be observed as such by the first
Constitutional Congress.
The new government was completed and
installed in January, 1914, when the first
Congress under the new constitution assem-
bled. Its early acts seem to have been in
with the views of Santa Anna,
FOR it voted an extraordinary contribution of
four millions with which to prosecute the
war against Texas.
But, on his requiring authority for loan
Of ten Millions the Congress hesitated to
give its assent though it was notorious that
out small portion of the extraordinary con-
ribution had been realized, and that the
Treasury, so farsfrom being competent to
supply the means for carrying on the war
against Texas, was in fact incompetent for
he ordinary daily necessities Of the gov
eminent
Meanwhile, as affairs proceeded heavy
opposition to Santa Anna began to manifest
itself in Congress and throughout the Re-
public. He had been raised to power
hough apparently with great unanimity, yet
Is the event as shown, by military revolu-
ion, rather than by the spontaneous general
choice Of the people.
For on his expressing a wish to retire
hort time to Manga da Clavo for the care
IF his private affairs, (as he had done in IS-
l9), in which case the new constitution re-
luired that the Senate should make choice
If President ad interim, to officiate during
lis absence from the seat Of Government,
he ministerial candidate, General Valtelin
Corollro, prevailed by one vote only over
MS opponent, General Ricon.
Such, then, was the position of things of
October 1874 Santa Anna being Presi-
tent propetorio Canalizo President inte,i-
no, and the Congress assembled in special
session, occupied with the fereign relation
md the financial embarrassments Of the Re-
public, when the revolution broke out in
he large and powerful Department Of Jalis-
20.
On the LIST of November, 1874, the De
assembly Of Jalisco adopted and