Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-09-30
Biographical.
From The NeW York Evangelist.
Santa Anna.
BY REV. s. C. ABBOTT.

BY REV. s. c. ABBOTT.
The life of Santa Anna has been one pecu-
liarly eventful There are few persons in the
history of the world, who have experienced great
err yicissitudes of fortune, and his situation at
the present moment is such that no one can tell
whether he is an utterly ruined man, Or whether
he is soon again to ride upon the crested billow
of popularity and power OF his parentage his
childhood, his youth, but little is known He
first emerged from the obscure throng Of chief
tains, who for long time had been battling in
| Mexico, sometimes against the armies of Spain
in the struggle for independence, and again in
civil dlssensons and conflicts for superiority in
the year 1921.
He was the prominent actor in the final and
successful struggle when Mexico threw off the
yoke of subsection to the Spanish throne, and
established a republican form of government
From 1900 to 1921, Mexico was constantly des-
solated by war In the year 1921, Iturbide, a
Mexican general in commend of a large army
intending to sustain the royal cause and destroy
the patriots, with his whole army deserted the
side of the king, Joined the feeble forces of the
patriots, and usurped himself the supreme pow
err Santa Anna was at this time in command
of regiment in Vera Cruz. He was but thir-
ty-one years of age, and almost entirely I'M
known Iturbide, surrounded by his army OF
fifteen thousand men, was literally "reyeling in
the Halls of the Montezumas." The republican
party was apparently annihuated, and resistance
to the usurper seemed hopeless
Colonel Santa Anna, for he was then but a
Colonel, with his single regiment, for there were
none others whom he could persuade to Join him
set out from Vera Cruz for the city of Mexico
Ia A. e Ali, he
despot from his throne 1t was his profcsScd OBJ
r ect to establish republican form ofgovernment
p His friends say that this was his real object
\ his enemies say it was preence merely that he
wished to dethrone Iturbde only that he nigh
q wear the imperial robe himself
i. Irturbide sent General Echavan with an over
, whelmning force, to crush the audacious rebel
!. After several skirmishes, Santa Anna had an in
teryiew with Gen. Echavan, in which he persuad
if ed him to abandon the emperor, and Join thu
h republican cause with all his army. But neithe
4 Santa Anna nor Echavan were of sufficient not
# to sway the moral influence necessary for tn
= successful conduct of such an enterprise. Blu
= there was at that time, hiding in starvation an
If nakedness i'll the Businesses of the most rugge
70 and inaccessible mountains of Mexico, man
" very extraordinary character and history, GauC
"a aloupe Victoria The authenticated facts of hi
ID marvellous history surpass the widest creation
ii of fiction. In indomitable frmness eff charaC
VI ter, and inAexibility of WILL know not wher
p to look for a superior When the banner of il
~ dependence was unfurled by the Mexicans, vi,
q. tora Joined the standard with the utmost enthl
q. sasm When the cause of the patriots was Ell
RI tirey crushed, and the whole country had agai
~, bowed in submission to the royal arms and hg
90 rank and ample rewards were offered to the vi
~ conquerabe general ifhe would render in his su
4 mission also, Victoria, with unsubdued courag
no and unWavering determination, fled alone to tt
i solltudes of the forest. A thousond men we
y, ordered out in small detachments to hunt hi
~ down, So great was the dread of the royals
nd of the influence of his name, and so determine
,st were they to accomplish his destruction, tn
nd whenever they found an Indian village in whit
inf his wants had been relieved, they burnt it to Il
,,,, ground, For six months this memorable pursu
II was continued, after which it was abandone
or but for nearly three years Victoria lived in hot
ly peril, in those dismal solitudes, in the endt
as ance of unimagnable sulierings He has oft
,ro in subsequent life been heard to say " that
repast ever furnished him so much peasu
NO. since as he experienced after being long depr
lCu vi lOOu, III 1ldNlllS VIC JULIUS vi IOlSCo
va other animals which he found dead in the woods
70. For thirty months he never saw a human beir
Io- He oAen passed four or five days without taxi
NJ any food and he was reduced to such a state
er- almost perfect nakedness, that he had MOTH
mr. but a wrapper of cotton around his persC
l., which he found one day in venturing lit
tbe nearer than usual to some Indian huts.
&c Such was the state of Victoria, among
- f,c+Doseoc Of tho 1,bo,, A.,
,r determined to search him out, and to surrent
M to him the supreme command He was awj
an that the name of this revolutionary veteran wol
tho be hailed with accamations by every Mexic
aog patriot. He succeeded in finding him, CON
in tuted him commander-in-chief, and took hims
ON, subordinate station Where" says Wad
las Thompson, " shall we find an instance of gre
,n,. er disinterestedness than that of this young
,ar ambitious officer, surrenderng to another
Nh chief command and the glory Of the ACHE
Jo ment if it should be successful, at the same ii
acb that his own danger and responsibility were
ovo no degree diminished in the event of failur
No man of ordinary energy and courage wo
MI have dared to commence such an enterprise
rod Victoria, with Santa Anna, dethroned Iturbi
a,,s and banished him from the country; but "
Lod extraordinary generosity settled upon him a p
ans sion of twenty-five thousand dollars year. !
not disgraced and dethroned monarch returned
the Italy, but hungering again for imperial pow
he insaney left his opulent home and return
$50 to Mexico within two years, when he was tai
mi prisoner and shot
re- Santa Anna Immediately instituted repu
ana can form of government, October, 1924, fou
hree ed on the model of that of the United Stat
with with an elective President, a Senate consist
ID OF Of two members from each State. and Ho
e'i ~ of Representatives with member for ey
,nnt 900 inhabitants. There was one marked
ome ference between the constitution of Mexico
re- that of the United States. The whole territ
work of Mexico formed one federal republic, with
IRON any of those reserved rights and privileges WI
nun nun in the United States are retained by the s.
H.. governments.
n an Santa Anna, whose intelligence had plan
crate this revolt and whose decision and ntrepi
l. had carried it onward to a successful issue,
,s.- now hailed as the deliverer of his country.
dley political arrangements, however, which v