The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-05-12
The President Substitute of Mexico.

| The President Substitute of Mexico.
By the latest accounts from Mexico, it that the
Office of Vice President of that republic has been abolish
ed BY the Congress- and that of Substitute President has
been established in its place This measure is as eg
mate anything else done by the Congress- the powers
OF which are in fact unlimited As to the legality OF the
manner in which those powers were conferred much
might be said on both sides by those who should have
time to waste on such a question.
The facts simply these: There have been two con-
stutions regularly adopted by the people of Mexco-ls
The Federal Constitution of the United Merioan States
established in 1924, by which the old Spanish provinces
raised to the dignity OF Independent States under
rather with, general government supposed to be the
offspring of the States; and I'd the Constitutional Lars
and Bases, decreed by the Congress 1916 by which the
FIRST constitution annued and the States were in
moment reduced to the condition of Departments of the
Aeriean Republic, one and indivisible We will not
specify the several constitutions plans which Santa
Anna has contributed to get up overthrow He is al
most famous for making and unmakng constitutions as
Warwick for making and dethroning kings In the
last revolution by which Santa Anna was recalled from
exile, the federal constitution of 1874 was adopted pro-
| uisionally and basis, with numerous exceptions,
however and each constitution, moreover underwent
subsistence, the dll-
Guilty OF knowing wha, is in force and what is not may
be easily imagined. The Congress summoned at the
same time by General Salas, in whom the whole power
of the State placed, TO be elected in manner
entirely different from any before adopted and it was
charged to reeonshuc the nation, that is, provide
new system of government for it, of whatever kind
except the monarchica-t might judge most proper
Each OF the constitutions aforementioned contained
provisions for president and vice president; and by
each, moreover ii was specially provided that the pyes-
dent could not command the military aud naral forces IN
witot the consent Of both houses of Congress or
Of tco-srdS Of the members Of The Senate of the Gem
erol Council, ,Uten both houses mere not in session and
that, IN such cases. all the eva duties Of the president
to deuoire The president Neither of these
constitutions could be amended without numerous for
maes, involving, in appearance at least an appeal to
the people; and the above provisions .elave to the
presidency and vice presidency have never before been
changed But the present Congress, summoned by Gen
Saas the holder of the supreme power of the state was
authorized, constituent Congress- to make and un-
make everything, with few exceptons-to create Offices
well to fill them, without reference 10 any pre-ex-
listing system
This Congress, in defiance of both constitutions made
Santa Anna president and Gomez Faras vice president
provisonalIy-two opposite in character as the
poles Gomez Farias bears the reputation of being an
honest and patriotic man. warmly attached to the federal
system, and not inclined to yield that point: OF Santa
Anna, it is needless to speak The two men fear and
hate each other cordially. Gomez Faras knows that if
Santa Anna be victorious the federal system falls to the
ground; and Santa Anna is well aware that he can ex
pect little aid in any way from his rival The two men
were elected by compromise between their partisan,
who nearly equally balanced in the Congress this
compromise has, however, been destroyed and Santa
Anna finds even has uictory at Buena Vista in
sufficient to maintain him, if he should again
trust the powers of the presidency in the hands
OF his rival In this case an extraordinary meas
ure was required-the PRESIDENCY was abolished
by close vote of the constituent Congress and Don Pc
dro Maria de Anaya made President Substitutcan
officer whom no constitution had contemplated and
whose power might therefore, be just what the majority
Of the Congress might choose to order
The President Substitute, therefore, seems to be as e
gtmate an authority any other in Mexico so long as
his office subssts and it would be the extreme of pc
dany to inquire into the legality of the power by which
1t was created What effect the battle of Cerro Gordo
and the subsequent occupation Of Jaapa and Peroe BY
our army may have produced upon the views OF the Con-
gress, IN this particular, we have yet to learn.
We have seen an officer of the navy who has just
turned from Vera Cruz. He was one of those brave
men who landed from the squadron, and changed
his element for the land to assist in the lombard
ment OF the city and the castle. He speaks of the
wonderful enthusiasm which inspired men, and of the
immense efforts which were made by our enteurising
seamen in hauling up the large pieces of artillery through
the heavy sands to position within 500 yards of the
walls OF the city The marine battery which they estab
ished was of the strongest which had played
upon walled city II consisted OF three 32-pounders,
and three s3peundes, and these manned entirely
by the officers and seamen of the squadron They did inn
Inense execution upon Vera Cruz.
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