Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1853-03-09
From the New Orleans Pcayune Of Jan. 80
Santa Anna.

Among the numbelless wo, derfu cclcbri.
ties that our sister ppublic has given birth to
in her brief hus stirring history, heroes of
single skirmsh statesmen of small diplomacy,
| immortaIs whose eternity Of fame has reached
It's occu!ation in from nine days to year.
there has been no one so prominent. so able, or
so fortunate as the one legged hero of San
Jaclnto--that marvel Of military science who
in his later conflict at Cerro Gordo, stuck to
and sire lgthcncd the old maxim.
"lle who fights and runs away,
May 1--we to fight another day"
There may exist muchlattudc OF opinion with
regard to the bravery, the skill. the states
manshIp and the patriotism of Santa Anna 1t
may be doubted whether Mexico loves him .-
OF one thing, however here can be no doubt
and that is, that the life he has had from the
time he at first embarked in a revolution
against lturbidc to this present, has been re.
markably eyeutful and full of incident. lie
has seen all social positions, from the lowest
to the highest; all political positions, from in
significance to practical impcrialy; all mill
tary positions, from n foot soldier to the COM
mander i'll chief He has climbed to the top
most heights only to be knocked off and driven
out of the country. He has returned and taken
up his old rank as If it had been resigned by
his own violation. He has made revolu
tions and crushed revolutions He has banish-
ed aud been banishcd. In his person two
great extremes of fortune have met and strug-
gled As yet it is undecided which will come
off victorious, it is uncertain whether Santa
Anna will die at home or in exile, on the
throne or on the scafiold.
We said that his life had been cvent!ul, and
SO it has. Thare are probably few men living
whose histories will exhibit a web of SO strik
ng'y varied and contrasted colors, who have
been 50 high and so low as the cx-President
Starting in life with name wholly obscure
and unknown, he has rendered it familiar in all
concerns of the world. Commencing as a roy
alist, he has been republican, "A federaiist
and a centralist, democrat and an aristocrat
as the emergencies of the moment seemed to
require. In 1872 he assisted in expeling the
royalist from Vera Cruz, and obtained the
command of the city under lturbie In 1922
he was deposcd, and began war against his
late superior, and succeeded in oyerthrowing
him. Folcd in his personal aims by The final
results Of this movement. he retired, but only
to !oment another In 1928 he supported
Guerrero against Pedrazza, and was made
commander of the army. In 1880 he went
over to the side of Pedrasza, fought and con
qncred his former friends and intrigued for the
Presidency. In 1893 he obtained lbe Office he
sought, and was recognized as President
Thus far his life had been successrul-his oh.
jects gained-his ends secured. The changes
he made invariably redounded to his benefit
The battles he fought were always won. The
party he favored were sure Of success. His
political tergiversations were inexcu sable, but
they were giIded by victory. His trcacheres
were startling, but few cared TO talk about
them. He was the favorite Of the army, and
the army was sovereign. In 1885, the reform
party, under the leadership of Lacatecos, pro-
claimed aguinst him, aud four provinces joined
the insurrection. Lacatecos was conquered,
the reform party annihIated by death or exile,
and Santa Anna became Dictator His star
was still in the ascendant but it soon wancd
The adhesion he gave into the central party,
aud the subsequent abrogation the liberal
constitution of 1894, induced the American
coonists in Texas to proclaim their indepen
dcnce. OF the results Of that mo vement we
need not speak.
The success which had hitherto invariably
attended the military movements of Santa
Anna, failed him in the efforts he made for
their subjugaton. At San Jacinto he was
conquered and captured.
Out Of the gloom of defeat and captivity
narvelously pre- erved from a death he richly
merited-this political ehangeling emerged
only to recover the supremacy ne had lost aud
increase the fame he had won. The mu.
tiation he suffered at Vera Cruz redounded to
his good, and has ever since remained the in
contestable and incontroyertibie evidence of
patriotism that never existed, and a bravery
that was without being. In lsil, after series
of incidents that would be deemed improba.
bic in Percy Forest, or the Romance Of the Cid
he again reached the Presidency. and ruled i'm
perially for four years. The revolution Of
Paredes hurled him from power, the admins
ration of Herrera made him a fugitive. The