Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1853-02-19
From the New Orleans Picayune.

Among the numberess wonderful celebrities
f that our sister Republic has given birth to in
her brief but stirring history, heroes of single
skirmiSh, statesmen of a small diplomacy, I'M
mortals whose eternity of fame has reached its
occulation in from nine days to a year, there
; has been no one so prominent, so able or so for
tunate as the one legged hero of San Jacinto-
that marval of military science, who, in his later
conflict at Cerro GOrdo stuck to and strengthen
I ed the old maxim
ale who fghts and runs away
May live to fight another day.
There may exist much latitude of opinion with
regarp to the bravery, and skill, the statesman
ship and patriotism of Santa Anna. 1t may be
doubted whether he loves Mexico, and it may be
doubted whether Mexico loves him. Of one
| thing, however, there can be no doubt, and that
is that the life he has had from the time he first
embarked in revnluti0n against Iturbide to
| this present, has been remarkably eyentful and
1 full of accident. He has seen all social posi-.
tions from the lowest to the highest all political
positions from insignifeanee toapraetcal inperi-
ality all military POSITIONS from foot soldier to
the commander-in-chief. He has climbed to the
topmost heighths only 10 be knocked off and driv-
out the country. He has returned and taken up
his rank as though it was resigned by his own
vOlition. He has made revolutions and crushed
revolutions. He has baniShed and been banish-
ed. In his person two great extremes of for
tunes have met and struggled. As yet it is un-
certain whether Santa Anna will die at home or
in exile, on the throne or on the scaffOld.
We said that his life has heen eventful, and so
it has. There are probably few men living whose
histories will exhibit web of so strikingly vari-
ed and contracted colOrs, who have been so high
and SO low as the ex-President Starting in life
with name wholly obscure and unknown, he
has rendered it familiar in all quarters of the
world. Commencing as a rOyaist, he has been
a republican, federalist and a centralst, DEM
Ocrat and an aristocrat, as the emergencies of
| the moment seemed to require. In 1921 he as
sisted in expeling the rOyalist from Vera Cruz,
and obtained the command of the city under
Iturbide. In 1922 he has deposed, and began
war against his late superior, and succeeded in
overthrowing him. Foiled in his personal aims
by the final results of this movement, he retired,
but only to foment another. In 1928 he sup
ported Guerrero against Pedrazza, and was made
| commander Of the army. In 1928 he went over
to the side of Pedrazza, fought and conquered
his former friends, and intrigued for the Presi-
dencv. In 1888 he obtained the office he sought,
and was recognised as President. Thus far his
life had been saccessful-his objects gained
his end secured. The changes he made invari-
ably redounded to his benefit The battles he
| fought were always won. The party he favored
were sure of success. His political tergiversa-
tons were ineXcuSable, but they were gilded by
| victory. His treacheres 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 the leadership of Lacate-
CO.'S proclaimed against him, and four provinces
| joined the insurrcction. LacatecoS was conquer
ed, the reform party annihilated by death or ex-
| lie, and Santa Anna became Dictator His star
was still in the ascendant, but soon it waned.
| The adhesion he gave in to the central party,
and the subsequent abrOgatiOn of the liberal con-
Stitution of 1924, induced the American colo
nists in Texas to proclaim their independence
! OF the results of that movement we need not
speak.
| The success which had hitherto invariably at
tended the military movements of Santa Anna
failed him in the efforts for their subjugation.
At San Jacinto he was conquered and captured.
Out of the gloom of defeat and captivity
marvelously preserved from death he richly
merited-this political changeling emerged only
to recoverthe supremacy he had lost and increase
the fame he had won. The mutiatiOn he suffer
ed at Vera Cruz redounded to his good, and has
ever since remained the incOntestible and incOn-
trovertable evidence of a patriotism that never
existed, and a bravery that was without being.
In lS4l after series of incidents that would be
deemed improbable in Perce Forest, or-the Ro-
nance Of the Cid, he again reached the PreSi-
dency, and ruled imperial four years. The rev.
olution of Paredes hurled him from power, and
the Administration of Herrera made him fu-
gitive. The American war recalled him to rank
and importance. It's close drove him once more
into exile Another revolution has paved the
way for another recall and Santa Anna may to-
~ r
Indeed all the indications tend to give assurance
of his speedy recall. From chihuahua to Yuea-
tan, the sun shines only on the "broken and dis
honored fragments of a Union; on States dissev-
ered discOrdant, beligerent; OH a land rent with
civil fueds' and distracted with diverse councils.
The demand Of Guadalajar for diminished taxa
ton and removal of prohibitions has been
made by State after State, city after city, regl-
ment after regiment. Gen. Uraga the acknowl
edged leader and head of the revolution is a
strong friend of Santa Annals; and Vol, who
commands Vera Cruz is his known confident.
But beyond all these things, his return is render
ed probable by the conviction of the Mexieans
themselves, that he is the only man whose hand
can educe order from out such chaos, and re-
store public tranquility. That he is beloved we
do not pretend to say. Indeed he is feared but
the choice of the evils will reseat him in the
Halls of the Montezumas.
Upon the whole we rejoice at it. Santa Anna
is a man possessed of some positive traits and
qualities. He may be liar; rascal, a gam
bier, an assassn---he may be whatever his enc
mics proclaim him to be---and we are inclined
to think that they are not far from the truth.
But he allows no one else to robbie strings up
all other murderers and asSassins. He rules by
means that are reprehenSble, for ends that are
selfish, though tools that are dyed in rascality;
but he maintains a Government, makes wars
and treaties, quells revolts and gives to the ma
ton a nationality she has never possessed under
other rulers. Our own interests in the Iehuan-
tepec and other questions compel Us to look with
favor upon the return of Santa ANITA however it
may be achieved.
Whatever may be his future, and who dare
prophecy its curse, the past has been to him
crowded with incident and fraught with adven-
ture; to day on the throne, to morrow in exile; /
now fighting armies and now fghing chicken
cocks plunged into obscurity and raised into
prominence; the ruler of millions--the master
of hardly dozen dependents In all these
numberleSs vicissitudes and changes of fortune
he has so conducted himself that it can hardly |
be termined whether he is possessed of the real
elements or only aided and helped onward by the
force of circumstances.