Iturbide.
The Times, 1824-11-27T00:00:00

The foi1owiigitji*irative of thep:artiqula'is ftfen'ir itheI ,tie of I.urbi2, is. exttacfedl rom the lakimoreA encan.' It differg in mauy material poinits froin thei-agcounts previ- ously published, and-as it has been drawn up by one of his suite, wiho was an eye-witness to the events described, possesses, perhaps, supeaior claims to authenticity:- A SItPLE BUT TRUE LeLATION OF THE ARtRIVAL OF ITU1WIDE AT M1EXICO4 AND OF TIFE UOTIVES WitICd RotOiIUT HIt1h FROM EIUROPE. Iturbide was called to London by mnany powerfia reasons; and bv the most important to the Mexican nattion ; believing that his prc_ sence was thc only means of uniting the many divided opinious, and of organizing an army which could oppose the invasion which Spain wouid Probably attempt. as soon as Ferdisnand VIr. would be re.established in the plentitude of his power. by the assistance of Ferancc nnd other nations. Iturbide was of this opinion in relation to the expected invasion, and was desirous of assisting his country, even at the sacrifice of all that was dear to him-he did not hesitate amoment. Hesentfor hifamily then at Leghorn; and ir the mean time busied himself in making the iecessary preparations for his voyage, such as procuring a vessel, borrowing mtoney, seeking for a fit person to conducthin to Mlexico, ands other arrange. ments. As soon as his family arrived, he placed his six eldest sons at proper sclhools, and with his wife, his two youngest sons,Atwo chap- m,ains,a nepbew, two strangers, (one of whom had before been in his service in Alexico) and four servants, he embarked at Southampton, in the bri, .Sprin>i on the 11th of May lost. Oh the 12th ot July, ne arrived ofl' the Bar of Soto la 1arina and was ignorant of the last determination of the Mexican Govern- ment respecting him, or in what light a communication had been received, addrgssed by him from London, under date of the 13th of February, to the loeKicgirt Congress, offering his servicesas a simple military man, should the nation deem them useful ; and that, for tlle furtherance of this object, he had departed frqm Italy, in the I monjnh of November, 1823. He accordingly caused Lieutenant Colonel Dan Chprles Beneski to go to Soto la Alarina and obtain information, charging him particularly to ascertain if General Don Felipe de la Garza was in that province, as he had left him at his departure. This General was the fiest who, while ItuTbitc was Ein. peror in Mexico, proclaimed the Republic in the province of San- tander; but troops having marched against him, lie abandoned those who had followed him, and presenteT himself to Iturbide, who par- doned lliha, fil)are hI ife, and reinstated hin in his honours and employ. For this generous actions no doubt. Tturbidc tho gght that farra woald be grateful, and protect hii landing and aumbsquent operations. But no.: he acted a different art. Beneski returned on the morrning of the 16th, without having dis. covered how much Iturbide was in danger, but bringing favourable information to turbide, which, atded to the knowledge that GaTza commanded in thiat quaettr made him determine to land the same evening, being attende(t only by this stranger. He instructed the other persons who remained on. bqard, att4ched to him, to holdtihem. selves in readiness to follow ais soon as they should be ordered so to do. They proceeded for the first torn, where they were to tske horses, and Beseski set about procuring them. Iturbide remained in the boat near the river side, witl his face covered to hls nose withl his handkerchief'na disguise whiclh he used, because lie wished to present himself before Garza by surprise, and until then not to be recognizel. This circotnstance, however, called the attention of the people, who were struck with his appearance, and among those who drew near to see hin was a mercdiant of Dorango, who knew hiim, and recognized him as he mountecl on hor;eback. i.de immediately infbrmed tele nlcalte, who sent feur soldiers who followed Iturbide to a small town cnlled Los Arroyss, where he intended to p ass the day, and proceed by night to Soto la illarina. The soldiers re- mained quiet and said nothing in his presence, Scyeral communica- tions as to what was going on had been sent to Garza and in the evening of the 16fth, the General L(Garza), with two adjutants and eight soldiers, arrived at the place vwhere Iturbide was. They em- braced each other, and after a secret conference, they all set out for the town of Soto la Mlarina, whete they arrived on the rmorning of the 17th, Ittirbide and Beneski were immediately put in prison, and at 12 o'clock that day, one of Garza's atijutants came and announced to them the sentence of death, agreeably to the decree of proseription which Congress passed tie very day that they received and read his exposition of the 13th of February. He informcdlhpi that at three o'clock that afternoon it would be executetd. ItuVflile requests that three davs should be allowed bin to arrange his family anti other concerns; notwithstanding that before he left the brig he hald made sonme dispositions, in the eyent of his dying before he coqld join his friends. As Garza wished to save Iturbide's life, lie set forth, that the law which condemned him to death ousght not to attainthim, if he were ignorant of its existence, and theretbre ordered that they should set out for Padilla, where the National Congress was assembled ; con- fiding that this circumstance would be taken into consideration. They therefore set out with an escort of about 100 niilitia (there being no regular troops there) at three o'clock in the afternoon, and without stopping they travellcd until the mormiag of the 18th, dur. ing whichs time Iturbide sad luezar had together frequent anti long conferences, the cbict of which no doubt was, that Garza should call a meeting of the officers, put them under the commaand of Ittirbide, an(i make a strong harangue to the troops, exhorting theta to follow thc only person who could save the country and make them happy. They all agreed to this, and Garza returned to Soto la Marina with the intention of making the nece8saryarrangements for the new ope- rations: but on his arrival there lie receivedl lettens from the inha. bitants, complaining and disapproving of his conduct, whichl deter- mined him to return imnmediately to the place where Iturbide was. Iturbide had proceeded towards Padilla, and on his approach to that city sent an oRncer to the President of the Congress, begging him to call a meeting of that body, and soliciting him in the name of his country to listen to the powerful reasons which had indiceod him to return to Alexico, assunng him of his detennination to obey the will of the nation without any restriction whatever. lVhile waiting for an answer to this communication, Garza ap- proaclied him, and saidl it wonld only be neceesary tbr him io enter as a prisoner until he could speak to the Congress. To this Iturbide consented, and at eight o'clock on the morning of the 19th they en- tered Padilla. Fle there was put inder a guard of 20 men and an officer, and conducted to one of the first houses of the town. (Garza went to the Congress, where were assembled the seven voters who then composed that body. He dwelt with much force on the reRsons which ought to save Iturbide-stating. as the principal one, that on coming ashore he knew nothing of the decree, wvhicht was the onlv one against hin, nnti that he ought to be allowed to embark again with his family, undler the obligation of not returning to the territory ofthe Republic. But this body, cormposed of men not the most en- lightened,and only latelyplaced in such highstations,being desirous, like Eros, to hand their names tlown to posterity, would give no other decision but that he must tie agreeablv to the act of Congress - and this they resolved, without being able to answer the powerful arguments of Garza. Obstinate, and determined not to listen to reason, they imperious- ly ordered Garza to have him shot the same afternoon, and he retir- cd to give the necessary orders. While Garza was addressing Congress, Iturbide was busied in writing a thirtl exposition to the General Congress of Mlexico, in which he recapitulated the mnn services he had rendered the na- tiont, since he had proclaimved the independence at Yguala, with a lontg examination of his publie conduct, in which he could not per. ceive what atrocious crime he could have committed to deserve the punishment of death. This menmorial was not sent to Congress, and at five o'clock in the afternoon the sentenee of death was intimated to Iturbide for the sersind time, and that it would be executed (as it really was) at 6 o'clock, or after sunset. To put this sentence into execution, the hundred men from Soto la Mlarinla, and about fifty mi,re who wvere sin Padilla, were formed on the public pl.ce, and a picket of twenty men vnder an adjutant conducted Ituirbide to the place of execution. As he was taken fromi the house where he wvas confincti, he requcstctl that lhe might be per- mitted to be seen by the people, and lie appeared to look eagerly around him. lie asketi how niany svere to fire at him, and being informed tbur, said they were few, anti rcqtuested that three more might be added. He then asked for the place where lie was to be shot. There were no preparations made, and lie wentto th e spot,askctl for a hianderchief. anti bound his eyes himself. They next proceeded to tie his hands, but this he at first resisted, until being Informed that cotimpliance would be enforced if' lic did not willingly grant it, he then permitted hiniseif to he bound, antd proceeded to the place oh' execution. There addressing hiniself to the soldiers, he spoke thus," iAlexicans, at the very ntoment of tlying I recommendl to you to love your country, and to o,bserve our holy reiigion_thesee will conduct you to glory. I die tor having come to help yoti, aiid I die happy because I die among you. I die with honour, and not as a traitor. That stain will not rest upon toy rsons andl their tlescend- ants. I am no traitor. Be suibordinate and obeeicit to vour chiefs in executtig what they and God may command. I do not say thiis from vanity, for I am falr from being vain." Hlaving said tb1is he knelt down, and raising his voice he said, " I pardon all lav ene- oles witlh all niv heart." He had hardly tittered these words, when the soldiers ta'ki'ng aim, discharged their muskets, and Iturbide died. His body was time conveyed to the some house where lie hal been detained, and on the 20th 6- ried in an uncovered church, eveii with- our the ceremony of a coffin as is customary. His wife, anti those-who accompanied hinm, have been for ever ex- pc114t fromn the territory of the republic. A pension of 8,000 dollars I~as bcen granted tothe ffrst, and she has come to the United States of North Anmerica, fionn whence she intends shortly to go to ColonI- bia, where she Is to enjoy her pension. ZTrUR3TDE -