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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
to crown their efforts.-1\Ir. Ward in his history of these times, expresses the opinion that the Revolution might have been arrested at this particular juncture, if the Viceroy ha,d placed himself at the head of the troops which were assembled in the Capitol and pursued Itmbede with becoming vigor; but such opinion can hardly be sus- tained by the real condition of the country; for the enthusiasm for Independence had became so general and incontrollable as to cause a total sepa,ration between the Creoles and the Spaniards soldiers and to leave the cause of the Royalists without any other support than their own experditionary troops. Creoles were no longer seen in co-operation with the King's forces; and a perfect knowledge of the deep and all- pervading sentiment of the nation in favor of liberty and Independ- ence, was in all probability the rea,l cause of Iturbede 's placing him- self at the head of the Revolutionary party. He saw what an easy matter it would be to sever the colonial bonds and to place himself at the head of a new monarchy; and he wa,s tempted to the bold emprize by the shining rewards in perspective; for although he was emphatically the Liberator of the Country, we believe that public opinion has never awarded to him any very exalted degree of patriot- ism or any sincere atta,chment to the principles of liberty.- "\Ve will not enter into the particulars of the contest, because our present purpose does not require it. It will be sufficient to say that the war on the part of the Royalists was conducted in a feeble man- ner and with ill-results; while on the other hand it was prosecuted by the Insurgents with uncommon vigor and continued success. Appa- doca was depose at the beginning of the contest by the Royalists in the Capitol in on account of his supposed inaptitude to the emergency of the times, and General Don Francisco Novella placed at the head of affairs. The change, however, produced more evil than good. His appointment occasioned a scism in the Royal ra,nks, which operated benificially to the Insurgents. The King's party could achieve noth- ing. Linan at the head of the royal force, pursued the active and erattic Iturbede; but in spite of all his marches and countermarches, he was never able to overta,ke the more adroit and sleepless Liberator. Additional animation and confidence was also infused into the Revo- lutionary forces by the sudden re-appearance of Victoria. This inconquerable champion of his country's cause had been for a long time a suffering refugee among the unfrequented mounta,ins. Hearing of the new out-break in favor of liberty and Independence, he sallied from his hiding place, and took the field once more. The army was divided for the purpose of securing his services; He was placed in command of one of the divisions, while Iturbede remained at the head of the other. It was impossible for the Royalists to stand up ·aga,inst two such Champions as these, backed and sustained as they were by the undivided natives of the country. Bustamente, Baragan and other Creole· Chiefs who had long contended against the liberties of their country and ha,d butchered thousands of their brethren, perceiv- ing the inevitable result of the contest, forsook the Royal cause and followed the standard of the victorious patriots. NegFete, Echavarri and other Spanish Officers, followed their example. 'l'hey saw that the Royal authority was about to foll, and deemed it wise and prudent
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