208
'l'EX'AS S'i'.\TE LJBR.\RY
His first step was to call into power and place into office, the Old Aristocrats the sworn enemie of a Republican form of Government, and to drive from his councils tho e who had elected him, and who had proven them elves the true and devoted friend of the Con titu- tion. Among thc_e, arc the ever true and gallant and devoted Republicans, Gen. l\Iexia and Governor.Zavala. 'fhe party now in power, i formed by the junction of the Ari tocracy and Clergy with the remain oi the Old Spaniard : Their policy and their interests and the accom- plishment of their mo t ardent wishe are founded in the destruction of the Federal System. On this depends their existence as a party, the firm establishment -0f their power and their continuance as privi- ledged clas es in oppo ition to the fundamental principle of a liberal sy tern founded on equality of riO'hts; already has that party in Con- gre s, through their committee, declared "That the constitution re- quires a radical reform that the only article which remain i1wiolable is the one which declares for intolera1we of religious feeling and estab- lished privilege classes in a State, which, fo,unifs its principles on the inviolable and noble basis or equality" and after milking the declara- tion, that the constitution should be altered on the same Congre de- clare that "It has the right of atering t1u,, Constitution at its pleasure without pursuing the formalities re1mired by that instniment" and in continuance of the plan of operations General Santa Ana is inve. ted with the powers of a dictator and at this moment ha all the ab olute power of a despot, and only now requires a diadem on his brow to obliterate the name of Liberty from the Mexican Code- To ·all these invasions of the sovereignty of the States the people would in all probability have submitted had not the aristocracy made the la t final blow at their liberties and lighted the flame of civil [war] ; the civic filitia had at all times previou ly proven the sure and safe bnlwork of the liberties of the People and the attempt of Guerrero and Bustamente, to destroy the con titution had been man- · fully and succe · fully resisted by them. Again t thi body the con- .ress truck a deadly blow and passed a law di banding them, and permitting only one gun to be retained in the hand of e,·ery five hundred men in the country, and requiring the states to urrender all the surplus arms to the general government. 'l'o thi decree, many of the tate submitted, but other resisted it, knowing that to deliver up their arm , was to deliver them eh- o,·er to an aristocracy, who e object "·as plainly :Monarchy,. among the States re isting were Zacatecas, Durango, Chihuahua, Chiapa., and Conhuila and Texa . The Legi latnre of Coahnila and 'l'ex:a , in ad- dres ing the G neral Government in regard to the change of Govern: mcnt and creation of a Dictator says;-" For these ,·ea.sons the State of Coalwilu, & Texas legiti11u1tely 1·ep1·esented by its Legislature, PROTE T in the most solemn mm11ie1· that having confrdcrttlrd by vfrlue of the Jt'undamentol compact, a11d wider the basis 1d1-ich in ·it is establi. 7ll'd, does not ack11-01clcclge nor wi1l 11ot ack1u>Wledge the measurc,s and pt·ovi ion which emanate frmn the Gc11cral Congress, if they arc not regulated in conformity, with provi- sions and rcquisit s which it prescribe in aid nrticlc , nor will
Powered by FlippingBook