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TEXAS STATE LIBHAHY
tion of the Government directed toward the Province in this manner was a great relief to the leaders who were fighting in the interior. Gutierrez was dismissed from his command and Toledo appointed in his place. The latter was routed by Arredondo in the battle of Medina, which ended the war in Texas. In this memorable fight that handful of heroes who had so gloriously survived al1 of their previous conflicts were dispersed, pursued and assassinated with unparalleled cruelty by the same Elizondo who had betrayed Hidalgo at Acatita de Bajan. That treacherous. and cruel monster soon had his punish- ment, for he was assassinated a few days later. The decline of the Hevolution dates from Morelos' tragic end. The fighting continued, it is true, but without strength or good results for he who had been the life and soul of the enterprise ceased to be when he was most needed to conserve the harmony and union among the leaders, to encourage their patriotic sentiments, and to restrain their egotism. Bravo, who was in command of a division of the army when )forelos was captured, succeeded in escorting the members of Congress to Tehuacan at which place disagreements soon arose be- tween them and the soldiery. The latter did not respect the authority of Congress after the death of one who had given Congress its exist- ence. l<'rom that moment the revolution began to wane and it did not revive again. There were unending disputes among the leaders. All aspired to the supreme command, yet none of them had inherited the virtues and qualities of the unfortunate and great champion of the independence of his country. Only ::\[orelos possessed the ability and influence to govern the people, by consolidating their energy and properly directing their efforts. He had not left anyone who could occupy his place, and the disagreement and fighting which took place after his downfall could not but produce the most deplorable and sor- rowful consequences. When the Congress reached Tehuacan Teran was for a moment very attentive to it, pacifying it in the hope of obtaining the appointment to assume the principal command; but not having attained this object, he dissolved Congress by a military order of the 22nd of December, 1815 and substituted a government of his own creation, placing him- self at his head. This arbitrary act was a sign for a general division among all the leaders. Harmony and confidence had reached their limit, and each leader retired with his respective forces. Teran com- manded in Oajaca, Victoria in Vera Cruz, Hay6n in Vallodolid, Guer- rero in the south of )Iexico, and Father Torres in La Baxia; but be- ing unable to accomplish anything because of their disunion, and not caring to render mutual assistance, one after the other, they retired from the contest or roved the country hunting a safe asylum. In the middle of this deplorable state of things, when the hopes and fortunes of the patriots were vanishing daily, the new Viceroy, Apodaca, reached Mexico. His arrirnl was the beginning of a new era. Finding the country almost exhaustct1 and the insurgents half sub- jugated anc1 inclined to peace, he conceived the hope of ending the contest without the necessity of shedding more blood. He thought that he could restore tranquility a11l1 influence the nation to return again to its allegiance to the King by a sy~tem of moderation, liberal-
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