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PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
in favor of a monarchy of any kind, and would perhaps have accepted that dynasty without any other motive than to disappoint Iturbide's ambition. The truth of this conjecture was afterwards confirmed, for as soon as news was received in the Capital that the Spanish Cortes had declared null, illegal and of no effect the treaty made with 0 Donoju in favor of the Royal family the Bourbonists in Congress, not being able to carry out their plans, immediately united with the Re- publicans for the purpose of preventing Iturbide from ascending the throne, preferring any kind of government to the dynasty of the traitor who had caused the Spanish Crown to lose that country. There was no natural affinity between these parties, and while they worked to- gether against Iturbide, they were opposed to each other in nearly everything else. Until this union the Iturbidists occupied an inde- pendent position and voted for or against any measure and in favor of one or the other of the parties according as it suited their interests; in this way enforcing the action of Congress, but when the Bourbon- ists and the Republicans combined against them, this vacillation ceased, immediately and a violent fight for the supremacy began be- tween Congress and the Commander-in-Chief. In truth, there was at the very opening of C'ongress a disagreement between Iturbide and that body which was born of the presumption of the one and of the necessity on the part of the other to reprehend it. On the day of the inauguration of that body Iturbide entered the Hall at the head of the regency, and to the surprise of all occupied the President's chair. It is not known for sure whether it was an in- advertence or a premeditated appropriation of superiority. Be that as it may, the chair was claimed by the President, Don Hipolito Odoardo, who was one of Iturbide's most obdurate enemies, and the Commander-in-Chief was forced to yield it to the legitimate power. From this instant there was jealousy between the two departments which ended in complete hostility as soon as the union already re- ferred to had taken place between the Bourbonists and the Republi- cans. Nevertheless, the war was one solely of words composed of mutual charges and recriminations. Each worked to make the other hated in the eyes of the nation, Iturbide charging that Congress did not facilitate means for defraying the expenses of the government and of maintaining the army, while Congress replied, accusing the Regency of using the public funds in a most extravagant manner without ren- dering any account of disbursements. In this fight the army was without pay, and Iturbide undertook to make it believe that such fault was due to the hostility of Congress toward its existence. The Spanish Governor Davila, who was still in possession of the fort of San Juan de IDua at Veracruz, made a weak attempt to incite the Spanish troops at Toluca, to rebellion, hoping that he could pro- duce a counter revolution by taking advantage of the dissensions and disagreements of the Government. This gave Iturbide an excuse for withdrawing the military force which sustained Congress from the City and concentrating a powerful army in Toluca for the purpose of controlling that body. He sent a proclamation to that place stat- ing that the country was in imminent danger, and convened Congress early the following day, having, as he said, matters of great importance
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