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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
and together with officials, clergymen and other people had forced their way into the hall, demanded the immediate election of Iturbide. Some of the members who were bolder than the rest began to speak, but were compelled to be silent by the repeated threats from the gallery, and were informed that if they did not appoint Iturbide Emperor before one o'clock every one of the members who opposed him would be put to death. This decided the question. Congress, having no army with which to defend itself and repel this aggression, was forced to yield to circumstances. It could do no less than surrender to brute force, and in this manner the audacious usurper mounted the thron.e. Although Congress and Iturbide had continuously disagreed, Iturbide, nevertheless, has the impudence to state in his memoirs among his vari- ous excuses for accepting the throne that themembers of Congress had unanimously conceded him the throne. But we should copy his own language: "The question of my appointment, it is said, was imme- diately discussed, and not a single representative opposed my ascension to the throne." If this be true, it can be easily explained. The reason was that he himself was present on that occasion with a great party of inhuman beings who had been engaged to assassinate anyone who should vote against him. It is not strange under such circum- stance that Congress should have given its unanimous vote. _But it is not true that he had all the votes of that body. There were fifteen members who voted against him, and, although they did it under the pretext that they ha(\ no authority to elect an emperor, that that was the business of the provinces, ancl that their business was to draw up, a constitution, still, it was well known that this was merely an excuse for an act of opposition. Mr. Zavala makes some very pertinent re- marks concerning the system of terror which influenced that election. Speaking of the representatives he said that "they had seen Iturbide cruel and inexorable when he made war on the insurgents, and they feared that now, armed with absolute power, he would revive his ancient cruelty and take a ruinous and bloody vengeance." The system of lenity which this commander had adopted and constantly followed dur- ing his new career did not give them sufficient guarantee for the future. In obedience to the truth we should say that he never concealed by any act of cruelty the promises which he had made with respect to the blood of his fellow-citizens. Moreover, a man who has made him- self terrible by harsh acts is always considered capable of repeating .those same acts. The formal coronation of the usurper finally took place, and shortly afterwards the provinces recognized him as emperor. Here we will bid his Majesty farewell for the present. Perhaps it is thought that we have said too much about him, but we excuse ourselves, confess- ing with all frankness that we presume that the reader would be as interested in one villain as another, especially when their lives have been almost the same. Santa Anna's career differs very little from Iturbide's, and it is still possible that they will meet the same fate. 2 • ••Santa Anna was not assassinated as was Iturbide, but both were exiled.
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