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PAPERS OJ<' MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
CHAPTER VI. .
Santa Anna in Mexico. His dissipation and corrupt living. He falls in love with Doffa Nicolasa, the Emperor's sister. His flattery of Iturbide. He becomes the Emperor's favorite. Is appointed Governor of Veracruz. He declares in opposition to the Emperor and in favor of the Republic. His motives. Iturbide's explanation of the rebel's conduct. The author's story explaining the cir- cumstances omitted by Iturbide. CHAPTER VI. We left our hero, Don Farfulla, in the City of Mexico following his usual career of iniquity and foolishness. He had gone there after the surrender of Veracruz and very soon became noted for two things- his vile flattery of Iturbide and his licentious conduct. No one, per- haps, was ever given to the vice of gambling with as much devotion as Santa Anna. It could almost be said that he lived at the cock fights, in the gaming houses and in other places even more infamous. Having exhausted his resources and credit he determined to gain the hand of Dona Nicolasa, the sister of the Emperor, whose immense for- tune he would condescend to accept as compensation for the disparity in their ages. He failed in his design. He could not win the lady's love, but he was successful in another object which served him almost as well. He gained the favor and friendship of her imperial brother. Mr. Zavala says that General Echavarri was an intimate friend of Iturbide's and possessed his entire confidence. Although not with the same intimacy, Santa Anna enjoyed the favor of the family. He at- tained this favoritism by the most humiliating servility and disgusting flattery. Santa Anna was present at the scenes which we have described, and was one of Iturbide's most active partisans in his despised usurpation of the throne. Although he had no great prestige in the eyes of the world, it seems that the Emperor considered him a man of vast im- portance, for he not only heaped favors upon him, but also deferred to his opinions and influence as though they were of great weight and value. In the long catalog of excuses for having consented to ascend the throne, set forth by Iturbide in his memoirs, we find one which is very extraordinary; to wit, "that if the events of the 18th of May had not taken place, he would have been placed on the throne by Santa Anna who had already taken seasonable measures toward that end. As we owe the knowledge of this act to Iturbide himself, it would be better to copy his words. Alluding to Santa Anna, he says: "I also received congratulations from a man who commanded· a regiment and exercised great influence over a considerable portion of the country. He told me that his satisfaction was so great that he could not con- ceal it; but that he had made preparations to proclaim me emperor in case it had not been accomplished in :Mexico." The presumption of Santa Anna! The weakness qf Iturbide! Is it possible that the latter could believe that the former meditated such an undertaking, or that he had the power to accomplish it? In ana- lyzing Farfulla's statement it is reduced to this: "My friend, I con- gratulate you upon your good fortune. I was going to place you upon the throne just at that time. I have a regiment under my command at Veracruz, and I could have done it very easily. I was determined
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