235
PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BUONAPARTE LAMAR
the gulf which separated them and to cause affairs to take on a worse appearance. The Emperor's despotism and violence became more intolerable each day, until finally Don Felipe de la Garza, at the head of a considerable force, raised the cry of insurrection about the month of October at the Town of Soto de la Marina. But, lacking all the necessities which. such an undertaking required, he was routed without difficulty by Ramos Arispe. Although the people flocked with great numbers to enlist under Garza's standard, they shamefully surrendered to the im- perial forces almost without resistance and accepted the Emperor's pardon. We shall have occasion to speak more than once of this per- sonage in the course of our story. This eYent had no effect on the Emperor's policy, nor did it con- tribute in any way to control his .ambition. The conflict between him and Congress continued with greater violence until it was impossible for both powers to exist together. Iturbide ended the struggle as he had acquired the throne, that is, by means of force. On the 31st of October, 1822 General Cortazar entered the assembly and read the Emperor's decree declaring the dissolution of Congress and ordering the disperson of its members within thirty minutes. Cortazar became very arrogant on account of this commission and had troops ready to force compliance with the order, but he had no opportunity of doing so, for the reason that the representatives retired immediately, believ- ing that if they acted otherwise they would be insulted by the rabble or thrown out by the Government. This arbitrary and violent act did not cause alarm at the moment, because of the solemn promise made by the Emperor to organize a new Congress with all possible speed. In the meantime he formed a constituent Junta composed of forty five members selected by hi~self from the Congress which had just been dissolved, taking two repre- sentatives from the most populous provinces and one each from the rest, whose powers would be confined to the formation of the new Congress. They were to exercise no legislative powers except in cases of greatest necessity. These promises caused the people to repress the indignation which they felt toward his despotic conduct, but in a short time it became evident to everyone that the Emperor was determined that another Congress should not convene and that he was only trying to deceive the nation with false promises in order to retain the power which he had acquired. What he had accomplished by force he under,. took to preserve by fraud. The Junta instead of calling Congress, be- gan a system of general legislation and likewise the formation of a constitution under the direction and revision of the Emperor. This was more than the nation cared to suffer. They felt a general dislike and indignation which increased with the remembrance of his villain- ous violation of national integrity in appropriating more than a mil- li~m dollars belonging to various merchants which had been entrusted to the Government at Perote to be sent to Veracruz under his custody. This occurred a few days before the dissolution of Congress. Such was the state of affairs when Santa Anna, stimulated by per- sonal vengeance against the Emperor, raised his standard of rebellion at Veracruz in the manner.we have stated. The nation had progressed
Powered by FlippingBook