The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume VI

250

TEXAS STATE LrnnAnY

says ·that Santa Anna served with great activity. That was certainly a very appropriate theater for displaying thi( valor and fearlessness which Santa Anna possessed, there being three thousand men in Guer- rero's division and only five hundred in Bravo's. It was evident that in such a contest as that victory would be certain and danger absent. It was a suitable battlefield for Farfulla's nature and he took advan- tage of the occasion to prove his despised, vehement and marvelous patriotism. 'rhere was no more ferocious warrior in the field, and he could scarcely refrain from devouring Bravo's entire forces at a single bite. However, Guerrero knew how to repress the superhuman bravery of this Chrononhotonthologos 27 of war and directed the battle in such a way as to reduce the enemy with an insignificant amount of blood- shecl. Only six men fell in the action which took place on the 7th of January, 1828. Bravo and his associates fled, but were afterwards made prisoners and would have been executed had it not been for the kindness of Victoria and Guerrero through whose influence Congress commuted their sentence to temporary exile. On occupying the presi- dency Guerrero revoked this decree and permitted the return of the conspirators. To this act of liberality and clemency Bravo ignobly re- sponded by becoming one of the most active agents in effecting the death of that unfortunate general. Perhaps there are no events which present the distinctive character of Guerrero and Santa Anna more accurately and faithfully than the preceding ones. Guerrero appears as the courageous and efficient officer; the benevolent and trusted man. Santa Anna is seen as he really is, a depraved man without scruples, very bold and presumptu- ous, possessing agreeable manners, loquacious in conversation, and hav- ing great tact and astuteness combined with a subtle instinct to per- ceive danger and a marvelous ability to escape it. 'l'wo days after the arrest of Bram and his companions General Santa Anna, with letters of recommendation from General Guerrero went to the Capital for the pmpose of receiving Government orders to go to Jalapa as Vice Governor and become the executive head of the State whenever Barragan should lose his position. Victoria and Pedraza, instead of receiving him cordially, or even civilly, treated him with the highest and most marked contempt, and would have pro- ceeded against him but for the letters from Guerrero, whom these officers greatly esteemed. · Farfulla remained for some days in the Capital working with the Yorkinos, although they had refused him per- mission to attend their meetings as a member. Finally, after promis- ing in a most solemn manner to work in the future in accordance with the principles which had just triumphed, he left for J alapa to take up his duties as Governor in place of Barragan. As all turncoats and traito.rs who leave one party for another are accustomed to defend their new principles with great zeal for the pur- pose of winning the good will of their associates and to make their happiness certain, so it was with Santa Anna after he deserted the Escoceses and joined the Yorkinos. His devotion to the Republicans "Chrononhotonthologos is the name ancl principal character of !\ lmrlcsqne written by Henry Carey and first performed in 1734. This person, the king of Qucerummania, was particularly homhastic in hiR speech, and pompous in his manner.

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