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sions to the Presidency, abandoned the struggle, and contented him- self with Jiving as a private citizen among his relatives and inti- mate friends. It was thought that this would end their persecution of him. However, their persecution did not change with this. The simple and confiding leader very slightly knew the wickedness of the human heart. He did not consider that the traitor who strikes at the liberty of his country from behind will not stop at any crime. In order to despoil this unfortunate champion of the rights of the people and to drink his blood the new government recurred to a stratagem which would put to shame Santa Anna's atrocities. In a conversation between Bustamante and a friend in the Capital he said: "What will you bet that before this month is over Guerrero will be in my power?" He could very well say this for h~ had formed .a conspiracy against him which he believed could not fail to succeed. Guerrero lived peaceably in Acapulco without joining in the operations of the Southern insurgents against the Bustamante Government, al- though he was obliged to live protected and supported by them in order not to fall into the hands of his personal enemies by whom he had been declared a criminal. But Bustamante and his ministers, Alaman and Facio, assisted by General Bravo, who hated Guerrero, believing that only the death of this man could cause the destruction of the entire democratic party in the nation, made a secret agreement with one Francisco Pitaluga, captain of the Sardinian brigantine Colombo, which was anchored at Acapulco, and an agent of the house of Girolamo Rosi of Geneva. Pitaluga then left for Acapulco. On his arrival there he immediately commenced to establish most intimate relations with his victim. He gained the confidence and friendship of Guerrero very quickly and one day invited him, together with Primo Tapia Tavalita and two other persons, to dine on board the Colombo. They sp_ent a happy day there. Night was approaching and coffee had just been served when Pitaluga suddenly went inside, closed the door of the cabin, cut the cables, and set sail. The darkness of the night prevented the garrison of the small fort from noticing the treacherous movements of the brigantine. The brigantine left the port safely and arrived with its victims at Huautilla, a small port in the adjacent State of Oajaca where everything was arranged for their reception. The captain told General Sesma, the same who later figured in the Texas invasion, that he had General Guerrero on board his brigantine and that he would set sail immediately, if the Government did not pay the 50,000 pesos stipulated for the capture and delivery of the prisoner. The traitor received the reward for his crime according to the contract, and the unfortunate victim was conducted to Cuilapa where he was executed on the 14th of February, 1831, for the crime of high treason by order of a court martial composed of captains. Thus perished the illustrious Guerrero, one of the best of men and the purest patriot which that accursed nation has produced. · There was one man who could have saved Guerrero's .life by a single word, but he refused to utter it. That man was the perfidious, the base, the cowardly, the traitorous Santa Anna. Everyone knew that this malignant monster, this demon in human form had the power and influence to obtain the pardon of his friend and benefactor, but instead of doing this, and without even showing the slightest interest in his
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