The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume VI

288

TEXAS STATE LIBRARY

daily repeated the former accusation that Santa Anna was the real author of the revolution and that he had deserted them when he be- lieved that victory was doubtful. Santa Anna remained in Queretaro nearly a month replacing the loss which he had suffered. During this time Arista and Duran dis- agreed in Guanajuato and separated. The latter took 40 or 50 thou- sand dollars from the city, left for Oajaca at the head of 1200 cavalry- .men, and on arriving there was forced to surrender to Montezuma. Santa Anna, reinforced by the division which General :Mejia had or- ganized in nfichoacan, marched to Silao where his army was further 3.ncreased by 1500 men whom Colonel Herevia had brought from Z_gca- tecas and 200 whom General :Montezuma had conducted from San Luis Potosi. With these forces amow1ting to 7000 men, Santa Anna marched ·on Guanajuato where Arista still remained at the head of eight or nine hundred men. There was no alternative left to him but to surrender, which he did on condition that his life should be spared. Duran was exiled to Colombia ai!d Arista to the United States. In this way ended a revolution which, if it had not been !or the active and energetic measures which Vice-President Farias and Governor Zavala took to counteract it in the beginning, would have ended in destroying the Federation and enthroning the despot upon the ruins of the people's liberty. Santa Anna returned to the Capital at the end of October. or the beginning of November, 1833, more exalted than ever over his military genius and sublime virtue in opposing a conspiracy which his modesty and patriotism did not admit. He was more humble then than he was in 1823 when he was proclaimed Antonio I in San Luis Potosi. In this rapid sketch we have adhered strictly to Santa Anna's part in the revolution. There were other operations besides his which, though of no great importance, are worthy of mention. We will glance over them and conclude with a few anecdotes which the reader will recognize as very characteristic of our hero. General Cortazar, who had been appointed to fight the forces of Escalda, took no steps in this direction. The events which took µlace did not µresent themselves to his imagination in a sufficiently cltar light, and it was not known positively whether Santa Anna was in 'favor of the revolution or opposed to it. Santa Anna had sent him 'Ostensibly to operate against the revolutionaries, but in reality with the secret hope that he would second the movement by uniting with them, and on being deceiYed in this particular, he could do IlO less than resent it in a manner which, in his belief, did not favor the revolution. In consequence, he commanded Generals :Mejia and Va- lencia to deprive Cortazar of his command and send him prisoner to :the Capital. :Mejia did not carry out his orders but informed the •Government of the command stating that it was not only unjust to J)roceed against an individual who had rendered important service in the affair at Queretaro, but that it was feared that such arbitrariness would awaken popular indignation. Santa Anna did not disapprove his decision, but when he was compelled to leave to fight Arista and Duran, who were besieging Puebla, he particularly advised Farias to have General Cortazar removed immediately from the command of the

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