Page:Incidents of travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan.djvu/221

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DEFEAT OF CARRERA.
147

Galvez, the chief deposed by Carrera, made his first appearance since his deposition, and danced the whole time.

Though Morazan was irresolute in the cabinet, he was all energy in the field; and being now invested with full power, sustained his high reputation as a skilful soldier. The bulletin of the army for May and June exhibits the track of Carrera, devastating villages and towns, and the close pursuit of the government troops, beating him wherever they found him, but never able to secure his person. In the mean time, party jealousies continued, and the state government was in a state of anarchy. The Assembly could not meet, because, the state party not attending, it was incumbent on the vice-chief to retire, and the oldest counsellor to take his place. But there was no such person; the term of the council had expired, and no new elections had been held; and while Morazan was dispersing the wild bands of Carrera, and relieving the Guatimalians from the danger which had brought them to their knees before him, the old jealousies revived, and incendiary publications were issued, charging him with exhausting the country in supporting idle soldiers, and keeping the city in subjection by bayonets.

About the first of July, General Morazan considered Guatimala relieved from all external danger, and returned to San Salvador, leaving troops in different towns under the command of Carvallo, and appointing Carlos Salazar commandant in the city. Carrera was supposed to be completely put down; and to bring things to a close, Carvallo published the following

"NOTICE.
"The person or persons who may deliver the criminal Rafael Carrera, dead or alive (if
he does not present himself voluntarily under the last pardon), shall receive a reward
of fifteen hundred dollars and two cabellerias of land, and pardon for any crime he has
committed.

"The General-in-chief,

"Guatimala, July 20, 1838."

J. N. Carvallo.

But the "criminal" Carrera, the proscribed outlaw, was not yet put down. One by one, he surprised the detachments of Federal troops; and while the city exhibited the fierceness of party spirit, forced loans, complaints of the expense of maintaining idle soldiers, plans to abolish the state government and form a provisional junta, its actual prostration, and the organizing of a Constituent Assembly with M. Rivera Paz at the head, Carrera with still increasing numbers, attacked Amatitan, took the Antigua, and barely waiting to sack a few houses, stripped it of cannon, muskets, and ammunition, and again marched against Guatimala, proclaiming his intention to raze every house to the ground, and murder every white inhabitant.