Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/152

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132
THE FEDERAL SYSTEM AND ITS OVERTHROW.

endeavoring to gain the good will of the bishops and religious orders, while these, on their part, laid much stress at their conferences with him on the good that must result from church and state sustaining one another and acting harmoniously.

Gomez Farías and the moderate wing of the progressionists, dissatisfied with the aspect of affairs, endeavored to check the extremists of their own party, the radicals, but were unsuccessful. While Santa Anna occupied the presidential chair, the party upholding the fueros felt itself much stronger. A pronunciamiento was made by Colonel Ignacio Escalada, at Morelia, Michoacan, on the 26th of May, professing to defend at all hazards the religion of Christ, and the rights and privileges of the church and army,[1] calling upon Santa Anna to be their protector, and declaring null and void the acts of Governor Salgado.[2] Santa Anna, however, disapproved the plan, and in order to go against the revolutionists, who had also appeared at Tlalpam and Chalco,[3] Lagos, Leon, and other places, he surrendered the executive on the 3d of June to Gomez Farías — who made active preparations for the campaign — and started[4] with the cavalry for Tlalpam to join 1,000 men concentrated there from various points. And now occurred a curious piece of by-play. Santa Anna was apparently made captive by his own revolted troops on the 6th of June at Xuchí, and conveyed to Yautepec.[5] His

  1. He was later defeated at Las Cruces by Gen. Valencia. In 1834 he was tried and sentenced to death; but the sentence was commuted to life banishment from the republic. Dispos. Var., v. 21.
  2. According to Bustamante, Escalada's movement was the result of the writings appearing in the Antorcha, Mono, Verdad Desnuda, and other reactionary journals. He looked upon it as an imprudent step. Voz de la Patria, MS., vii. 138-41; Filisola, Mem., 382-3; Arista, Reseña Revol., 8, 80; Arrillaga, Recop., 1833, Ap.-May, 215-6; June-July, 115; Rivera, Hist. Jalapa, iii. 155-65. The acts of Gov. Salgado objected to were his banishing 12 military officers.
  3. Under colonels Unda and Duran respectively. Bustamante, Voz de la Patria, MS., viii. 149.
  4. Bustamante has it that he left Mexico on Sunday the 2d, which must be an error. Voz de la Patria, MS., viii. 153.
  5. Vice-President Gomez Farías announced it to the public on the 7th of June. Arista, Reseña Revol., 90.