President Victoria retained, as we have seen, the former cabinet; but early in 1825, being displeased with Mier y Teran, he sent him to Vera Cruz with a military comnmission, and appointed as his successor Manuel Gomez Pedraza.[1] Miguel Ramos Arizpe, who had not been re-elected to congress, became temporarily oficial mayor in Llave's department, and when that minister resigned in November, the place was given to Arizpe.
There was great antipathy between Arizpe and Alaman. The former was impulsive, frank, generous, bold, and imaginative, generally acting without method or order; a man withal who made many friends. Alaman was in every respect different. Arizpe, on his return to the Spanish córtes in 1820, after his long imprisonment, wielded great influence, which he used to benefit Spanish America, never neglecting the private interests of his countrymen. He returned to Mexico when she was already a nation, to fill the office of precentor in the diocesan chapter of Puebla. He at once placed himself on the side of the party opposed to Iturbide's empire, advocating republican principles. In the constituent congress he was chairman of the conmittee on constitution, and labored at the task of framing that instrument with all the perseverance and assiduity characteristic of the man. He was a decided federalist. I give in a note further details of his career.[2]
- ↑ Pedraza was in bad odor with the centralists, because of his friendship for Iturbide. Victoria adopted the policy of having in his cabinet men of both parties. Zavala, Revol. Mex., i. 341.
- ↑ In 1830 he acted as plenipotentiary to conclude treaties with Chile. In 1831 he was made dean of Puebla. The following year he labored for the peace of the republic, and was again minister of state till Nov. 1833. In 1841 he was elected from Saltillo to the constituent congress. Failing to bring public affairs to a satisfactory condition, he became despondent, and in March 1842, had an apoplectic fit, which paralyzed an arm and a leg. He became affected with gangrene in April of the following year, and died on the 23th of that month at the age of 68 years. Arizpe was a great man, an excellent clergyman and pastor, wise, just, charitable, humble. In his last years, says Tornel, he was a liberal without exaggeration, and very pious; but hypocrisy was no part of his nature. Breve Reseña Hist., 36-7; Bustamante, Hist. Santa Anna, 142-3; Dicc. Univ. Hist. Geog., vi. 548-53; Arroniz, Biog. Mex., 272.
