Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1892, volume 3).djvu/468

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
434
JICOTENCAL
JIMENEZ PEREZ

of the Central Ohio railroad company, becoming vice-president and general manager in 1856 and president in 1857. In 1860 he was nominated for member of congress, in 1861 for governor of Ohio, and in 1863 for U. S. senator, but was defeated in each election. He was returned to the state senate in 1867, and elected a member of congress in 1872. His success as a railroad manager led to his elec- tion to the presidency of the Little Miami, Colum- bus, and Xenia railroad company in 1869, and shortly afterward to that of the Cincinnati and Muskingum valley railroad company. On remov- ing to Columbus he was elected vice-president of the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, and St. Louis railroad company. In 1871 he retired from active railroad management, and was appointed general counsel for the Pennsylvania railroad company. Two years later he resigned his seat in congress to accept the receivership of the New York and Erie railroad company, to which he had agreed to, devote his whole time for a period of ten years. He succeeded in extricating the discredited and bankrupt cor- poration from its embarrassments, secured its re- lease from the jurisdiction of the courts, and be- came president of the reorganized board. On the expiration of his ten years contract he retired to his home in Zanesville, Ohio, being succeeded in the presidency of the newly named New York, Lake Erie, and Western railroad company by John King. Mr. Jewett's name was mentioned as a can- didate for the presidential nomination by the Democratic party in 1880.


JICOTENCAL, or XICOTENCATL (he-co-ten'- cal), Tlascalan warrior, b. in Tlascala in 1486; d. in Texcoco in May, 1521. When Hernando Cortes (q. v.) approached the republic of Tlascala the popu- lar assembly and the majority of the senate, headed by Xicotencatl's father, of the same name, an aged and blind senator, who was much esteemed for his wise counsels, voted for resistance, and according- ly, when Cortes passed the frontier of the repub- lic, 1 Sept., he found himself confronted by part of the Tlascalan army, which he defeated after a pro- longed fight. The next day, however, the main army, under command of the general-in-chief, young Xicotencatl, opposed the conqueror's prog- ress, and the latter had to fight against an army, the strength of which is set down by different his- torians at from 30,000 to 100,000. The superior arms and discipline of the Spaniards won the vic- tory, but they were so exhausted that they could not pursue the enemy, and sent a renewed em- bassy with offers of peace. Xicotencatl. who had collected a stronger army on the road to Tlascala, answered that the Spaniards would enter the city only on their way to the sacrificial stone. So, af- ter preparing his little army and auxiliary Indian force, Cortes marched on 5 Sept. against the ene- my, whose number, in his letter to the emperor, he estimated at 150,000, while Bernal Diaz puts it at 50,000, and a fierce battle followed, where again the firearms of the invaders won the victory, and Xicotencatl was compelled to retreat. An attempt to surprise the Spanish camp by night was also re- pulsed by the vigilance of the sentries, and the sen- ate decided to send messengers of peace to Cortes, with provisions for his exhausted forces, while Xi- cotencatl received orders to make another night attack ; but Cortes, warned by Marina, his Indian mistress, returned the ambassadors with their hands cut off and the message that he was ready to defeat them again either by night or day. Thor- oughly alarmed, the Tlascalan senate, notwith- standing old Xicotencatl's opposition, resolved to accept peace, and ordered the younger Xicotencatl to cease resistance. As he refused to obey he was deposed, and Cortes, entering Tlascala on 2 Sept., received the submission of the republic. He was accompanied on his march to Cholula and Mexico by a strong auxiliary army of Tlascala; but young Xicotencatl refused to take command, remaining in his country. After the retreat of Cortes from Mexico, 1 July, 1520, and the battle of Otumba, he returned to Tlascala on 9 July to rally his forces, and was favorably received by the senate. When Cortes marched the second time against Mexico, 28 Dec, 1520, he was accompanied by an auxiliary Tlascalan army of 10,000 men, this time under command of Xicotencatl. But when the second attack on Mexico was made, Xicotencatl, fearing for the independence of his country after the final subjugation of the Aztec empire, conspired against the Spaniards, and, being denounced by the second in command, was obliged to fly. Cortes sent forces in pursuit, under Cristoval de Olid, and Xicoten- catl was captured near Texcoco. He was brought to that city, and, after a short trial, hanged in the market-place in the presence of the Indian allies. The senate of Tlascala approved his execution, and even his aged father was forced to vote for it, but he died of grief during the following year.


JIMENEZ, Jesus (he-may'-neth), Central American statesman, b. in San Jose de Costa Rica about 1820. He received his education in his native city, and began his political career in early life, being a minister under President Mora. In 1863 he was chosen president of Costa Rica. Dur- ing his administration he pursued a conciliatory policy, and founded the College of San Isidro in Cartago. He was succeeded, in 1866, by Dr. Jose Maria Castro, who left the presidency at the end of 1868, and the country was in danger of a revolu- tion. Jimenez was then called by a great majority of the people to assume the executive office, with power to call a constituent assembly. He accord- ingly placed himself at the head of affairs, and convoked the assembly, to meet on 1 Jan., sum- moning the people also to choose the next presi- dent, together with senators and representatives for the coming constitutional term, beginning 1 May, 1869. The new constitution was framed on 18 Feb., and promulgated in April, 1869, and Jimenez was elected president. Afterward, when congress re- fused to pass a railroad bill, Jimenez abruptly re- signed his office, and left the capital ; but his resig- nation was not accepted, and he was induced to re- turn. Subsequently, on account of prevailing party violence, congress decreed a suspension of the con- stitution, but on 27 April, 1870, a revolution began, the president was seized, and for a day kept a pris- oner. Bruno Carranza was then proclaimed pro- visional president, and assumed the duties on the 28th, the ex-president and his minister being de- tained to answer charges that would be preferred against them. Jimenez was allowed to reside in Cartago under surveillance, but fearing for his life, as he alleged, escaped. On 10 Oct., 1871, the dic- tator Guardia gave amnesty to Jimenez, and, re- turning to his country, the latter devoted himself to the promotion of improvements in public edu- cation, without taking an active part in politics.


JIMENEZ PEREZ, Manuel (he-may'-neth), Spanish R. C. bishop, b. in Soto, Spain, in 1720; d. in Porto Rico in 1781. He was a Benedictine monk of the monastery of Santa Maria la Real, was elected bishop of Porto Rico in 1770, and took possession of his cathedral, 25 May, 1772. He made his pastoral visits to the islands and adjacent provinces as far as the Orinoco, performing many acts of charity. Bishop Jimenez repaired several churches,