Viceroy Venegas and General Calleja. The latter, since his surrender of the command, of the central army, lived in retirement, having declined the position tendered him of comandante general of the provincias internas de oriente. That ill feeling was well known, and had been the subject of many public comments, Calleja being charged with fomenting by his remarks a spirit of hostility on the part of the royalists toward the viceroy. Nevertheless, on the 29th of December, without any antecedent to explain his change of feeling, Venegas appointed Calleja military governor of Mexico, conferring on him at the same time the commission of lieutenant-colonel of the royalist or patriot military organization bearing the name of Fernando VII.[1] A few days later, on the 7th of January, 1813, having suppressed the junta de seguridad and created in its stead, at each provincial capital, a military commission for the trial of persons arraigned for treason,[2] he gave the presidency of the commission at Mexico to Calleja. It was one of the duties of the military governor of Mexico to receive every day at the palace the parole and countersign. On the 28th of February, the last time that he performed this duty, he had already received his commission as viceroy of New Spain, and Venegas, going to the outer reception-room to meet him, tendered him his congratulations.
The removal of Venegas from his high position resulted from the representations made by the merchants of Cádiz, whose influence with the government was very great, to the effect that the continuance of the insurrection was mainly owing to the viceroy's inefficient measures.[3] His was the fate of many
- ↑ It consisted of three battalions of infantry, two squadrons of cavalry, and one battery of artillery; the viceroy being ex officio its colonel.
- ↑ The new court consisted of seven officers of high military rank, with whom was associated an ecclesiastical judge nominated by the respective ordinary, who was to exercise jurisdiction in cases of ecclesiastics brought for trial biefore the military court. This was a modification of the famous decree of June 25, 1812. Id., iii. 375-6.
- ↑ The despatch announcing his relief, and the appointment of Calleja as
