breaking into the convent where she was detained, carried her off. She reached her betrothed in the mountains of Tlalpujahua, and followed him as his wife in his campaigns, submitting bravely to every hardship.[1]
While taking energetic measures for crushing the insurgents, Calleja endeavored to give effect to the concessions of the córtes, as manifested above all in reëstablishing the suspended constitution of 1812, which was expected to mollify a host of malecontents and wavering factions.[2] Foremost among the privileges it conferred was the election for town governments, provincial assembly, and representatives, which created the most excitement. The requirement for a municipal body in every settlement of a thousand souls was not strictly attended to, owing to the ignorance of the Indians and indifference of the authorities; but in towns with mestizo and white settlers the opportunity was not lost. The curas naturally wielded great influence in the choice of men, and decidedly so in the villages; officials also interfered, and at Mexico the viceroy made a strong effort to prevent the exclusion of Spaniards, as had happened at the former annulled election; but all was vain, for the creoles carried everything here and at most other places.[3]
- ↑ Her estates were confiscated, although she was a minor. Her indictment occupied voluminous documents. Arechederreta speaks at length of her. Alaman, Hist. Méj., iii. 414-16.
- ↑ Measures for circulating it are given in Córtes, Diario, 1813, xxi. 152, 168, and allusions to its adoption, in Id., i. 89, etc.
- ↑ The alcaldes at Mexico as elected on April 4th were Conde de Medina and Antonio de Velasco, the former colonel and the other trader, assisted by 16 regidores and 2 síndicos. Curioso Mex., i. pt ii. The audiencia reported to Spain against the legality of such election, the result of rebel sympathy. Their representation in Bustamante, Cuad. Hist., iv. 95-7. The viceroy had released the electors formerly arrested for supposed correspondence with rebels, and recalled Villaurrutia. It was a repetition of the old ticket, 'tenidos por adictos á la independencia.' Alaman, Hist. Méj., iii. 412. For rules governing ayuntamientos, see Córtes, Diario, xix. 385; Mex. Col. Dec. y Ord., 66-7, 86-101; Mex., Legist., 1849, 341-68. Querétaro elected liberals despite all care. Hernandez y Dávalos, Col. Doc., v. 369. Pensador Mex., sup. 92-3, gives a homily.
