to. Congress, they said, could not assemble to meet Iturbide personally, and he must be accompanied by the regency; but before this decision could be conveyed to him he suddenly presented himself, and was informed of the regulation by word of mouth. He thereupon stated that the affair was most urgent, and that, being a purely military one, the regency had no information of it. Nevertheless, the congress adhered to its resolution, and suspended its session until the members of the regency presented themselves. When the session was continued, the regent Yañez stated that he was unaware of the reason why they had been summoned, and that having observed considerable excitement of the public, he was greatly surprised that the regency had not been informed of the cause. Whereupon Iturbide, losing himself, turned to Yañez, and holding out some papers, hotly exclaimed: "You know nothing; the fact is, there are traitors both in the regency and the congress, as these documents will prove." Yanez with equal heat replied: "As for traitors, it is you who are the traitor."[1] Matters might have proceeded to further lengths but for the interference of the president. Iturbide's grave charge caused great agitation, and for a time confusion prevailed. Presently the regency retired, and the assembly proceeded to examine the papers produced by Iturbide. Nothing was found in them to implicate any of the members, Dávila's letter being the only one from which the vaguest inference could be drawn; in fact, the only suspicion aroused pointed to Iturbide himself as having held correspondence with an enemy.[2]
When the contents of the papers were known,
- ↑ '¿Como es eso de traidores?. . .Si U. no lo fuese, que se me corte esta cabeza.' Bustamante, Cuad. Hist., vi. 75.
- ↑ This was proved on the face of the letter. Dávila says: 'Mi querido amigo y señor mio. No sorprenderá á V. el objeto de esta si recuerda el que ha tenido varias que V. me ha dirigido.' Gac. Imp. Hex., ii. 146. Iturbide had been in correspondence, without any instructions from the government, with Dávila, demanding the surrender of the fortress of San Juan de Ulúa. Iturbide replied on April 7th. Both letters were published at his request. Id., ii. 145-52.
