would be seconded elsewhere, specially in the capital, redoubled its vigilance to avert it. Soon after, on the 6th of June, the extraordinary congress, summoned under the decree of January 26th, assembled, and on the same day began its labors. Paredes appeared before that body and made a solemn declaration in favor of the republican system. On the 12th of the same month congress met and chose Paredes president ad interim, and Nicolás Bravo vice-president.[1] On the 20th the former was authorized to assume personal command of the land forces.[2] The government was also empowered during six months to procure means to carry on the war and for other purposes, though without seizing or hypothecating the property of persons or corporations. Paredes sent large sums,[3] and constantly increased the forces in the north. He adopted every possible precaution to prevent the spread of revolution.[4] But his efforts were of little avail, and he then resolved to surrender the executive anthority to Vice-president Bravo, who reluctantly, and only as a matter of duty, accepted
- ↑ See decrees of June 10th and 12th. Méx., Col. Ley. y Dec., 1844-6, 370-4; Dublan and Lozano, Leg. Mex., v. 132-3. The republican form of government having been adopted, the monarchical organ, El Tiempo, retired from the field, after having scattered among a considerable part of the community its pernicious ideas.
- ↑ Méx., Col. Ley. y Dec., 1814-6, 375.
- ↑ Having secured the loan of one million dollars from the church. Méx., Apuntes Hist. Guerra, 68-9, 76; Bustamante, Mem. Hist. Mex., MS., iv. 218, 225.
- ↑ He quartered troops in the capital, detached suspected officers, and arrested a number.
had attempted the establishment of a throne occupied by a foreign prince; that the law of Jan. 20th to convoke an extraordinary congress was a mass of absurdities; and it was necessary to prevent the assembling of such a congress to avert foreign intervention with the consequent destruction of the Mexican army, and the dismissal of Mex. citizens from public offices; therefore, the national constitution should be founded on the will of t!:e majority of the people. The plan embraced ten articles, seven of which only were of national import, involving the objects mentioned in the text. Of Santa Anna, it is said that he had been the founder of the republic, and, his errors notwithstanding, 'her strongest support, in spite of European policy, and of the instigations of some wicked Mexicans.' It was also stated that Santa Anna had ever opposed usurpations on the part of the northern republic. Méx., Col. Ley. Fund., 276-80; Rivera, Hist. Jalapa, iii. 759-63; Bustamante, Mem. Hist. Mex., MS., iv. 247-8; El Restaurador, June 23, 1846; Young's Hist. Mex., 375-6.
