ant to which Salas, as general-in-chief, in charge of the supreme executive authority by a decree of August 22d, suppressed the council of government and departmental assemblies, and authorized the restoration of the states, reserving to himself the power provisionally of appointing the governors. Another decree of the same date declared that the congress that was to meet pursuant to the convocation of the 4th should come duly empowered to enact laws on all branches of the public administration.[1]
José Mariano de Salas was at this time a general of brigade. He was born in the city of Mexico in 1797, and entered the royal service as a cadet in 1813; he fought against the insurgents, obtaining his first promotions, till 1821, when he accepted Iturbide's plan, and for services rendered was made a captain. Afterward he coöperated with Santa Anna, in establishing the republic.[2] In 1844 he was second chief of staff, and comandante general of Mexico, which offices he lost for his faithfulness to Santa Anna in December 1844. Herrera employed him, however, in the supreme court-martial, and Paredes restored him the comandancia general of Mexico.
The government remained for a time in charge of Salas[3], all the states recognizing his authority.
- ↑ Both decrees in Méx., Col. Ley. Fund., 285-6; Id., Méx. Col. Ley. y Dec., 1844-6, 395-408, 413-16; Dublan and Lozano, Leg. Mex., ii. 143-56.
- ↑ From that time he was in almost constant service, sometimes sustaining the existing government, and at others helping to upset it. He also campaigned in Texas toward the end of 1836.
- ↑ His cabinet was most of the time composed of the chief clerks of departments. The portfolio of relations was held a while by Manuel C. Rejon, to Oct. 20th, and by José M. Lafragua to Dec. 23d. Méx., Mem. Hacienda, 1870, 1042-3.
six more, embracing a project of regeneration under the federal system, to establish which a special congress was to assemble four months after the liberating forces should be in possession of the capital. Exiles for political causes were recalled, and the absent Santa Anna was made the general-in-chief of the forces to combat for the nation's rights and liberties, including the privilege of self-government. Méx., Col. Ley. Fund., 280-5; Ramirez, Tehuan. Mem. Hist., 32-4; Bustamante, Nuevo Bernal Diaz, ii. 67-76; Id., Mem. Hist. Mex., MS., v. 66-84, 95.
