Santa Anna, whom he soon abandoned in favor of Herrera. As minister of war, he lost no opportunity to promote his own aims for the succession, notably by a persistent pursuit of his former conservative allies.[1]
He took possession of the presidential chair on January 15, 1851, and at once managed to attract the ridicule of the opposition by petty regulations for the public offices, and for visitors and persons having business at the palace.[2] While introducing no material change in the policy of Herrera, which was practically his own, he transferred the portfolios for relations and justice to Yañez and Aguirre, two well-known lawyers, and placed General Robles Pezuela in charge of the war department, retaining only the finance minister Payno.
The finance problem remained as ever the most difficult and troublesome, partly from the constant changes in laws and administration, which gave no time for a thorough reorganization, partly from the lack of men at the proper moment fitted to plan and carry out the reform, and most of all from the want of harmonious and intelligent coöperation between the executive and the legislative body and general and state
- ↑ Born at San Luis Potosí in July 1802, he became a cadet in his eleventh year, joined the royal armies toward the close of the revolutionary war, and had just gained a lieutenancy when in 1821 he passed over to the victorious republicans, among whom he speedily became lieut-col. This rank was confirmed in 1824 after he had assisted in overthrowing Iturbide. He turned against Guerrero under the rising star of Bustamante, attained in 1831 the rank of brigadier, and ten years later that of chief of the northern army and general of division, the reward for his successful suppression of federalists from Tampico northward. He was arraigned for his miserable failures in the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma in 1846, which measure was partly the result of jealousy of Ampudia, but escaped conviction, probably through his influence as minister of war, for the trial had been prolonged for years. As Herrera's guiding spirit, he deserves credit, however, for his energy in maintaining the peace and promoting the reorganization of the army. Concerning his election and other points, see Dublan and Lozano, Leg. Mex., vi. 6; Méx., Legisl. Mej., 1851, 10; Rivera, Gob. de Méx., ii. 378-80, who rather screens his mistakes, through political sympathy; Zamacois, Hist. Méj., xiii. 442, etc., as a conservative, is less lenient. Bib. Mex., Amen., i. 17; Sosa, Biog. Mex., 75-9.
- ↑ To promote the despatch of business, but assumed by many to be directed against conspiracy, Méx., Legisl. Mej., 1851, 18-24. Even Arista's supporter, Monitor Rep., same dates, condemned the order.
