Chapter XXI: Behind the Scenes at Mexico

21.1. This is a good illustration of Santa Anna's political ability.

21.2. Farías appears to have had no share in this quarrel with Salas (México á través, iv, 593).

21.3. _The course of Mexican politics_. _Federalista Puro_, No. 3, supplmt.; No. 6, supplmt. London _Times_, Feb. 9, 1847. Apuntes, 71-3, 76, 124-6. =13=Bankhead, Nos. 120, 136, 140, 146, 153, 157, 160, 169, 180, 1846. =52=Consul Campbell, Nov. 10, 1846. =52=Consul Black, Aug. 22, 27; Sept. 17, 22, 26, 1846. Comunícación Circular de ... Peña y Peña. García, Revol. de Ayutla, 18, 20, 27. Ultimas Comunicaciones habidas entre ... Salas y ... Rejón. Lerdo de Tejada, Apuntes, ii, 538. Prieto, Memorias, ii, 195, 199. =13=Thornton to Addington, June 29, 1847. =13=Gutiérrez de Estrada to Palmerston, Mar. 1, 1847. Méx. en 1847, 12-4. Ramírez, México, 12, 142-4, 149, 152-4, 156, 165, 172, 176. =83=Rejón to Berdusco, Dec. 23. _Eco_, Nov. 4, 7, 11, 14, 1846. Escudero, Mems., 8, 13, 14. Dublán, Legisl., v, 171, 238-9. Memoria de ... Relaciones, Dec, 1846. =73=Bermúdez de Castro, nos. 332, res.; 343, res.; 345, res.; 346; 368. Bustamante, Nuevo Bernal, ii, 100-1, 118, 120, 124, 126-8. =83=Gov. Querétaro to Farías, Oct. 20. Roa Bárcena, Recuerdos, 144. Rivera, Los Gobernantes, ii, 310. Lara, Resumen, 65, note. Mora, Papeles Ineditos, 64-5. =162=Conner, Dec. 31, 1846. =164=_Id._ Jan. 5, 1847. Bustamante, Campaña, 7. Ho. 60; 30, 1, p. 1125 (S. Anna). Baz, Juárez, 43. México á través, iv, 576-7, 589, 591-2, 600-1, 698. _Republicano_, Sept. 28; Oct. 20, 28; Nov. 17; Dec. 24, 1846; Jan. 1, 22-3; Feb. 3, 1847. _Monitor Repub._, Sept. 25-6, 30; Oct. 19-23, 26; Dec. 25, 1846. _Diario_, Sept. 23, 25, 29; Oct. 9, 12, 14, 16, 31; Nov. 24; Dec. 18-9, 22, 28, 29, 1846. And from =76= the following Procl. gov. S. L. P., Oct. 22, 1846. J. Alvarez, Oct. 22. Comte. gen. Mex., Oct. 16. Canalizo to comte. gen. Mex., Oct. 18. Comte. gen. Oaxaca, Oct. 24. Salas, procl., Oct. 25. Guerra, circulars, Oct. 14, 19, 22; Dec. 23. Relaciones to gov. Fed. Dist., Dec. 23. Relaciones circular, Oct. 19. Comte. gen. Chiapas, Nov. 3. Also others of minor importance. Otero was associated with Pedraza in the leadership of the Moderados.

21.4. So far as possible, revenue was anticipated, even at a great loss. _E.g._, if a merchant expected a cargo to arrive at Vera Cruz, he sent a broker (_agiotista_) to the minister of the treasury, and by paying a sum in advance he obtained drafts on the Vera Cruz customhouse that were receivable at par for the duties. Of course the merchant, the broker and the minister made profits, and the treasury lost (N. Y. _Herald_, Jan. 18, 1845). Another way in which the minister could make money was to accept at face value as part of a loan or payment government paper that had cost the one who tendered it only a trifle, and take a share of the net proceeds. "Agiotista" became an odious term. It was given out that Santa Anna would accept no pay, but the treasury books showed that he drew his salary for even the time while he was at Havana (=335=Worrall to Trist, Nov. 28, 1847). They apparently showed also that in 1846 millions were distributed among generals, brokers and others. The British minister said that Iturbe was the ninth finance minister whom he had seen devoting "his peculiar attention to the augmentation, of his private means while in office" (=13=Bankhead, no. 104, 1846). Another great evil was that, in spite of express prohibitions, state officials drew upon the proceeds of the tobacco monopoly. The following table illustrates the state of the treasury (1846):

_Oct. 12_ _Oct. 16_ _Dec. 26_ _Dec. 29_
On hand $8510 $3410 -- $1148
Rec'd -- 3500 $7162 3700
Paid 1402 3628 5713 4367

A poll tax was thought of by Rejón, but evidently the government dared not propose it (=73=Bermúdez de Castro, nos. 332, res., 346, 1846).

21.5. _Mexican financial history_ (see also the first part of chap. xxxiii). Comunicación Circular de ... Peña y Peña. Memoria de ... Relaciones, Mar., 1845; Dec., 1846. Rivera, Jalapa, iii, 368, 716. _Ilustrador Católico_, no. 239. Hacienda, series of Memorias. Hacienda, Manifiesto de la Admin. y Progresos. London _Times_, July 6, 1846. Breve Resumen. Casasus, Hist. de la Deuda contraida, etc., _passim_. Paredes, address to Cong., June 6, 1846 (_Diario_). Alamán, Liquidación. Esposición del Cong. Gen. =11=Martin, Apr. 30, 1827; July 4; Aug. 25, 1828. =11=Series of Mémoires on the Spanish Colonies. Sierra, Evolution, i, 178, 218. Zamacois, Méx., xii, 254. =52=Consul Jones, Aug. 1, 1839. =56=W. S. Parrott, Oct. 4, 11, 1845. =58=Howland & Aspinwall, Mar. 1, 1847. _Republicano_, Feb. 2, 1847. =13=Ashburnham, nos. 39, 51, 1837; 3, 97, 1838. =13=Pakenham, nos. 28, 1833; 6, 1836; 44, 62, 1839. =13=Bankhead, nos. 81, 1844; 6, 38, 70, 106, 1845; 21, 104, 127, 146, 169, 1846. =52=Poinsett, Jan. 4; Aug. 5, 1825; July 16, 1828. =52=Butler, July 16, 1832. _Revista Econ._, Dec. 14, 1843; Feb. 5, 1844. Tornel, Reseña, 9, 171. Macgregor, Progress, i, 674-83. Thompson, Recolls., 12, 27-8, 87. =52=D. Green, Oct. 28; Nov. 12, 29, 1844. N. Y. _Herald_, Jan. 18, 1845. _Siglo XIX_, June 14, 1844; Dec. 2, 1845. _Patriota Mexicano_, Dec. 9, 1845. _Reforma_, Jan. 23, 1846. London _Times_, Mar. 29; May 15; Sept. 9; Nov. 11; Dec. 6, 1845; Mar. 2, 1846. _Revue Indep._, Apr. 25, 1845. =52=Consul Black, Aug. 23, 1845. =52=Consul Dimond, no. 338, May 7, 1846. =73=Bermúdez de Castro, no. 346, 1846. =52=Consul McCall, no. 65, Sept. 26, 1845. Balbontín, Estado, 66. Wash. _Union_, Feb. 2, 1848 (Poinsett). N. Y. _Globe_, June 3, 1846. _Diario_, Sept. 18, 1846. _Monitor Repub._, Nov. 27, 1846; Jan. 9, 1847. Ward, Mexico, i., 331-7. =76=To S. Anna, Nov. 25. Vicario Capitular, Contestación. Priestley, José de Gálvez, Chap. x.

21.6. _The present financial problem._ Dublán, Legislación, v., 172, 211-6, 235-7, 240. =77=Relaciones circular, Nov. 27, 1846. =13=Bankhead, no. 6, 1845; nos. 21, 127, 153, 167, 169, 1846. =52=Consul Black, Dec. 29, 1846. Apuntes, 76, 124-6. Ramírez, México, 171. =335=Worrall to Trist, Nov. 28, 1847. Rivera, Jalapa, iii, 716. _Ilustrador Católico_, i., 281. Méx. en 1847, 14-19, 24. _Don Simplicio_, Feb. 13, 1847. =86=Relaciones, Oct. 26, 1846. _Zempoalteca_, Nov. 27, 1846. Escudero, Mems., 8, =92=Gov. Fed. Dist., procl., Jan. 16. =82=Gov. Durango to legisl., Nov. 8, 1846. _Columna de la Libertad_, Jan. 8, 1847. Sierra, Evolution, i, 178, 217-8. =52=McLane, no. 5, 1845. =56=W. S. Parrott, Oct. 4, 11, 1845. =11=Mémoire, 1828. D. Green to Calhoun, Oct. 28; Nov. 12 in Jameson, Calh. Corresp., 976-80, 991. _Siglo XIX_, Jan. 14, 1844. London _Times_, Sept. 9; Dec. 6, 1845; Oct. 8, 1846; Jan. 8, 1847. Memoria de ... Relaciones, Dec., 1846 (Lafragua). =73=Bermúdez de Castro, nos. 316, res., 346, 371, res., 445. Bustamante, Nuevo Bernal, ii, 128. =75=Relaciones, circulars to govs., Oct. 9; Dec. 17, 1846; circs. nos. 233, 238, 255, 1846. =75a=Hacienda, circulars, Oct. 10; Nov. 9; Dec. 5, 31, 1846. =86=V. Cruz state treas. to gov., Jan. 11; Feb. 4, 1847. _Constitutionnel_, Dec. 18, 1846. Wash. _Union_, Jan. 18, 29; May 11, 1847. _Monitor_, Oct. 12. =166=Pommarès to Conner, Oct. 7, 1846. _Republicano_, Oct. 22; Nov. 5, 13, 24; Dec. 8, 1846; Jan. 23, 1847. _Monitor Repub._, Sept. 25, 30; Oct. 18; Nov. 19, 30; Dec. 19, 1846. _Diario_, Sept. 23, 25, 29; Oct. 2, 3; Nov. 21, 23; Dec. 4, 13, 15, 21, 29, 30, 1846; Jan. 1, 7-9, 1847. México á través, iv, 589, 600, 628-9. =76=S. Anna, Nov. 7, 9, 19; Dec. 3, 4, 7, 30, 1846; Jan. 1, 2, 4, 7, 1847. =76=J. Alvarez, Sept. 30, 1846. =76=Circ. to comtes. gen., Sept. 28, 1846.

21.7. The law was a compromise (Apuntes, 124). Rejón, as he frankly told the Spanish minister (note 21.6), was for nationalizing--_i.e._, confiscating--the property of the Church. Santa Anna preferred to let the clergy keep the title to their wealth, and require a loan from them now and then--a process termed "milking" (Jameson, Calhoun Corresp., 992). The essential basis on which the law passed was the practical necessity of raising money for the war; but many who recognized this necessity and even the desirability of reducing the wealth and power of the Church could not bring themselves to act.

21.8. The law, if fully enforced, would no doubt have done much injury, however great its benefits. _E.g._, a great amount of land had been hypothecated to the Church with no expectation on either side that the loan which it secured would ever be paid; but the government, in order to obtain cash, intended that the loan should be paid or the land sold. Many individuals would thus have been ruined and the agricultural interests partially crippled, while on account of the small amount of money in circulation, only very low prices would have been realized for the land (=13=Bankhead, no. 7, 1847). Moreover, land with a Church curse upon it was sure to sell slowly, and many believed that titles obtained in this way would not hold good very long. As the clergy would give no information about their property, some exempted property was seized, and these mistakes caused trouble (México á través, iv, 631). Many objected to the law because they presumed that the proceeds of sales would reach private pockets. The principal arguments against it were summed up by the =88=ayuntamiento of Córdoba as follows: "It attacks property, invades the rights of the states, contravenes the sovereignty of the Church and is anti-religious, for there can be no religion without worship, no worship without priests and no priests without Church property." On the other hand the Puro =92=ayuntamiento of the capital described the law as "A law to save our independence and religion, in which nothing is done except that one class of society is to loan its property to society as a whole," adding, "How unfortunate would be our faith, if the religion of the Savior could be supported only with money ... charity and poverty were the example of his mission." The metropolitan chapter of Mexico took the ground that property once consecrated to God was sacred, and that to take it would be an act of sacrilege sure to bring upon the country the wrath and punishment of heaven (=92=Representación). The bishop of Puebla said to his flock: "Far from us is the idea of disturbing public order, but we must notify our very dear lambs that the pasturage offered thorn is poisonous; and if for so doing we incur the wrath of men, we will strengthen our weakness with the words of the chief of the Apostles at the council of the Jews: 'We must obey God rather than men'" (=82=Manifiesto). This was a clear and official incitement to insurrection.

21.9. _The law of Jan. 11 and the struggle over it._ Apuntes, 124-32. =13=Bankhead, nos. 180, 1846; 6, 7, 10, 14, 17, 1847. Gaxiola, Invasión, 118. =52=J. Parrott, Feb. 6. =56=Beach, report, June 4. London _Times_, Sept. 9; Oct. 7, 1846; Mar. 11; May 12, 1847. Oil portrait of Farías, city hall, Mex. =52=Consul Black, Feb. 24. _Revue Indep._, Apr. 25, 1845. Rivera, Jalapa, iii, 822, 825-6. _Católico_, iii, 553. Conducta Admin, de Berdusco. _Ilustrador Católico_, no. 239. =88=Córdoba ayunt., Feb. 4. =92=Mex. ayunt. to chapter, Jan. 14. =92=Ayunt., procl., Jan. 14. =92=Representación of metrop. chapter to Cong. =92=Segunda Protesta; Tercera Protesta del Ven. C bildo Metrop. =92=Exposición que el Sr. Vicario Capit. =92=Expos. del Cabildo Metrop. =92=Procl. of gov. Fed. Dist., Jan. 16. =95=Querét. cong., Jan. 12. =95=Puebla ayunt. to gov., Jan. 16. =95=Sánchez to Puebla ayunt., Feb. 16. =82=Bish. Puebla, manif., Jan. 27. =82=Gov. Puebla, procl., Jan. 27; Mar. 5, 15. Lamentos de los Mex. =73=Bermúdez de Castro, nos. 332, res., 346, 445. Dublan, Legislación, v., 246, 255, 261-2. _Registro Oficial de Durango_, Jan. 26. =80=Guanajuato cong., Jan. 29. _Locomotor_, Jan. 18. Mora, Papeles, 74-6. Negrete, Invasión iv, app., 412-4. Ramírez, México, 172, 184, 188, 190, 193, 198. _Diario_, Dec. 21, 1846; Jan. 7-9, 11-16, 18, 19, 26, 30; Feb. 4, 1847. _Republicano_, Dec. 9, 12, 1846; Jan. 8, 11, 23-4, 27, 29; Feb. 6, 11, 12; May 14, 1847. México á través, iv, 601-8, 628, 630-1, 638. And the following from =76=. Comte. gen. Querét., Jan. 19, 20, 22. _Id._, procl., Jan. 20. Comte gen. Puebla, Jan. 12, 28; Feb. 17. Guerra, order, Jan. 24. Min. eccles. affairs to metropol. chapter, Jan. 14. Comte. gen. Mex., Jan. 15. Comte. gen. Jalisco, Feb. 2. J. Alvarez, Feb. 2. Comte. gen. Oaxaca, Feb. 11, 15. Comte. gen. Guanaj., Jan. 29; Feb. 15, res. To comte. gen. Puebla, Feb. 24. Decrees, Jan. 15, 27; Feb. 4, 7, 10. To S. Anna, Jan. 30. S. Anna, Jan. 7, 13, 22, 26, 29; Feb. 9.

21.10. _Beach's mission and escape._ =56=Special Missions, p. 257. =56=Beach report, June 4, 1847. Polk, Diary, Apr. 14, 1847. =108=Mrs. Storms to Bancroft, July 23, 1846, and Marcy's endorsement. Griffis, Perry, 224. =52=Consul Black, Jan. 28, 1847. N. Y. _Sun_, Apr. 15; Aug. 16, 24, 1847. =166=Dimond to Conner, Jan. --, 1847. _Scribner's Monthly_, xvii, 300. Appleton, Amer. Biog. (article on M. Y. B.). Kenly, Md. Vol., 269. =76=To comte. gen. V. Cruz, Jan. 14. =76=Landero, Jan. 14. =76=S. Anna, Jan. 22.

21.11. Apuntes, 126. =13=Bankhead, no. 14, 1847. =56=Beach, report, June 4, 1847. Ramírez, México, 193-4, 198-9. México á través, iv, 608, 631. =199=Anon. MS. of go-between.

21.12. The monarchists, who were closely associated with the Church, shared in the insurrection (Apuntes, 119), and no doubt many of the Moderados took part in it (London _Times_, May 10, 1847), though Pedraza denied positively that he drew up the plan (Apuntes, 131).

21.13. _The insurrection._ =56=Beach, report, June 4, 1847. Apuntes, 126, 128-37. =13=Bankhead, no. 17, 1847. Consideraciones, 37. Méx. en 1847, 14, 19. León, Hist. Gen., 475. =52=J. Parrott, Feb. 6. Bustamante, Campaña sin, etc., 5, 8, 10, 11, 13. =52=Black, Mar. 6. London _Times_, May 10, 12. Salas, pamphlet, Mar. 3. =13=Peña y Barragán, procl., Mar. 8. Séptimo Disengaño. _Boletín de la Democracia_, Mar. 2, 7, 13. Farías, Address. Ramírez, México, 190, 193, 198-9, 201, 204, 209. México á través, iv, 631-5. Rivera, Jalapa, iii, 841-9. _Arco Iris_, Nov. 24, 1847. Escudero, Mems., 14, 19, 20. =82=Zacatecas cong., Mar. 5. =82=Jalísco legisl., Mar. 12. =77=Relaciones, circular, Mar. 13. =80=Méx. state legisl., Mar. 18. Balbontín, Invasión, 104. =80=Lt. gov. Méx. state procl., Mar. 23. =199=Anon. MS. =76=Farías, procl. =83=Gov. Querét. to Peña y Barragán, Mar. 2, 20. Rivera, Los Gobernantes, ii., 318. N. Y. _Sun_, Apr. 15; Aug. 24. _Díario_, Feb. 20, 21. _Monitor Repub._, Dec. 27, 1846; Feb. 13; Mar. 23. Ho. 60; 30, 1, p. 1125 (S. Anna). Lerdo de Tejada, Apuntes, ii, 539. And from =76= the following, besides others of minor importance. Comte. gen. Querét., Jan. 20. Canalizo to Anaya, Feb. 26. J. Alvarez, Mar. 10. L. Carrión, Mar. 10. Gov. Puebla, Feb. 17; reply, Feb. 24. Plan of Puebla insurgents, Feb. 27. Govt. bulletins, Mar. 2, 5. Morales, Mar. 1. Aguascalientes legisl., Mar. 4. Gov. Zacat. to Relac., Mar. 5. Gov. Querét. to Relac., Mar. 9. Provis. gov. Jalisco to Relac., Mar. 3. Comte. gen. Jalisco to garrison, Mar. 7. Gov. Puebla to Relac., Mar. 5. Lt. Col. Indep. battal. to mistress, Mar. 15. Comte. gen. Oaxaca, Feb. 17. Gov. Méx. state to Relac., Mar. 19. _Id._, procl., Mar. 18. Decrees, Mar. 1, 8, 12, 15.

On this subject Beach reported in substance as follows: When the government resolved to raise money on the Church property, I urged the clericals to an organized resistance. They consented, and at the moment of General Scott's debarkation at Vera Cruz they made a most important diversion in his favor by raising the standard of civil war at the capital, at Puebla and in a degree at Michoacán. This occupied 5000 men and all the arms, munitions of war and means of the government in the city of Mexico for twenty-three days; effectually preventing them from aiding Vera Cruz, or strengthening Puebla or the strongholds nearer the coast. On the tenth day of this rebellion or _pronunciamiento_, I was informed that $40,000 would be required of the clergy to carry it on another week, and that it would be paid if the importance of the crisis justified the outlay. As General Scott had but just landed his artillery at Vera Cruz, and might be detained there for some time. I deemed that almost any outlay would be justified. The rebellion was therefore kept up, until the sudden appearance of General Santa Anna closed the affair. [One must remember, in passing judgment on the conduct of the clergy, how much they had suffered at the hands of Santa Anna and how much reason they had to fear him.]

Beach had arranged to visit Mexico on private business, and he persuaded Buchanan that he could, through Almonte and others, bring about peace. Hence he was appointed "confidential agent to the Republic of Mexico" to accomplish what he could; and, on learning the state of things at Mexico, he saw that Scott's operations could be materially assisted by inaugurating and continuing the clerical insurrection. His report may be found in the state department archives at Washington.

21.14. Santa Anna left San Luis Potosí March 15 with more than 5000 men and ten guns.

21.15. Rejón wrote to Santa Anna, March 7, 1847, urging him to stand firmly by his manifesto of August 16, 1846,--_i.e._ by the Puros, and detailing a series of Moderado intrigues intended (he said) to annoy and humiliate Santa Anna until he should inaugurate a revolution, with a view to then having him shot.

21.16. Beach was watched for several days before he left the city. He escaped by paying for his lodgings for some time to come, leaving a trunk there, taking a carriage late at night without baggage, and choosing an unusual route (N. Y. _Sun_, Aug. 16, 1847). A reward of $1000 was offered for him dead or alive (_ibid._, Aug. 24). Notices were put up denouncing as a traitor anyone possessing a copy of the New York _Sun_. He was accused of having tried to bring about a clerical revolution and also to induce the states of Guanajuato, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí and Jalisco to secede and declare for the United States. See also N. Y. _Sun_, May 27, 1847; Polk, Diary, May 11, 1847; Kenly, Md. Vol., 269. We shall hear again of Beach's operations.

21.17. Santa Anna received news of the insurrection near Cedral.

21.18. Santa Anna may very possibly have hoped now to combine the military class, the conservatives and the clericals into a solid phalanx behind him, and he may have commended the movement against Church property for the very purpose of making the clergy feel the need of his assistance. See Tributo á la Verdad, 76.

21.19. His overthrow was not really due to the law of January 11, but resulted from his radical ideas and unpractical methods, the odium of his former administration, his consequent inability to secure the coöperation of influential men, and the general state of unrest and dissension.

21.20. _Outcome of the insurrection._ Apuntes, 111, 115-8, 133, 136-8. =13=Bankhead, nos. 33, 34, 1847. Méx. en 1847, 14-18. =69=S. Anna, order, Mar. 14. _Anglo-Saxon_, Mar. 13. =56=Beach, report, June 4, 1847. Bustamante, Campaña, 30. London _Times_, May 10. _Britannia_, May 15. México á través, iv, 577, 635-40. Ramírez, México, 184, 198-9, 205, 207, 209-12, 215-8. =82=Gov. Puebla, boletín No. 4 (S. Anna to Farías, Mar. 6; Gil to Ruano, Mar. 6). =77=Relaciones, circulars, Mar. 22; Apr. 1. Tributo á la Verdad, 76. =75=Rejón to S. Anna, Mar. 7. =84=Palacios to Gov. S. L. P., Mar. 17. _Republicano_, Mar. 24. =75a=Hacienda, circular, Mar. 29. Puga y Acal, Docs., 62-3. Escudero, Mems., 19. Bustamante, Nuevo Bernal, ii, 146-7. Dublán, Legisl., v, 262-5. _Locomotor_, Jan. 18. Baz, Juárez, 47. _Diario_, Mar. 29, 1847 (Baz). The twenty-millions law had very little effect, if any. _Le Constitutionnel_, June 17, 1847 (The clergy have kept none of the promises by the aid of which they obtained the repeal of the confiscation of their property).