Santa Anna asked for an amnesty law and it was decreed.[1] It would be impossible to estimate the evils that might have befallen the country if the escocés or moderate party, led by José María Gutierrez Estrada, had not seized the situation. Four parties were struggling for the ascendency, namely, the allied clergy and military, or centralists, the overthrown federalists, the escoceses, and the Santanistas. Though the first had won the elections, the dictator gave the preference to the third named, and then tendered his resignation of the presidency, which the congress declined to accept.[2] He was, however, granted a leave of absence, and retired as usual to his estate of Manga de Clavo, General Barragan being chosen to hold the executive office ad interim. The government was surrendered to him on the 28th of January, 1835.[3] His ministers claimed to act with entire independence, but the general belief was that Barragan never took a step as executive without first obtaining Santa Anna's sanction.
Miguel Barragan was a native of Valle del Maiz in San Luis Potosí, and was born in 1789.[4] Of his career as a military and public man I have had re-
- ↑ The 'ley del caso' of June 23, 1833, was annulled. An amnesty was later proclaimed to include all political offenders. Bustamante, Voz de la Patria, MS., ix. 104, x. 9-11; Arrillaga, Recop., 1835, 68-70, 152-3, 156-8, 171-2, 197; Dublan and Lozano, Leg. Mex., iii. 43-4, 52; Mex., Col. Ley. y Dec., 1841, 12.
- ↑ Jan. 27th. At the same time he was declared a 'benemérito de la patria.' Arrillaga, Recop., 1835, 37, 197, 229.
- ↑ Barragan received 13 votes out of 15. Dublan and Lozano, Leg. Mex., iii. 15-16. The ministers in his administration were: of relations, José María Gutierrez Estrada, to June 1st, and Manuel Diez de Bonilla, from July 9 to October 28; of justice, Agustin Torres, to March 31, and José Justo Corro from May 18 to Feb. 27, 1830; of the treasury, José Mariano Blasco, to Aug. 28; in this department several changes were made till it went into Mangino's charge in Feb. 1836; of war, José María Tornel, from Jan. 28, 1835, to Feb. 27, 1836. Méx., Mem. Hacienda, 1870, 1033.
- ↑ He was one of the officers that supported Iturbide's defection, and served in the trigarante army till the attempt at erecting a throne for that chief, which he strongly opposed, for which he was arrested and kept in confinement till the republic was proclaimed.
moving, appointing, and promoting officers and officials, and in annulling acts, and wrangling with the military and priestly oligarchy. Mora, Obras Sueltas, i. p. cclxxii.
