Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/308

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CHAPTER XII.

POLITICAL COMMOTIONS.

1845-1847.

José Joaquin de Herrera as Constitutional President — Opposition to his Policy on the Texan Question — Preparations for War — Archbishop Posada's Course — Plan of San Luis Potosí — Herrera Deposed — Paredes as Provisional President — Dissatisfaction — Revolution at Guadalajara — Paredes Overthrown — Santa Anna Recalled — He is Elected President — Gomez Farías as Vice-president Assumes the Executive Office — Santa Anna Supersedes Him.

The provisional president and his cabinet favored the policy of settling the Texan and American ques tions by compromise;[1] but they encountered violent opposition from the press, the people, and the army, all of whom clamored for war. Amid the confusion, it had been arranged that the presidential office should be filled by a president constitutionally chosen. Con gress, on the 14th of September, 1845, counted the votes cast by the departments, and declared José Joaquin de Herrera elected;[2] and on the 16th he was formally installed. In his inaugural address Presi dent Herrera promised to abstain from partisanship and to look after the army and finances. Of the Texan question he spoke vaguely.[3]

  1. The relations of the U. S. with Mexico on the Texan and other questions are fully treated elsewhere.
  2. Vera Cruz, Puebla, Oajaca, Guanajuato, Jalisco, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Durango, Chihuahua, Querétaro, and Yucatan voted for him. Dublan and Lozano, Leg. Mex., v. 35-6; Méx., Col. Ley. y Dec., 1844-6, 285; Bustamante, Mem. Hist. Mex., MS., iii. 20-2; Id., Nⱽᵒ Bernal Diaz, 48; Rivera, Hist. Jalapa, iii. 705. The other candidates had been Manuel Gomez Pedraza and Juan N. Almonte.
  3. Herrera, Discurso ante el Conn., 1-24.
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