tem, and seeking to control affairs too closely in behalf of the authorities at Mexico. He had, moreover, incurred the anger of a hatmaker named José María Blancarte by arresting him for assault on the police, and expelling him and a fellow-officer from the militia, wherein the former held by popular suffrage the rank of colonel. To injure the people was bad encugh, but to offend the hatmaker colonel was unpardonąble. Blancarte saw his opportunity in the prevailing discontent, and found no difficulty in obtaining adherents among the soldiers as well as the citizens. On July 26th he took possession of the gubernatorial palace, and at the head of a self-constituted council proclaimed as governor Gregorio Dávila, who was empowered to summon a legislature to revise the state constitution and introduce reforms,[1] Blancarte retaining the chief military command. Portillo retired with a few faithful troops to Lagos, where he sought in vain to impose a check on the movement. The federal government responded to his appeal for aid by the futile despatch of commissioners, a peaceful course which only gave time for the revolution to take root, favored by other local movements.
The ever-wrathful Santanists, who had so long been wasting their efforts in different directions, did not fail to exert themselves on so promising an occasion, partly by holding before the soldiery the well-known liberality and care of their chief for the army, and before the clergy and conservatives the need for a strong hand at the helm in order to stay the evident loosening of the union, with its attendant ravages, spoliation,and mob rule. Blancarte was really flattered into giving a wider scope to his pronunciamiento. On September 13th he hastened, at the head of the militia, to proclaim the deposal of Arista for having infringed the laws, and the recall of Santa Anna
- ↑ These changes had to be carried out within six months. Blancarte's proclamation painted Portillo's administration in the blackest hues. In breaking into the building the mob killed the government secretary and the major in command.
