12th of August following. The other prisoners were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment in Perote.[1]
A few months previous to Raousset's invasion of Sonora, William Walker, who some years later became the famous adventurer of Nicaragua, landed, on the 28th of November, 1853, with a piratical expedition from San Francisco, at San Lúcas, in Lower California, with the intent, as was said, of annexing that country to the United States. The invaders marched to La Paz, which they plundered, committing also other lawless acts; after which they reëmbarked for La Ensenada, 100 miles from San Diego, at which place, as well as at Todos Santos, they encamped, repeating in that region their acts of plunder. *On the news reaching Santo Tomás, armed forces were despatched after them. Walker and his men did not wait to be attacked, but abandoned the country and returned to California.[2]
All remonstrances and conciliatory efforts on the part of the government availed naught to keep the bishop of Puebla from attempting to rouse the hostility of the masses against it; whereupon the president resolved on the 12th of May to send him into exile.[3] The bishop tried to give satisfactory explanations, and in a letter to Comonfort denied the expressions attributed to him, offering to prove his assertion with witnesses, and respectfully asking for a rescission of the order; but his petition was not granted, and he was taken to Habana in a national ship expressly fitted out for his comfortable transportation.[4] This
- ↑ An account of Raousset's invasions of Sonora is given in Hist. North Mexican States, vol. ii., this series.
- ↑ Particulars of this episode appear in Hist. North Mexican States, vol. ii., this series.
- ↑ 48 He was accused of reproaching the people for allowing the seizure of church property. In circulars he advised resistance to the authorities. His sermons caused great alarm to the friends of the government, and rejoicing to its enemies. He truly believed he was doing his duty. Rivera, Gob. de Méx., ii. 500; Portilla, Méj. en 1856-7, 32-4; Arrangoiz, Méj., ii. 349, calls that banishment 'otra de las infinitas tropelias.'
- ↑ Bishop Labastida, on June 16th at Habana, declared that he never by
