Page:The War with Mexico, Vol 1.djvu/82

Rh swallow their ambitions for the time being, however, and by dint of military interference~though his enemies were bestirring themselves and he was now increasingly unpopular—he became President in January, 1844, under the new constitution. This appeared like a concession to legality, but no doubt it was intended as a recoil for another spring. His dream of empire still went on, it was fully believed.

Although the minister of justice described this period as "an epoch of glory" and' an "era of absolute felicity," the new Congress manifested a disposition to antagonize the President; but an almost supernatural dread of him paralyzed even his enemies, and he readily bowled them over. Then he was given a special sum of four millions for war with Texas; and after that sum was promptly absorbed, he demanded not only ten millions more but "extraordinary powers" to lay taxes. This meant that he wanted to have every man's property at his disposal, and it was generally believed that with a foreign war as excuse he would soon try to make himself autocrat. Congress resisted, and before long was suspended.

But now the people took ﬁre. They had trusted Santa Anna completely, and their conﬁdence had been as completely abused, It was felt that he had shown a deliberate intention to ignore the public interest and feed upon the nation—dis—regarding all personal rights threatening all fortunes and contradicting all principles. Paredes, who had never forgiven Santa Anna for running hi off the track in 1841, pronounced. In November, 1844, war began. The President attempted both to cajole and to terrorize his enemies, and moved against the insurgents with a powerful army; but on December 6 the troops at the capital revolted, and the nation concurred. In the departments he was particularly hated, for he had impoverished them with taxes and spent the money elsewhere; but Mexico itself blazed. "Death to the lame man!" shouted the populace, dragging his foot round the streets. Dazed and overwhelmed, Santa Anna, after moving about irresolutely With his dwindling army, left it with a small escort early in January, 1845, and then took to his heels with only four servants. Before long some peasants captured him, and later in the year he was banished.

At ﬁrst sight this collapse amazes us. It seems impossible