Page:Vol 4 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/725

Rh He informed the viceroy that Guerrero had placed himself with 1,200 armed men under the viceroy's government, on the condition of their not being regarded as pardoned insurgents, and had furthermore pledged himself to induce Ascensio, Montesdeoca, and Guzman to do likewise. The whole number of men thus placed at his disposal would be 3,500.

Iturbide had meantime adopted other measures for the success of his enterprise in Nueva Galicia, Michoacan, Guanajuato, and elsewhere. Two factors were still wanting, namely, a printing-press and money. The former was supplied by securing a press at Puebla owned by Joaquin Furlong. To meet the latter necessity, Iturbide brought his diplomatic powers into play. The conducta for Acapulco had been detained in the capital owing to its risk of capture, but Iturbide could now answer for its safety and offered to convey it to the port. Accordingly it was despatched with the consent of the agents of the Manilla merchants, who forwarded therewith the proceeds of their last received Asiatic goods, amounting to 525,000 pesos, which Iturbide of course appropriated.

All was now prepared, and with no further delay, on the 24th of February, 1821, Iturbide, who was at Iguala, issued a printed proclamation to the inhabitants of New Spain, setting forth the necessity of independence, and informing them that he had designed and framed a plan for the formation of national