Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/125

Rh mercy of the government and its myrmidons — a state of things which, it must be confessed, was made available for its purposes with ability and energy, without neglecting to gain the favor of the clergy by concessions that virtually restored their former influence.

The despotism of the military is illustrated by the violence shown in the arrest of a printer at Guadalajara by the comandante general, Inclan, which was of so outrageous a nature that the insulted state authorities and legislature deemed it proper to remove to Lagos. The government for a time, from motives of policy, took no action in the case. Facio tried to extenuate Inclan's fault without offending that and other legislatures, and did not recall that general till the 28th of December.

This affair precipitated events when the opposition to the government had not yet matured any plan to bring about a reaction. The moderate element in the several parties limited its efforts to checking the retrogressive policy of the administration, and trusted, for a radical change, to the renewal of the executive and congress at the end of 1832. But the large number who had suffered or were suffering at the hands of despotism would brook no further delay; the policy of the opposition was in their estimation too slow and altogether dependent on electoral eventualities to be waited on a whole year, during which those in power would use their large resources to keep it in their own hands. The probabilities were all in favor of the government, which counted on the coöperation of the