Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/147

Rh 19th of January, after a long discussion of the article of the convenio de Zavaleta, respecting new electoral acts, waived their objections and proceeded at once to effect their elections, which were completed by the end of February.

Santa Anna and Gomez Farías obtained the majority of votes for president and vice-president respectively, to which end Gomez Pedraza had directed his influence to reward them for their services in his behalf.

Some of the government's measures were worthy of commendation, such as diminishing the military force, and clearing the public roads of malefactors; but others showed a spirit of vindictiveness, not only as against the ministers of Bustamante's cabinet, but also toward the Spaniards, many of whom had been latterly allowed to live in peace, and others, who had left the country under the expulsion laws, to return. Fortunately for them the orders were greatly modified when General Parrés assumed his duties in the cabinet.

The clergy and army now became the prominent objects of attack, the destruction of their influence being regarded as a policy that would tend to secure future peace and the permanency of free institutions. The measures proposed to this end, both in and out of congress, created great alarm and turmoil, in the midst of which Pedraza's term of office having expired, he surrendered the executive authority to