Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/163

Rh Santa Anna asked for an amnesty law and it was decreed. It would be impossible to estimate the evils that might have befallen the country if the escocés or moderate party, led by José María Gutierrez Estrada, had not seized the situation. Four parties were struggling for the ascendency, namely, the allied clergy and military, or centralists, the overthrown federalists, the escoceses, and the Santanistas. Though the first had won the elections, the dictator gave the preference to the third named, and then tendered his resignation of the presidency, which the congress declined to accept. He was, however, granted a leave of absence, and retired as usual to his estate of Manga de Clavo, General Barragan being chosen to hold the executive office ad interim. The government was surrendered to him on the 28th of January, 1835. His ministers claimed to act with entire independence, but the general belief was that Barragan never took a step as executive without first obtaining Santa Anna's sanction.

Miguel Barragan was a native of Valle del Maiz in San Luis Potosí, and was born in 1789. Of his career as a military and public man I have had