Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/286

266 his manifest discontent. In order to keep him under supervision, as well as to appease and win him back, Santa Anna gave him a seat in the council of notables, made him comandante general of Mexico, and subsequently senator; but Paredes evidently expected at least the position of acting president, for which the other party considered him unfit, as lacking in administrative talent. Propitiation came too late. He saw in the increasing popular ferment fully as good an opportunity as before for directing it to his own ends, for midst the many claims on its attention, the government had been obliged to neglect several of the more remote army corps, notably that of Jalisco, and the clergy, already estranged by the many heavy and arbitrary inroads on its property, looked with alarm on the prospective contributions to be levied for the costly war now looming in the north.

It is related that he had for some time been sounding different military leaders for this project. Some of these hastened to curry favor with the dictator by transmitting the correspondence. Santa Anna was hardly surprised at so common a feature of political intrigue, but it served to remind him that an opponent so influential, especially with the army, must not be disregarded. He had studied the life of Napoleon, and recalled among other incidents his magnanimous reply to the woman who pleaded for the life of her as the conspiring husband. He looked upon himself Napoleon of America, and resolved to act in imitation of his great prototype, always, however, with a prudent regard for what seemed most expedient. He called Paredes, recited the French story, and added: "I also have letters, proof of crime on your part, but I shall ignore them. Behold!" saying which he tore the documents into fragments. Be this as it may,