Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/30

10 obsequies, the rabid haters of Spain and everything Spanish urged the Indians to fall upon Hernan Cortés' sepulchre, burn his bones, and throw the ashes to the winds. The disgraceful plan would have been accomplished had not the government averted it by causing the sepulchre to be opened in the night, and the remains to be deposited in a place of safety.

In the mean time the elections for the constituent congress were proceeding, and as was to be expected, the majority of the members chosen were federalists; there were also some centralists elected, equally hostile to Iturbide. The freemasons lost the preponderance they had in the preceding body, and the monarchists were wholly excluded, Fagoaga, Tagle, and others of their party not being reëlected. Had it not been for subsequent mistakes on the part of the republicans, the royalist party would have been forever dead in Mexico.

The old congress, after adopting measures for paying the deputies, and appointing a permanent deputation from its body, closed its sessions on the 30th of October, just one year from the date of its dissolution by Iturbide, thus ceasing to exist at the urgent demand of the very diputaciones provinciales that had revolted against Iturbide in order to force its reinstatement.

In the midst of so much agitation, the constituent congress was installed with great solemnity, and on the 7th of November, 1823, began its labors to place the country under the most liberal institutions, according to the express national will. The most influential man among the federalists was Miguel Ramos Arizpe, deputy from Coahuila; he was aided by Rejon, Velez, Gordoa, Gomez Farías, García, Godoy, and others. Among the centralists figured prominently