Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/640

620 all held the key to the situation. Ceballos could gain nothing by the new plan, unless the selection of the junta was left to himself; and Uraga refusing to yield this all-important point, he virtuously declared against so glaring a distortion of the Jalisco programme. But the decision lay not with him. Blanco had surrendered his now useless portfolio, and sided with Lombardini, who in controlling the garrison held the position of arbiter. His leanings could not well be misinterpreted; yet it was absolutely necessary for success to court the sovereign states; and the Arroyozarco project was accordingly so modified as to leave to the legislatures, and where these lacked to the governors, the choice of the dictator, a significant clause being added, permitting votes to be cast for a citizen absent from the country — that is, Santa Anna.

Ceballos now recognized his own insignificance; and objecting to be made a cat's-paw for Santa Anna, he resigned, withdrawing the same day, February 7th, to his former position on the bench. And so ended the month's rule of the chief justice, which may be regarded as the closing link of the experimental chain begun by Herrera. Although less unselfish than the repentant Arista, it may be claimed that Ceballos endeavored to save for the liberals all that he could. His failure was due to causes beyond his control, yet promoted by a lack of discriminating foresight. Nevertheless, he marked his administration by two important measures, obtaining the weighty coöperation of the United States minister toward a new Tehuantepec interoceanic contract, which not only assisted to invalidate the claim of Garay's successors, but brought some money be claimed that Ceballos endeavored to