Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/668

648 Colonel Florencio Villareal, the commandant of Costa Chica, strongly suspected of disaffection, had been summoned to Mexico in October, but a convenient illness had kept him away. At last, orders were transmitted to bring him, dead or alive, to Ocatepec. But the suspected chiefs had been wary, and kept themselves out of Santa Anna's clutches. General Tomás Moreno left Chilpancingo February 24th for the coast, and Espinosa with his forces stopped his march at Buenavista on hearing that the enemy was on the Peregrino height for the purpose of checking his advance. An unequal struggle was thus begun between the sureños and the government. The latter made extensive preparations to crush the rebellion. In the mean time, on the 1st of March, Villareal, with the force of 300 or 400 pintos under his command, proclaimed in the town of Ayutla, district of Ometepec and department of Guerrero, a political plan,The famous Plan de Ayutla, which, after a preamble setting forth the nation's grievances against Santa Anna's despotism, has the following nine articles that were the basis for a provisional government. 1. Santa Anna and other functionaries who, like him, had forfeited the people's confidence, and all public officers opposing this plan, were to cease at once from exercising any authority. 2. After a majority of the nation had accepted the plan, the commander-in-chief of the liberal forces was to convoke one representative from each state and territory, to meet at some convenient place, and acting together were to choose a president ad interim of the republic, and continue afterward as a state council during the provisional régime. 3. The president ad interim was clothed with ample powers to protect the integrity and independence of the national territory, and to aid every branch of the public administration. 4. In states seconding this plan, the chief commander of the forces, associated with seven persons of his own choosing, to assemble, and within one month enact and promulgate a statute to serve as the provisional code of their state or territory; the foundation of each such statute being that the nation is, and forever shall be, one, indivisible, and independent. 5. Fifteen days after entering upon the discharge of his duties, the president ad interim was to convoke a constituent congress, on the basis of the law enacted for a similar purpose in 1841, to constitute the nation as a representative popular republic, and to revise the acts of the provisional executive. 6. The arıny to be preserved and cared for; foreign and domestic trade fostered; and at the earliest possible date a new tariff and regulations to be framęd and enforced. Until such time, the tariff issued in Ceballos' administration to be revived. 7.' Conscription and passport laws to be abolished. 8. Persons which