Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/721

Rh acts, went still further, giving him a vote of confidence, heartily joined in by the progressionist opposition. A commission was named to arrange the difficulties between the supreme government and that of Nuevo Leon.

Aside from the rebels of Puebla, Iguala, and those who afterward appeared in San Luis Potosí, none of the others had any fixed plan, unless it was that conveyed by their war-cry of 'religion y fueros,' which drew into their ranks the ignorant, who were misled by the oft-repeated charge that religion was persecuted by the government.

The president, under the difficulties besetting him on all sides, with but few available troops at hand, and with an empty treasury, managed, aided indubitably by an extraordinary good fortune, to overcome them all. He summoned to his support the military, the representatives of the people, and other prominent men. He armed the national guard, gathered troops, and procured pecuniary means from the merchants. At first he contemplated taking command in person of the forces organized to march against Puebla; but in view of the facts that there were many other places demanding his attention, and that Mexico was the centre of the conspiracies, he resolved to remain in the capital, and despatched the army of operations with abundance of artillery under General Tomás Moreno. It was reënforced by troops from Tlascala, until the total force to operate against Puebla was over 4,000 men under Traconis, Zuloaga, Trias, and Lamberg. Gonzalez Mendoza assumed command of the portion assembled at San Martin.

The plan of operations against Puebla was to capture the rebels rather than to destroy them; but with their small number of only about 200 men they made an unexpected defence, sustained by the belief that seditious movements, of preparations for which they had been apprised, would break out in other cities, Osollo heading one at the capital. Such