Page:Vol 5 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/82

62 With the overthrow of the constitution in Spain, a change had also taken place in the conduct of Lemaur, the commandant of San Juan de Ulúa, who had at one time manifested liberal ideas toward Mexico. Under the pretext that the Spanish envoys had been dismissed, he assumed a hostile attitude, opening fire upon the city of Vera Cruz, September 25, 1823. The Mexican government then resolved upon active war.

In July 1824 a law was passed to issue letters of marque to national and foreign vessels to prey upon Spanish commerce; and orders were given to reënforce the army besieging San Juan de Ulúa, to prevent the landing and march of Spanish invaders into the interior, and at the same time to compel the speedy surrender of that fortress.

The command of the fort had devolved in 1825 on José Coppinger, and the comandancia general and governorship of Vera Cruz had been placed by the Mexican executive in charge of Miguel Barragan. The fortress since September 1823 had kept up more or less vigorously a bombardment of the city, without other results than the destruction of buildings, and depriving itself of the resources which the merchants of Vera Cruz had been wont to supply for the support of the garrison.

A little before this some of the armed ships arrived, which had been purchased in England with the