Page:Vol 6 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/198

178 as assistant secretary of the navy, of French inspectors, agents, and police, not to mention again the preëminence of foreign military officers; one effect being to promote a passive or even hostile attitude with regard to many commendable measures of Maximilian.

The discontent attained a marked manifestation even in the cabinet, where Escudero, the minister of justice, was pointed out as having joined a conspiracy. The plot really belonged to them, with the archbishop and General Zuloaga for leaders, the object being to unite, under the potent name of Santa Anna, the host of nominal imperialists who had become dissatisfied with Maximilian and his foreigners, and the numerous republicans who had grown tired of Juarez and the bloody conflict for the constitution of 1857. At the time of Tirana's removal from the Juarist army of the centre, in the middle of 1864, several of his officers indicated a readiness to conciliate conservatives with a modification of that organic law, and the latter, including the clergy, had been gradually approaching a similar state of mind, seeing that fully as good terms could be obtained from the liberals as from Maximilian. Michoacan, then in a state of ferment, was looked upon as a favorable cradle for the movement, from its central situation, and it was believed that Porfirio Diaz, and Álvarez with his Indians, might be induced to coöperate. Santa Anna launched from his retreat at St Thomas a proclamation to the two great parties to unite for the holy struggle of casting the invaders from the soil — an appeal which could not fail to obtain response also among the masses. He proposed to dedicate the