Page:Vol 6 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/448

428 members of his cabinet, a number of deputies, and other partisans betook himself to flight, escorted by a strong cavalry force, and taking with him a large supply of the public funds. The last act of his government was to surrender the city to the Porfiristas, General Loaeza being left in charge of the garrison, and Protasio Tagle of the civil government. On the following day Teran was released from prison and sent to inform Porfirio Diaz of the state of affairs. Lerdo pursued his way without molestation toward Acapulco, where, after a toilsome journey through the south of Michoacan and across Guerrero, he arrived about the middle of December. Thence he embarked January 25th for the United States, and took up his residence in New York.

Thus terminated the political career of the successor of Juarez. Since the date of the independence no man had obtained the chief magistracy of the Mexican republic with more wide-spread popularity, or was driven from it by more general discontent. Called to the head of the government by a people which hailed him with joy as its future liberator from encroachments upon its sovereign rights, but which, still angry at the assumption of dictatorial powers by Juarez, could easily be roused to indignation, he pursued the most aggravating course that he could have adopted. Instead of healing wounds, he irritated them; instead of holding out the hand of friendship, he threw down the gauntlet. With an ambitious rival in the field, ever on the watch to turn mistakes to account, he committed unpardonable errors; none more so than his system of exciting by intrigue local revolutions for the purpose of throwing out obnoxious