MEXICO. 



117 



of things. The latter especially began to tremble for its 

 wealth, which the necessitous federacion considered in 

 the light of a lawful prize. 



The surmise was right, as the event showed ; for not 

 long after, the wily president himself was pleased to set 

 up his " bark," and abjuring the reform party, on whose 

 shoulders he had climbed to power, made a run for the 

 capital, beat his old friends, and throwing himself into 

 the arms of the " privileged classes," was again elected 

 president. 



Since that time another "grito" has been given by the 

 Zacatecanos, who revolted again, under favour of that 

 pet cry of the giddy multitude in the age in which we 

 live — reform ! and getting together six thousand civicos 

 or militia, and thirty-two pieces of artillery, defended their 

 city. Santa Anna's star again prevailed ; and he beat 

 them also. Durango then gave him a little more trouble ; 

 and now Texas, with its unruly colonists, has called him 

 to the north. He may chance to hear some other dog 

 " barking" in the capital before he gets back. Is not this 

 laughable ? But to return to the time of our visit. 



The more enlightened party, consisting of those who 

 were averse to the ignorant bigotry of their fellow-citi- 

 zens, and desirous of introducing the more enlightened 

 policy of the United States or Europe, were quite in 

 disgrace ; their chiefs exiled, and themselves under the 

 surveillance of the party in power. Their schemes had 

 perished with them : education was discouraged ; jeal- 

 ousy and hatred of foreigners carried to a ridiculous pitch, 

 and the administration of justice most infamously abused. 



The popular party, having the upper hand, was, as else- 

 where, tender of the lives of its near relatives and asso- 

 ciates in prison. Seven hundred and thirty criminals 

 crowded the Acordari, the principal jail of Mexico. 

 There had not been an execution for three years. The 

 promptitude with which eight out of ten miscreants, who 

 had robbed the house of a European merchant in the 

 city, were seized and executed some years before, owing 

 to the firmness of one or two magistrates 3 and the author- 



