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ARMY OF THE THREE GUARANTIES. 



zenship. All the inhabitants are citizens, and equal, and the door 

 of advancement is open to virtue and merit. 



Art. 12. — An army shall be formed for the support of religion, 

 independence, and union, guaranteeing these three principles, and 

 therefore shall be called the army of the three guaranties. 



Art. 13. — It shall solemnly swear to defend the fundamental 

 basis of this plan. 



Art. 14. — It shall strictly observe the military ordinances now 

 in force. 



Art. 15. — There shall be no other promotions than those which 

 are due to seniority, or which are necessary for the good of the 

 service. | 



Art. 16. — The army shall be considered as of the line. 



Art. 17. — The old partizans of independence who shall adhere 

 to this plan, shall be considered as individuals of this army. 



Art. 18. — The patriots and peasants who shall adhere to it 

 hereafter, shall be considered as provincial militiamen. 



Art. 19. — The secular and regular priests shall be continued in 

 the state which they now are. 



Art. 20. — All the public functionaries, civil, ecclesiastical, po- 

 litical and military, who adhere to the cause of independence, shall 

 oe continued in their offices, without any distinction between 

 Americans and Europeans. 



Art. 21. — Those functionaries, of whatever degree and condi- 

 tion who dissent from the cause of independence, shall be divested 

 of their offices, and shall quit the territory without taking with 

 them their families and effects. 



Art. 22. — The military commandants shall regulate themselves 

 according to the general instructions in conformity with this plan, 

 which shall be transmitted to them. 



Art. 23. — No accused person shall be condemned capitally by 

 the military commandants. Those accused of treason against the 

 nation, which is the next greatest crime after that of treason to the 

 Divine Ruler, shall be conveyed to the fortress of Barbaras, where 

 they shall remain until congress shall resolve on the punishment 

 that ought to be inflicted on them. 



Art. 24. — It being indispensable to the country, that this plan 

 should be carried into effect, inasmuch as the welfare of that 

 country is its object, every individual of the army shall maintain it, 

 to the shedding ( if it be necessary) of the last drop of his blood. 



Town of Iguala, 24th February, 1821. 



