GOMEZ PEDRAZA PRESIDENT IS OVERTHROWN. 3 J 3 



candidate of the Escocesses, was elected by a majority of but two 

 votes over his competitor, Guerrero, the representative of the libe- 

 ral Yorkinos. 



These internal discontents of Mexico began to inspire the Span- 

 ish court with hope that its estranged colony would be induced, or 

 perhaps easily compelled, after a short time, to return to its alle- 

 giance ; and, accordingly, it was soon understood in Mexico, even 

 during Victoria's administration, that active efforts were making in 

 Cuba to raise an adequate force for another attempt upon the re- 

 public. This, for a moment, restrained the fraternal hands raised 

 against each other within the limits of Mexico, and forced all par- 

 ties to unite against the common danger from abroad. Suitable 

 measures were taken to guard the coasts where an attack was most 

 imminent, and it was the good fortune of the government to secure 

 the services of Commodore Porter, a distinguished officer of the 

 United States Navy, who commanded the Mexican squadron most 

 effectively for the protection of the shores along the gulf, and took 

 a number of Spanish vessels, even in the ports of Cuba, some of 

 which were laden with large and costly cargoes. 



The success of the centralist Pedraza over the federalist Guerrero, 

 a man whose name and reputation were scarcely less dear to the 

 genuine republicans than that of Guadalupe Victoria, — was not 

 calculated to heal the animosities of the two factions, especially, as 

 the scant majority of two votes had placed the Escoces partizan in the 

 presidential chair. The defeated candidate and his incensed com- 

 panions of the liberal lodge, did not exhibit upon this occasion that 

 loyal obedience to constitutional law, which should have taught 

 them that the first duty of a republican is to conceal his mortifica- 

 tion at a political defeat and to bow reverentially to the lawful de- 

 cision of a majority. It is a subject of deep regret that the first 

 bold and successful attack upon the organic law of Mexico was 

 made by the federalists. They may have deemed it their duty to 

 prevent their unreliable competitors from controling the destinies 

 of Mexico even for a moment under the sanction of the constitu- 

 tion ; but there can be no doubt that they should have waited until 

 acts, instead of suspicions or fears, entitled them to exercise their 

 right of impeachment under the constitution. In an unregulated, 

 military nation, such as Mexico was at that period, men do not 

 pause for the slow operations of law when there is a personal or a 

 party quarrel in question. The hot blood of the impetuous, tropical 

 region 5 combines with the active intellectual temperament of the 



