GUERRERO BETRAYED AND SHOT. 



317 



strife, until Bustamante despatched a powerful division against 

 Guerrero, which defeated, and dispersed his army. This was the 

 conclusion of that successful warrior's career. He was a good 

 soldier but a miserable statesman. His private character and 

 natural disposition are represented, by those who knew him best, 

 to have been irreproachable ; yet he was fitted alone for the early 

 struggles of Mexico in the field, and was so ignorant of the admin- 

 istrative functions needed in his country at such a period, that it is 

 not surprising to find he had been used as a tool, and cast aside 

 when the service for which his intriguing coadjutors required him 

 was performed. His historical popularity and character rendered 

 him available for a reckless party in overthrowing a constitutional 

 election ; and, even when beaten by the new usurper, and with 

 scarcely the shadow of a party in the nation, it was still feared 

 that his ancient usefulness in the wars of independence, might 

 render him again the nucleus of political discontent. Accordingly, 

 the pursuit of Guerrero was not abandoned when his army fled. 

 The west coast was watched by the myrmidons of the usurpers, 

 and the war-worn hero was finally betrayed on board a vessel by a 

 spy, where he was arrested for bearing arms against the govern- 

 ment of which he was the real head, according to the solemn 

 decision of congress ! In February, 1831, a court martial, ordered 

 by General Montezuma tried him for this pretended crime. His 

 sentence was, of course, known as soon as his judges were named; 

 and, thus, another chief of the revolutionary war was rewarded by 

 death for his patriotic services. We cannot regard this act of 

 Bustamante and Santa Anna, except as a deliberate murder for 

 which they richly deserve the condemnation of impartial history, 

 even if they had no other crimes to answer at the bar of God 

 and their country. 



Whilst these internal contests were agitating the heart of Mexico, 

 an expedition had been fitted out at Havana composed of four 

 thousand troops commanded by Barradas, designed to invade the 

 lost colony and restore it to. the Spanish crown. The accounts 

 given of this force and its condition when landed at Tampico, vary 

 according to the partizans by whom they are written ; but there is 

 reason to believe that the Spanish troops were so weakened by 

 disease and losses in the summer of 1830, that when Santa Anna 

 and a French officer, — Colonel Woll — attacked them in the 

 month of September, they fell an easy prey into the hands of the 

 Mexicans. Santa Anna, however, with his usual talent for such 

 composition, magnified the defeat into a magnificent conquest. He 



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