CENTRAL CONSTITUTION OF 1836 SANTA ANNA. 321 



surances of the federal constitution, and they resolved not to coun- 

 tenance the usurpation of their unquestionable rights. 



Such was the state of affairs in the Mexican Republic when 

 the Plan of Toluca was issued, by which the federal constitu- 

 tion was absolutely abolished, and the principles of a consolidated 

 central government fully announced. Previous to this, however, 

 a pronunciamiento had been made by a certain Escalada at Morelia, 

 in favor of the fueros, or especial privileges and rights of the 

 church and army. This outbreak was, of course, central in its 

 character ; whilst another ferment in Cuautla had been productive 

 of Santa Anna's nomination as dictator, an office which he promptly 

 refused to accept. 



■ The Plan of Toluca was unquestionably favored by Santa Anna 

 who had gone over to the centralists. It was a scheme designed 

 to test national feeling and to prepare the people for the overthrow 

 of state governments. The supreme power was vested by it in the 

 executive and national congress ; and the states were changed 

 into departments under the command of military governors, who 

 were responsible for their trust to the chief national authorities in- 

 stead of the people. Such was the Central Constitution of 1836. 



It is quite probable that Santa Anna's prudent care of himself 

 and his popularity, as well as his military patriotism induced him 

 to leave the government in the hands of the vice president Barra- 

 gan whilst the new constitution was under discussion, and to lead 

 the Mexican troops, personally, against the revolted Texans, who 

 had never desisted from open hostility to the central usurpations. 

 But as the history of that luckless expedition is to be recounted 

 elsewhere in this volume, we shall content ourselves with simply 

 recording the fact that on the 21st of April, 1836, the president 

 and his army were completely routed by General Houston and the 

 Texans ; and, that instead of returning to the metropolis crowned 

 with glory, as he had done from the capture of Barradas, Santa 

 Anna owed his life to the generosity of the Texan insurgents 

 whose companions in arms had recently been butchered by his 

 orders at Goliad and San Antonio de Bejar. 1 



During Santa Anna's absence, vice president Barragan filled the 

 executive office up to the time of his death, when he was succeeded 

 by Coro, until the return from France of Bustamante, who had 

 been elected president under the new central constitution of 1836. 

 In the following year Santa Anna was sent back to Mexico in a 



1 See Gen. Waddy Thompson's Recollections of Mexico, p. 69, for Santa Anna's 

 wretched vindication of these sanguinary deeds. 



