244 



MEXICAN 



voured to restore the cause of the king, while 

 Iturbide drew his armies closer and closer round 

 the capital, subduing everything before him. 



At this critical moment, a new Viceroy, Gene- 

 ral O'Donaju, arrived from Spain, vested with 

 powers to supersede Apodaca. To his astonish- 

 ment he found the country he came to govern no 

 longer a colony of Spain, but an independent 

 state. As he had come without troops, he saw at 

 a glance that Mexico was irretrievably lost, on the 

 terms, at least, on which it had been held here- 

 tofore. He endeavoured, however, to make the 

 best conditions he could for his country ; and, in 

 order to pave the way, issued a proclamation to 

 the inhabitants, breathing nothing but liberality 

 and hearty congratulations upon their prospect of 

 happiness ; a most singular document indeed to 

 come from a Spanish Viceroy, and one which it 

 was next to madness to suppose that the Spanish 

 Government would ever acknowledge. 



Iturbide, delighted to see this disposition on 

 the part of O'Donaju to take things in such un- 

 expected good part, invited him to a conference. 

 They, accordingly, met at Cordova, where, after 



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