of his predecessors, who had attempted to govern, solely by fear and terror. Sensible that the cruel and bloody career of Calleja was not calculated to restore tranquillity to a distracted country, where all was war and desolation, he resolved to try a different line of conduct, and attempt to conciliate the affections of the inhabitants, and to regain their confidence. This conciliatory policy, was attended with great success, and almost put an end to the revolution, in the capital and that part of Mexico. But the spirit of independence was suppressed, not extinguished, and it was renewed by the invasion of the country by Mina. When he commenced his march, his whole force, including officers was three hundred and eight men; with which he encountered a body of the enemy, on the 8th of June, 1817, near Valle del Mais, routed them, and entered the town. He made no stay, but continued his march with great expedition, being desirous to unite with the independents, in the interior, and on the 14th of June, he encamped at the hacienda de Peotillas. Here he was attacked by a force, greatly superiour, but his heroic band, few in number, but brave in spirit, directed and encouraged by their gallant leader, not only defended themselves, but compelled the enemy to abandon the field with a heavy loss. In this action, Mina proved himself to be a brave and skilful officer, and acquired the highest confidence of his followers. Continuing his march, on the 18th, he stormed and took the town of Real del Pinos, although defended by a garrison exceeding his own force; and on the 24th of June, he reached Sombrero, where he found the forces of the independents, having marched six hundred and sixty miles, in thirty-two days. His troops had endured the greatest fatigue, and almost every hardship and privation; but being animated by their commander, young, gallant and popular, who shared himself in all their sufferings and wants, no murmurs or complaints were heard. When Mina arrived at Sombrero, he had two hundred and sixty-nine men, rank and file. Here he wrote to the junta which had been established, acquainting them with his object in invading the country, and offering his services in the cause of independence; he also wrote to Padre de Torres, who was regarded as commander-in-chief of the patriots.

Mina learnt that a body of royalists, amounting to seven hundred, were in the vicinity, and leaving the fort under the command of Don Pedro Moreno, he marched in con

junction with a guerrilla, commanded by Ortis, of one hundred men, to meet the enemy. His whole force amounted to four hundred men, with which he did not hesitate to engage the royalists, drawn up at the hacienda, de los Llanos. So spirited and vigorous was the charge of the independents, lead on by Mina, that the enemy yielded before them, and fled in disorder, with the loss of half their number left on the field. After the troops were refreshed by a few days repose at Sombrero, Mina and Moreno penetrated as far as Xaral, sixty miles from Guanaxuato, and surprised and took the place, in which they found immense booty.

On his return to Sombrero, Mina received intelligence of the surrender of Soto la Marina to the royalists, commanded by Arredondo, governor of the internal provinces. Following up their success, the Spaniards invested Sombrero. The patriots made an obstinate defence; but it being evident the place could not hold out much longer, Mina left the fort and proceeded to General Torres, in hopes of obtaining some troops for the relief of the besieged, in which he did not succeed. A few days after he left the place, the patriots were compelled to evacuate it, and had no other means of escape but by cutting their way through the lines of the enemy. Fifty only survived who joined their leader at Los Remedios, the head-quarters of General Torres. The royalists under General Linan, marched against Remedios and invested the place on the 31st of August, which was defended by Torres, assisted by some of Mina's officers: Mina, at the head of a body of cavalry, marched towards Guanaxuato, and captured the hacienda of Biscocho, and the town of San Luis la Paz. He also advanced against the town of San Miguel le Grande, and commenced an attack upon it, but retired on receiving information that a strong force of the enemy was marching to the relief of the place. He retreated to the valle de Santiago, where he was joined by many patriots, so that he soon was at the head of one thousand cavalry. With this force, Mina set out for the relief of Remedios, but learning that the besiegers were stronger than he had supposed, he deemed his force insufficient for the purpose, and retired to the mountains near Guanaxuato, being pursued by Orrantia. The Spaniards carried on the siege of Remedios with great vigour; yet Mina continually harrassed them with his cavalry and cut off their supplies. But at length he was at

tacked by Orrantia at the hacienda of La Caxa, and defeated with a heavy loss. He retired to a small town called Publa Nuevo, twelve miles from the scene of action, and attempted to rally the fugitives, who had escaped, but with little success, as most of them returned to their homes. In this forlorn condition he proceeded to Xauxilla, to obtain from the government of the independents, which was then fixed at that place, some troops to resume his military operations. He proposed attacking Guanaxuato; and after considerable opposition to his plan it was agreed to, and he was supplied with a small body of troops. With this force he marched to the valle de Santiago, where he was re-enforced by a few men from Xalapa, waiting to join him; but the approach of a detachment of royalists compelled him to withdraw from the valley. By a rapid movement through the mountains, he descended in the rear of the royalists and marched to La Coxa; and from thence he proceeded by a rapid march across the country during the night, to an obscure place called La Mina de la Luz. Here he received some re-enforcements, which increased his little army to fourteen hundred men, with which he did not hesitate to attack the city of Guanaxuato, although entirely destitute of artillery. As might have been foreseen, the attack was unsuccessful, and after burning the machinery of the mine of Valenciana, he retired, and ordered his men to their different stations; he retained sixty or seventy only under his immediate command. The bold career of this brave and intrepid young officer and patriot, was soon terminated. He was surprised and captured by the Spanish General Orrantia, at Venadito, on the 27th of September 1817. Apadoca the viceroy, gave orders for his immediate execution, and he was conducted to the head-quarters of Linan, commanding the royal army before Remedios, where he was condemned, and shot on the 11th of November. The capture of Mina, not only occasioned great joy among the royal chiefs in Mexico, but was regarded as so important an event by the Spanish government, that Apadoca was honoured with the title sf Conde del Venadito, and Linan and Orrantia, received marks of distinction for having rendered so great a service to their country.

The royalists now directed all their efforts in prosecuting the siege of Remedios; and Torres finding his ammunition failing, evacuated the place on the night of the 1st of January 1818. The evacuation was so unskilfully con

ducted that nearly all of the garrison were killed or made prisoners, and the inhabitants of the town of all ages and both sexes, unarmed and unprotected, were involved in one common ruin, and nearly all massacred.

The death of Mina, the fall of Remedios, and the loss of the garrison, presaged the speedy overthrow of the cause of independence, and encouraged the royalists to redouble their exertions for the consummation of an object so devoutly to be desired. The town and fortress of Xauxilla, the seat of the government of the revolutionists, was invested by one thousand men under Aguirre; and the place was compelled to surrender, after being gallantly defended for three months. The government was removed into the province of Valladolid, where it was surprised in the month of February 1818, by a party of royalists, and the president made prisoner. The popular government, however, still maintained a precarious existence, its members being obliged to remove from place to place, to avoid falling into the hands of the royalists, having no troops sufficient for their protection. To increase their difficulties, they were involved in civil dissentions. Torres, after the fall of Remedios, had conducted in so capricious and tyrannical a manner, that it had been found necessary to deprive him of his situation as commander in chief, by a formal decree, which Torres resisted. Don Juan Aragon, a French officer, who came into the country with Mina, was appointed to succeed Torres, and both parties had recourse to force, to settle the dispute. The approach of the royalists ended this unhappy contest, and Torres was obliged to yield and place himself under the protection of the government. This occurred in July 1819, and from this period the war languished every where; the royalists occupied all the fortresses, and every town, and the revolutionary party appeared to be almost entirely crushed. General Guerrero, however, a brave and enterprising officer, Arago, and a few others, continued to keep the field at the head of guerrillas, and roamed over the mountains; and Guadalupe Victoria, an assumed name, but one which has since become illustrious in Mexico, after long maintaining himself in the intendency of Vera Cruz, as the only resource left, disbanded his troops, and sought refuge in the mountains from royal vengeance, by which means his life was preserved for the redemption of his country.

CHAPTER X.

Royal authority re-established-Influence of the clergytheir views changed by the revolution in Spain-second revolution planned--Iturbide-Plan of Iguala proclaimed -Viceroy deposed-disaffection of the people-Victoria joins Iturbide-Iturbide takes Queretaro-success of the revolution-arrival of O'Donoju-Treaty-Mexico the capital surrendered to the revolutionists-Cortes assembled-different parties-Regency appointed-Disputes between Itubide and the cortes-Iturbide declared emperor-ambition of Iturbide-proposes to establish military tribunals-project defeated by the cortes.

THE revolution might now be considered as terminated and the royal authority as re-established through the Mexican dominions. This unfortunate issue of the revolution, was mainly to be attributed to the opposition of the clergy, whose influence had always controled the conduct of a large majority of the inhabitants. When the revolution first broke out, and the standard of independence was unfurled by Hidalgo, the shouts of liberty spread from river to river, and from mountain to mountain, until they reached the shores of the two oceans; and the whole country was electrified by the patriotic flame. The people were evidently ripe for a general rising; but this noble spirit was checked by the clergy, who viewed in a revolution, originating from, and to be sustained by the people, if not the overthrow of their power, at least great danger of it, and they immediately sounded the tocsin of alarm. The church was in danger, the inquisition and the Roman apostolic catholic religion. All the engines of a powerful hierarchy, were put in requisition, and all the spiritual weapons of the church directed against the revolution. Disloyalty to the Spanish government, was not only treason, but heresy, the greatest of all sins. Ancient prejudices were renewed, the scruples of the conscientious appealed to, the fears of some were excited, and the ignorance and superstition of the many taken advantage of, to oppose the progress of the revolution, and aid the cause of royalty. The want of an efficient government, and unity of author