THE REVOLUTION.
We will now return to the Hacienda del Barrio, in order to explain to
the reader certain important events which had occurred, the knowledge
of which is indispensable to understand coming facts. The conspirators,
after the departure of Count de Melgosa, whose unexpected visit had so
disagreeably surprised them, had immediately separated, not through any
fear of the consequences which this visit might have for them, but, on
the contrary, to arm their peons and adherents, and put themselves as
quickly as possible in a position to resist any attempted aggression on
the part of the Spanish government.
The Mexicans, instructed and hardened to war by ten years' fighting
and their numerous defeats, were no longer the half-savage men who
marched without order or discipline, impelled solely by religious
fanaticism or the ardent love of liberty, and let themselves be bravely
slaughtered by the old Spanish bands on the plains of Calderón. Hidalgo
and Morelos, those sublime champions of liberty, had lost their lives
in their generous attempts at emancipation; but their blood had not in
vain bedewed that Mexican soil which the Spaniards fancied enslaved
forever. Other chiefs, electrified by the heroic devotion of their
predecessors, had risen in their turn, and, profiting by past errors,
organized the revolt, and gradually, by their skilful and incessant
guidance, the insurrection, at first timid and retired, extended, and
eventually became a revolution.
The knell of Spain had rung: her power, ruined on all sides, crumbled
away in hands too feeble to hold it. The Viceroys of New Spain,
incessantly pressed, were involuntarily forced to try concessions--a
fatal resolve for tyranny, which it is impossible to check, for
no sooner is one difficulty smoothed than another larger and more
formidable rises up. The supreme struggle began. The proclamation of
Iguala, published by General Iturbide--that is to say, the independence
of New Spain, union between the Spanish and Mexican races, and the
exclusive maintenance of the Catholic religion--gave the signal for
revolt. It was general; insurgent bands were organized on all sides.
Don Pelagio Sandoval summoned all the hacenderos of the province,
and two days after the conference we have described, the insurgent
forces, amounting to more than ten thousand well-armed men, infantry
and cavalry, and having a battery of six mountain guns, quitted the
Hacienda del Barrio, where their chief only left a weak garrison to
hold the Indians in check, and advanced by forced marches on Coahuila.
This capital of the province was a town of nine or ten thousand souls,
built on an affluent of the Río Sabina, surrounded by walls, and;
owing to the arrangements made long before by General Cárdenas, it was
perfectly defended from a surprise. The progress of the insurrectionary
army was truly a triumphant march. At each step reinforcements
reached it, and the Mexicans everywhere took up arms. Leona Vicario,
Castanuello, Parras, Nueva Bilbao, and Santa Rosa expelled the
Spaniards, and proclaimed their independence by hoisting the green,
white, and red flag, the emblem of the three guarantees of the treaty
of Iguala, independence, union, and religion.
Don Pelagio Sandoval, not wishing to leave any enemy in his rear,
suddenly attacked the Presidio of the Río Grande as well as the forts
of the Agua Verde and Bahia, built on the Río del Norte, in order
to protect the border against Indian forays, and after a vigorous
resistance, carried them by storm. The insurgent general, in order not
to embarrass his army with prisoners, contented himself with disarming
the Spanish garrisons, and left them free to retire wherever they
pleased. This merciful policy formed too great a contrast with the
rigorous system hitherto adopted by the government, not to produce
a good result, whose effect was immediately felt; many officers
and soldiers, natives of New Spain, offered their swords to the
insurrection, and passed into the ranks of the Mexican army. One town
alone still resisted the general movement and remained faithful to
Spain; this town was Coahuila.
General Don López de Cárdenas, at the first insurrectionary movement,
called in all the Spanish garrisons scattered through the other towns,
which he despaired of defending effectually against the formidable
forces of the insurgents, and shut himself up in Coahuila, resolved
to bury himself beneath the smoking ashes sooner than open the gates
to men whom he regarded as miserable rebels, deceived and seduced by
a fanatic priest. After proclaiming independence in all the towns of
the province, and establishing the national government, Don Pelagio
led on Coahuila the forces at his disposal, which, as we said, had
been largely augmented by the contingents constantly supplied by the
liberals, and now rose to the really formidable number of 25,000 men.
The Mexicans reached the town after meeting with no further obstacle
than a considerable cavalry corps, probably sent to reconnoitre,
and which, after exchanging a few carbine shots with the vanguard,
declined a contest and fell back. The town was immediately invested.
General Cárdenas was not only an old soldier, but also a skilful
strategist; in the prevision of a revolt, he had abundance of arms and
ammunition at Coahuila, and so soon as he was shut up in the town, he
had earth breastworks thrown up, and wide ditches dug. Hence a regular
siege was about to begin against an enemy who was too well aware of the
hatred he had aroused not to offer a vigorous resistance. The priest's
first care was to trace a parallel, and throw up entrenchments. The
flag of independence was haughtily hoisted on the jacal, which served
as headquarters, and Don Pelagio summoned the town to surrender. On
hearing the Mexican bugles, General Cárdenas appeared on the ramparts,
surrounded by a large party of Spanish officers, smart as gold lace
could make them.
"Who are you and what do you want?" he said in a haughty voice,
addressing the officer who commanded the Spanish detachment.
This officer was Don Aníbal de Saldibar, whom General Sandoval had made
his first aide-de-camp and major-general. Don Aníbal held in his hand
his drawn sword, to the blade of which a white scarf was fastened.
"Who are you?" he answered; "I have orders only to address Don López de
Cárdenas, commanding the town."
"And governor of the province," the general interrupted sarcastically.
"The province no longer recognizes the power of the Spanish government."
"Indeed," he said; "and pray what do you want with General Cárdenas?"
"I can only tell that to himself."
"Well, speak without further delay, for he is listening to you."
Don Aníbal bowed.
"I have orders," he said, "to summon you to surrender the town
immediately to General Don Pelagio Sandoval, commander-in-chief of the
Mexican forces of the province of Coahuila."
"Ah, ah!" said the general, biting his moustache.
"General Sandoval," Don Aníbal continued, "invites you to arrange an
interview with him in order to discuss the terms of the capitulation."
General Cárdenas could not stand this any longer; the demands of the
insurgents seemed to him so absurd, that he burst into a laugh, in
which his officers joined. Don Aníbal was not at all affected by this
unseasonable hilarity; he stood coldly with folded arms, waiting till
the general thought proper to become serious again.
"Well, my good fellow," the latter said presently; "are you still
there?"
"Certainly, General, and shall remain till you are pleased to answer
me."
"Diablos, your pretensions are too exaggerated. Learn that I know
no other army in New Spain but the Spanish. As for the cuadrilla
of bandits surrounding the town at this moment, and the cabecilla
who commands it, to whom you dare give the title of general, listen
carefully to this: I do not treat with rebels, wretched slaves who have
revolted against their masters. I consented to listen to you to the
end, and not have you shot at once, but do not try my patience too far.
Retire and be careful not to be the bearer of such messages in future,
for a misfortune would happen to you; that is the only answer I can
and will give you. Now, make haste to be off, if you do not wish me to
give the order to treat you as you deserve."
"Take care, General," Don Aníbal answered intrepidly, "the struggle you
are hurrying on is an impious one, the cause you defend is a lost one.
Through humanity, if not through conviction, spare the useless shedding
of innocent blood, which will fall on your head."
"Send a couple of bullets at that chatterer," the general said with
a shrug of his shoulders, as he turned to the troops present at this
interview.
The soldiers obeyed, and several bullets, badly aimed, perhaps
purposely so, whistled portentously past the ears of the brave
hacendero. The latter, who had fully heard the order given by the
general, did not attempt to avoid them, but merely removed the white
scarf from his sword and threw it from him.
"Of what use is a flag of truce," he said, "when you have to deal with
hangmen who despise the law of nations. Farewell, General Cárdenas;
I had forgotten the name which the inhabitants of this province have
branded you with; you have just reminded me of it." After bowing
ironically to the Spaniards, he made a sign to his escort to follow
him, and retired with a slow, calm step, as if he had nothing to fear
from the man whom he thus outraged. The general had raised his head
and opened his mouth, probably to give some terrible order; but he
succeeded in restraining himself. He smiled cunningly as he looked
after the flag of truce who had so audaciously braved him, and, as he
left the ramparts, said--
"Come, caballeros, we will return to the cabildo. The bark of those
scoundrels is worse than their bite. I trust before long to prove to
them that they were right to christen me 'the Shark.'"
Don Aníbal returned to the jacal, where Father Sandoval was waiting
for him, surrounded by his staff. The general of the insurgents
knew perfectly well that the summons he sent his enemy would remain
unanswered, or, if he deigned to give one, that it would be of an
insulting nature; but he thought himself bound to take this step, in
order to have right entirely on his side, by forcing General Cárdenas,
with whose character he was thoroughly acquainted, to commit one of
those bloodthirsty acts to which he was accustomed. Such a deed would
permit him to make every effort to carry the town and capture the
general, of whom he purposed to make an example. Father Sandoval's
calculations were perfectly correct. General Cárdenas had not hesitated
to give orders to fire on a flag of truce. He had done even more, as
the Mexican officers soon learned from the formidable clamour that ran
along the whole army.
During the skirmish which took place a short distance from the town,
the Spaniards took six or seven prisoners--poor peons, not so well
mounted as their comrades, and who had not been able to rejoin the army
so speedily as they might have liked. These prisoners were taken into
the town, and as ill luck would have it the general perceived them
as he entered the cabildo. On seeing them he could not restrain his
fury, but ordered that they should at once be led to the ramparts, and
hung in the sight of the Mexican army. In vain did the officers try to
dissuade him. The general was inexorable, and the poor fellows were
hung without any trial. They heaved their last sigh at the very moment
when Don Aníbal de Saldibar entered the jacal, and the army burst into
a fearful clamour, which caused the Mexican general and his officers to
shudder with horror and passion.
The siege consequently began under mournful auspices. Every insurgent
who fell into the hands of the Spaniards was hung on the ramparts.
General Cárdenas had sworn to make a wall of corpses round the town. On
their side, the Mexicans mercilessly massacred the hapless Spaniards
whom the chances of war delivered into their hands. It was in vain
that Padre Sandoval implored his comrades to spare their enemies. The
exasperation of the Mexicans was at its height, and they remained deaf
to the prayers and orders of their chief. At the same time the Spanish
general defended himself like a lion. Every patch of ground gained by
the insurgents was disputed inch by inch, and cost streams of blood.
The town had been invested for seven days, and as yet there was no
prospect that it would be soon captured. On the eighth day, Father
Sandoval received a copy of the treaty signed by General Iturbide and
the Viceroy O'Donojú. This treaty stated substantially that Mexico was
declared independent, on the condition of establishing a constitutional
and representative monarchy, of which a member of the family of the
Spanish Bourbons should be nominated King. The Viceroy understood the
critical position in which the interests of the home country were
placed, and despairing completely to preserve to Spain the possession
of this rich colony, he skilfully turned the question, so as to save as
much as he could.
This treaty terminated the war; but Father Sandoval did not know how
to communicate the fact to General Cárdenas. After the menaces made by
that general, and the summary executions that followed them, no one
cared to go to him. Don Aníbal, ever ready to sacrifice himself for the
common welfare, offered to proceed to the general. The latter, contrary
to expectation, let the flag of truce enter the town, and even received
him with a certain amount of courtesy, which surprised Don Aníbal
himself, especially after the manner in which the first interview he
had with him ended.
The hacendero handed the general a copy of the treaty, adding that he
hoped this document would put a stop to the bloodshed. The general took
the paper, which he read attentively twice, as if weighing all its
clauses. While he was perusing it, Don Aníbal tried in vain to follow
on his face the effect it produced; but the general's features seemed
carved in marble, and no emotion was visible on them.
"My answer will be brief, caballero," he said, in a dry voice, but with
an accent of gloomy resolution. "In my opinion, the Viceroy O'Donojú
has no power to settle so serious a question as the independence of
New Spain. The king, my master and his, delegated him, not to throw
away this colony, but to keep it for him at all risks. This deed is
therefore null, so long as the King of Spain and the Indies has not
ratified it. As for me, caballero, I shall not resign the authority
entrusted to me. A royal order alone will make me return my sword to
the scabbard from which I have drawn it. Whatever the consequences of
this resolution may be to me, I shall wait for that order. Good day."
The general bowed slightly to the flag of truce, and turned away as if
to make him understand that his audience was over. Don Aníbal withdrew,
and was conducted to the advanced posts with bandaged eyes, although
treated with the utmost respect by the soldiers told off as his escort.
The chief of the Liberals was most anxiously awaiting the return of his
emissary, as he feared, with some show of reason, that the general,
despising, as usual, the law of nations, had made him undergo unworthy
treatment. Hence it was with extreme pleasure that he saw Don Aníbal
return. Unhappily, the reply brought by the hacendero did not leave the
slightest hope of peace. Father Sandoval, though recognizing in his
heart the wisdom of his enemy's conduct, resolved with a sigh of regret
to deal a heavy blow, and made his preparations accordingly.