om the departmental junta of Jalisco. This
revolt was lead by General Paredes, and after a multitude of military
and diplomatic manoeuvres, resulted in Santa Anna's downfall on the
4th of January, 1845. The ex-president fled towards the sea-coast; but
was captured by a detachment of volunteers at the village of Jico,
whence he was transferred under a strong escort to the castle of Perote.
It is difficult even to imagine the bitter wrath with which the Mexican
people assailed the captured chief. He, who but a few months before
exercised despotic sway over the land, was now a prisoner and at the
mercy of the mob. His friends interposed in this emergency to save his
life both from popular fury and judicial action which might make it the
penalty of his misrule. The strife was long and anxious, but, at length,
an amnesty was declared, under which Santa Anna departed for Cuba on the
29th of May, 1845, accompanied by his wife and daughter.[58] The fury of
the people against the exile may be imagined from the fact that they
exhausted every means by which they could manifest their hatred of his
deeds and memory. They thronged the streets singing ribald songs, and
hawking ridiculous caricatures;--they tore his pictures from the walls,
and hurled his statues from their pedestals; and, with the fiendishness
of hyenas, they even snatched from the grave the leg he had lost in
battle with the French at Vera Cruz, and tossed it about the streets of
Mexico![59]

* * * * *

The result of Santa Anna's downfall was the establishment of a
provisional government under General Herrera, president of the council.
This person is represented to have been a discreet officer, whose
judgment naturally led him to see the wisdom of a pacific course towards
the United States, but whose destiny was finally controlled by the rash
and unprincipled conduct of insurrectionary demagogues.

Meanwhile the congress of the United States reconsidered the Texan
question, and after a long and ardent debate, finally passed a joint
resolution for annexation, with an alternative permission to the
executive to negotiate; provided he thought proper to adopt that course.
This was a solemn decision of the question by the representatives of the
people, and it was sustained by the president who did not permit himself
to be influenced by the threats of Mexico or the hostile preparations
made by that country. In fact, Mr. Tyler had been carefu