hopes, or
reasonable expectations of reconquest, but with the contemptible anxiety
of usurping a temporary power which, for a while, enabled the aspirant
to govern the country without the least prospect of settling the
difficulty with us or of regaining Texas.[65]

This revolution commenced with the army of reserve stationed at San Luis
Potosi, and was seconded by the military men generally. On the 15th of
December, 1845, Paredes issued a bombastic proclamation[66] from his
headquarters; and, in the latter part of the month the revolutionary
forces reached the capital, when a portion of the garrison pronounced in
favor of the insurgent chief. This induced an early accommodation
between the parties, and finished the outbreak without bloodshed. Yet
Paredes, having overthrown Herrera, partly in consequence of his
friendly disposition for peace with us, could not now attempt
negotiations successfully. Mr. Slidell renewed his offers to the
cabinet, but was repulsed and left the country. The lame reliance of
Mexico upon bombastic proclamations was again adopted. Yet the people
were discontented with Paredes who soon began to manifest the despotic
tendency of his nature and education. The military life of this
chieftain naturally inclined him towards centralism, but he was
altogether unfit either by character or habits for civil authority. As
soon as he assumed the reins of government, a party which had long
drooped began again to lift its head. The monarchists, led by the
Archbishop Manuel Posada y Garduno, and the wily Don Lucas Alaman, soon
got possession of the insurgent general. They were joined by a large
portion of the higher clergy, some influential men of fortune, a few
soldiers, and a number of silly citizens, who promised themselves a
futurity of progress and felicity by calling to the Mexican throne a
monarch from beyond the sea. This party of royalists was strengthened by
dissensions at home, and by the expected attack from the United States.
Many reflecting men cherished no hope of national progress so long as
the turbulent army was unrestrained by paramount authority. They desired
at once to crush freedom and domestic despotism by a foreign prince
supported by European soldiery, whilst they believed that the
continental sovereigns would greedily seize the opportunity of throwing
their forces into America so as to check the aggressive ambition of the
United States.[67] As soon as this scheme of Paredes was discl