nestly recommended Iturbide to evade the impending danger by submitting to the voice of the people.

Having thus nobly discharged his duty to the emperor, Echavari proceeded to negotiate with the leaders of the republican army, with the view of accommodating matters between the two great parties (the Imperialists and Republicans), into which all the petty factions had now resolved themselves. After some little time spent in these negotiations, Victoria and Santa Anna entered Xalapa, followed by Generals Guerrero and Bravo. This event gave such general satisfaction to the country, and was received with such universal rejoicings, that Iturbide at once saw the truth of Echavari's remarks, and the propriety of accommodating himself to the suggestions of his prudent counsellor.

Though it may with some truth be said that Iturbide was too ambitious to be honest, yet he was not too arrogant to receive, nor so self-willed as to refuse to act up to the suggestions of those whom he had called to the council of the state to aid him. with their advice; he therefore summoned his ministers together, and after laying before them a correct view of his position, he stated his wish to relinquish his claims to the throne, which he did in a letter addressed to the junta, dated March 19th, 1823. This letter was written in a spirited and masterly style, returning all the dignities, honours, and titles, to the troubled source from which they had been

so recently taken; and thus the gaudy pillars of the mighty temple of renown which Iturbide had designed for himself, were seen to quake and fall to the ground.

The congress was astounded at the receipt of the emperor's abdication, and would fain have compromised with him, so as to have prevented his departure from the capital; and the re-assembled national congress raised a question as to Iturbide's right to abdicate the throne; but this question was mooted and discussed merely to see whether the congress had the power to receive the emperor's abdication or not. Their apprehensions were no sooner removed, and all doubts resolved on that head, than they accepted the emperor's abdication, and voted him a yearly income of 25,000 dollars for his former services and their deliverance from a dilemma in which they felt so seriously embarrassed, and with the most profound respect they allowed him to retire to Tulancingo, where he remained until the 11th of May, when General Bravo was sent by the republican government to escort Iturbide to Antigua, at which place he embarked with his suite for Leghorn.

Victoria, at the head of the republicans, entered the capital on the 27th of March, 1823, when the imperial junta was unceremoniously dissolved, and a temporary government, by a supreme executive of three members, established. Generals Bravo, Victoria, and Negrete, were the members of this

executive. Amidst the universal uproar and confusion, Iturbide, who withdrew as quietly as possible, was not thought of, until some thousands of proclamations and decrees appeared on the walls of the city, bearing signatures quite unknown to the majority of its inhabitants. Many lamented Iturbide's departure, while all joined in a rigid inquiry as to the form of government about to be established, which was promptly answered by the promulgation of a plan of a federal republican constitution.

This constitution was at first held to be perfect in all its parts, and was adopted by the nation as such. But, contrary to the most sanguine expectations of its framers, it had to undergo some few modifications; by some it was thought to be tainted with centralism, while others contended that it ought even to be more democratic, and yet central. The government, anxious to keep all parties quiet, did not oppose the alterations, which were discussed by a constituent congress, and the bases of the constitution were finally approved and sworn to on the 2nd of February, 1824.

The constitution being purely democratic and federal, and prepared to meet the views of the most fastidious factionists, was far, however, from being the harbinger of tranquillity.

The supreme legislative power being assumed by the general congress of the nation, it proceeded, as a constituent body, to settle the various points

of the constitution, of which the bases were already agreed to, and thereby to consolidate the political independence of Mexico, confirm and maintain the civil and religious rights of the people, and to promote the welfare of the nation generally. The limits of the republic were declared to embrace all those provinces which, although forming part of the viceroyalty of New Spain, had in some measure separate administrations, such as Yucatan, the east and west internal provinces, Lower and Upper California, with the adjacent lands in both.

The Mexican nation was again declared for ever free and independent of the mother country. The limits of the republic were carried beyond what was known as the vice-royalty of New Spain, to the provinces of Tucatan, the internal provinces of East and West, Lower and Upper California, with the lands annexed, and adjacent lands, in both

seas.

The Roman Catholic Apostolic religion was perpetuated and established for ever, as the universal religion of the people; and the exercise of all others was peremptorily prohibited within the limits of the republic.

The form of government popular, representative, and federal republican; and the territory of the republic was divided into states, to form the confederation, as follows:

The state of Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Texas, Durango, Guanaguato, Mexico, Mechoacan,

New Leon, Oaxaca, Puebla de los Angeles, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Sonora and Sinaloa, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Vera Cruz, Xalisco, Yucatan, and Zacatecas. Upper and Lower California, Colima and New Mexico, were declared territories, and the character of the province of Tlaxcala was left to be defined by subsequent enactment. The legislative power was vested in a general congress, consisting of senators and representatives elected by the states. The qualification of electors, and the rules and regulations to be observed at all elections, were left to the states, while the population formed the constitutional basis of the elective franchise of a state. For every 80,000 souls, two representatives; for a fraction under or above 40,000, one. To be a representative, it was necessary to be twenty-five years of age, to have been a resident for at least two years in the state for which elected, to possess a real estate worth 8000 dollars, or some occupation that produced 1000 dollars per annum. If not a Mexican by birth, in addition to this qualification, the military not born in the republic, but who established and maintained the independence of the country, were peremptorily required to reside eight years within the republic before they could be elected as a representative.

The senate, which was the second branch of the supreme legislature, was also elective. The legislature of the states was allowed, individually, to elect two senators, who retained their seats for two