[Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez de]

Escelentisimo Señor. Entre las Satisfacciones Que Han Inundado Mi Alma al Volver a Respirar el Aire de la Patria, por las Demonstraciones de Todas Clases Que Han Querido Hacer Mis Compatriotas a Mi Persona... [captino title and first lines of text]

[Xalapa]: Imprenta de Florencio Aburto, 1846. Broadsheet, approximately 12.5 x 9 inches. Light dampstaining and dustsoiling. Minor wear at edges. In a gilt lettered, quarter calf and cloth folder. About very good. Item #3699

A rare address circulated by Santa Anna shortly after he returned from exile to lead the Mexican military response in the war against the United States. This open letter was written on August 20, 1846, from his personal estate in Xalapa, Veracruz, to his ally General Jose Mariano de Salas. It principally discusses the social, political, and economic problems facing Mexico in the forthcoming struggle and suggests that Santa Anna himself is the best candidate to solve them. He is at pains to state that he has only ever acted (in his view) in the best interests of the nation, and that internecine factionalism amongst political parties has made the country weak. Santa Anna continues that he would be happy to return as the leader of Mexico, but only if called upon by the people and legitimate authorities. His lengthy statement reads, in part:

"El cielo me es testigo de que no he querido en todo tiempo mas que el engrandecimiento y la prosperidad de mi Nacion: esta ha sido mi ambicion; pero buscaba este fin en la reunion de todas las inteligencias, cualquiera que fuese su color político; en la fusion de los partidos porque tanto trabajé y que nunca conseguí, porque las minorías no had querido ni querrán nunca mas que la esclusiva dominacion: gritando contra el tirano, no aman los principio, sino la tiranía....

"Si ha de renacer el imperio de las Leyes, si Autoridades legítamamente constituidas han de administar justicia, no me permitiré previnir ni influir anticipadamente en su jucio: nada de dictadura, nada de arbitrariedad.... Yo no me encuenctra mas facultado que V.E. para decidir las cuestiones relativas á esta causa, determinar de su persona ni de su suerte, porque repito, Señor General, que no tengo otro programa, dicho en una sola palabra, mas que ser en adelante el mero, pero firme egectuor de la voluntad de la Nacion legítamamente manifestada, es decir, por sus órganos originalmente designados por ella."

An important address from the perennial leader of Mexico on his ambitions for another return to power, this time to face the invading Americans at the outset of the Mexican-American War. Not in Palau or OCLC.

Price: $2,500.00