Santa-Anna, ANTONIO LOPEZ DE

Santa-Anna, ANTONIO LOPEZ DE, president of Mexico, was born in Jalapa, 21st February 1795. At the age of fifteen he entered the Spanish army, and served against his countrymen until 1821, when he joined Iturbide, who made him brigadier and governor of Vera Cruz. Iturbide had established an imperial rule over Mexico (q.v.), but in 1822 Santa-Anna proclaimed a republic, and brought about his patron's downfall. In 1828 he headed a rising which placed Guerrero in the presidential chair; and in 1829 he defeated and captured a division of Spanish troops which had landed near Tampico, with the view of again bringing Mexico under Spanish rule. He now engaged in a series of intrigues which culminated in an open revolt against the president, Bustamente, in 1832, and his own election. Santa-Anna, however, desired power without responsibility for the irksome details of government, and he retired to his country seat, leaving the executive in the hands of the vice-president; and when he ceased to be able to control this lieutenant, in 1834 he headed a rising against him, and had him deposed in 1835, and another appointed in his stead. But Santa-Anna's reactionary policy, which reduced the states to provinces and placed all the power in the hands of the central government, in 1836 cost the country Texas (q.v.). He invaded the revolted province with 6000 men, and defeated and massacred his opponents with unbroken success until April, when he was routed at San Jacinto by Houston, and soon after taken prisoner. He escaped with eight months' imprisonment and a short detention in the United States; but at home his influence was not restored until, luckily, in 1838 the French attacked Vera Cruz, and in the gallant defence of the city he lost a leg. He was now encouraged to renew his intrigues, which were again successful, and from 1841 to 1844 he was either president or the president's master. Then there was a revolution on the other side, the army deserted him, and he fled towards the coast, but was arrested, imprisoned for a time in 1845, and ultimately permitted to retire to Havana. From this exile he was recalled in 1846 to be first commander-in-chief and then president. The war with the United States had begun, and begun badly: Palo Alto and Resaca had been lost, and in September Monterey fell. In February 1847 Santa-Anna, who had brought together some 20,000 men, attacked Taylor's weakened force of 5000 at Buena Vista; but the narrow pass and the strength of the American artillery were fatal to him, and he was repulsed with heavy loss. At Cerro Gordo, in April, Scott defeated him and took 3000 prisoners. Santa-Anna retired on the capital, but when its fall became certain he resigned the presidency and withdrew from the city by night. He was allowed to retire to Jamaica in 1848, but was recalled by a revolution in 1853, and appointed by an obedient congress president for life, with the title of Most Serene Highness. His harsh rule quickly produced a number of revolts, and in 1855 he was driven from the country, finally finding a refuge in St Thomas. On the establishment of the empire under Maximilian he was permitted to return on condition of his not interfering in political affairs; but he could not refrain from intriguing for himself and issuing the old proclamations, and so before long Bazaine sent him back to St Thomas. Even the appointment of grand-marshals of the empire could not keep him faithful, and a second conspiracy against Maximilian ended in another flight. He now vainly endeavoured to obtain employment against the empire, and in 1867, after the emperor's death, tried to effect a landing at Sisal, but was captured, tried by court-martial, and sentenced to death. Juarez, however, pardoned him on condition of his leaving Mexico; and the old man spent the succeeding years mainly on Staten Island, New York, in conspiring, cock-fighting, and card-playing, until a general amnesty in 1872 enabled him to return to his own country. There, disregarded and harmless, he died in the capital, 20th June 1876.