José Mariano Salas (1797-1867) was a Mexican military and politician. Throughout his career he served as president twice. He also supported the establishment of the Regency of the Empire and was a member of the Second Regency.
His ideal was to fight for the development of the nation. For this reason he opposed the liberal government, since it stated that democratic ideas destroyed the country because the inhabitants acquired rights that they did not know how to dominate. He thought that private property was a personal benefit and not a state one.
José Mariano Salas (1797-1867) was a Mexican military and politician. Source: SUN RISE
Likewise, it considered that collective freedom should be supervised and in case of extremisms, individuals had to be sentenced for their inappropriate behavior. He expressed that individual agency was a utopian project. In this way, it is perceived that the objective of Salas was to forge a centralized state.
Biography
Early years
José Mariano Salas was born on May 11, 1797 in Mexico City, the territory where the Viceroyalty of New Spain was established. He was the son of María Barbosa and Francisco Salas. He grew up in a conservative environment, which is why he followed traditions and respected both family and religious values.
From an early age he moved to Puebla. In that metropolis he joined the army of the Infant Regiment in 1813; But he soon shed his cadet title and rose through his role on the battlefield against the insurgents.
Some time later he accompanied General Antonio de Santa Anna in the siege of Xalapa, a town located in Veracruz. The objective was to fight for the independence of the country and get rid of the oppression of the Spanish crown. In the mid-1820s he married Josefa Cardeña.
Military experience
After the struggle for emancipation, Salas supported the Plan of Iguala, a political treaty that was proclaimed in 1821 and that announced the autonomy of Mexico, the designation of a new national monarchy, and Catholicism as the only dogma that the population should profess. Due to his loyalty and work, in 1822 he was appointed captain by Emperor Agustín de Iturbide.
In 1827, he defended the government of José Miguel Adaucto Fernández from the Plan de Montaño. This pronouncement sought to remove the leader to restore the government cabinet, suppress secret societies and expel foreign ministers from the country. The rebellion was unsuccessful as it was overshadowed by the military who protected the president, among them was Salas.
In 1829, he participated in the Battle of Tampico, a warlike conflict started by the Iberian troops, who wanted to recover Mexican territory for the Hispanic monarchs; but the Central American operations militia realized the plan and organized a strategy with the purpose of stopping the Spanish invasion.
Mesoamerican soldiers were victorious on September 11. In 1832, Salas held the position of lieutenant colonel. In 1835, he led an army during the Texas Insurrection. First it interrupted the assault that came from Alamos, then it contained the irruption that was in the municipality of Heroica Matamoros.
First presidency
In 1846, he started an armed movement in La Ciudadela in order to oppose the decisions of Mariano Paredes, who said that the way to save the State from the crisis was to hand it over to the Hispanic Empire. This approach led to him being removed from power on August 6, while Salas assumed the office of president.
As head of the nation, he was in charge of promoting various programs that favored the growth of society; but it should be mentioned that during this period Mexico was bankrupt. For this reason, the planning created by the provisional leader did not have satisfactory results. His projects were:
-Get resources to acquire instruments of war.
-Convene a contest for the fittest businessman to install a new electrical system in public spaces.
-He proposed the building of language and history institutes, as well as the creation of a state library.
Besides, it gave effect to the Constitution of 1824. Its objective was to restore the legal text to call elections in order for Santa Anna to win; but this general could not hold office because he was performing military duties. For this reason, Salas handed over the presidential position to Valentín Gómez on December 23.
Trajectory
In 1847, Salas was promoted to major general. Instantly he left for the north to fight against the North American troops. On August 20 he was fighting in the Battle of Padierna when he was kidnapped by a group of US soldiers, although he was released shortly after.
It is worth noting that the war between Mexico and the United States ended in 1848, at which time the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed. That document portrayed that the Central American country ceded half of its lands to the northern state.
After sealing that pact of friendship and peace, José Mariano Salas was appointed military commander for his actions and bravery. In addition, he was elected governor of Querétaro.
Insurgent flag during the siege of Acapulco. Source: Dageno (Public domain)
Last years
While Salas fulfilled his functions as governor and military man, the historical context of Mexico was changing. At the end of 1850 the country was governed by two leaders, one of liberal ideology and the other of the conservative party. Event that caused the beginning of the Reform war.
This warlike conflict led conservative politicians to ally themselves with the French monarchy, since it was the only way to defeat the democrats. To strengthen its authority, the board of directors decided that Miguel Miramón should be president; but since he was not available, Salas held the position from January 21 to February 2, 1859.
This commander also contributed to the formation of the Second Regency and was selected as one of its members on July 11, 1863. In May 1864 he handed over power to Emperor Maximilian I. Despite efforts, the empire was defeated by the Republicans.
José Mariano Salas died on December 24, 1867 in the town of Guadalupe. His remains were buried in the Pantheon of Tepeyac.
References
- Abraham, L. (2014). Administrative and social order in Mexico during the 19th century. Retrieved on December 16, 2019 from Revista de Historia: revistadehistoria.es
- Allard, N. (2015). French invasion in Mexico. Retrieved on December 15, 2019 from Department of History: arts.uottawa.ca
- Castelazo, R. (2010). José Mariano Salas, government reports. Retrieved on December 15, 2019 from the Institute of Legal Research: legal.unam.mx
- Medina, F. (2006). The ideology on fanaticism, José Mariano Salas. Retrieved on December 15, 2019 from Colegio de México: colmex.mx
- Riscos, A. (2012). Conservative military men of the 18th and 19th centuries in Mexico. Retrieved on December 16, 2019 from the Historical Bulletin: latinoamericanarevistas.org
- Safrankova, B. (2002). Regencies of the Mexican Empire. Retrieved on December 15, 2019 from Stanford University Press: stanford.edu
- Santos, J. (2008). A conservative president: José Mariano Salas. Retrieved on December 15, 2019 from the Mexican Academy of History: acadmexhistoria.org.mx
- Whitesell, I. (2005). War between Mexico and United States. Retrieved on December 15, 2019 from Faculty of History: history.ox