These Gentlemen, However, Finding Themselves About This Time
Exceedingly Poor, And Not Seeing Any Immediate Prospect Of
Advantage From Supporting
Mendizabal; considering themselves,
moreover, quite as good men as he, and as capable of governing
Spain in the present emergency;
Determined to secede from the party
of their friend, whom they had hitherto supported, and to set up
for themselves.
They therefore formed an opposition to Mendizabal in the cortes;
the members of this opposition assumed the name of moderados, in
contradistinction to Mendizabal and his followers, who were ultra
liberals. The moderados were encouraged by the Queen Regent
Christina, who aimed at a little more power than the liberals were
disposed to allow her, and who had a personal dislike to the
minister. They were likewise encouraged by Cordova, who at that
time commanded the army, and was displeased with Mendizabal,
inasmuch as the latter did not supply the pecuniary demands of the
general with sufficient alacrity, though it is said that the
greater part of what was sent for the payment of the troops was not
devoted to that purpose, but, was invested in the French funds in
the name and for the use and behoof of the said Cordova.
It is, however, by no means my intention to write an account of the
political events which were passing around me at this period;
suffice it to say, that Mendizabal finding himself thwarted in all
his projects by the regent and the general, the former of whom
would adopt no measure which he recommended, whilst the latter
remained inactive and refused to engage the enemy, which by this
time had recovered from the check caused by the death of
Zumalacarregui, and was making considerable progress, resigned and
left the field for the time open to his adversaries, though he
possessed an immense majority in the cortes, and had the voice of
the nation, at least the liberal part of it, in his favour.
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