On
November 5, 1838, Antonio Canales, a prominent lawyer born in Monterrey,
issued a proclamation in Ciudad Guerrero calling for the re-adoption
of the federalist constitution of 1824 and opposition to the centralist
government. By February 1839, the citizens of Laredo had joined the
cause. Helped by the French blockade of the Mexican ports, the Federalist
were able to capture several towns. By March, 1839, however, the French
had lifted their blockade and made peace with Mexico, allowing the Centralists
to devote more resources to fight the Federalists. Between May and September
of 1839, Centralists captured Saltillo, Tampico, Monclova, and Laredo.
Antonio Canales and his chief Lieutenant, Antonio Zapata (For whom the
South Texas county was named in 1858), retreated to the Nueces River
and sought the support of Mirabeau B Lamar, President of the Republic
of Texas, Counting on a buffer state between the newly independent Texas
republic and its former government, Lamar officially remained neutral,
hoping for Mexico's eventual recognition of Texas as a sovereign nation.
President Lamar, however, did allow the recruitment of Texians into
the Federalist armies. The participation of these Texians, who had themselves
chosen to separate from Mexico, caused outrage on the part of some Federalists
who, still considering themselves loyal Mexicans, believed their rebellion
to be one of a temporary nature, to last only until the official government
returned to its former constitution. There serious philosophical differences
eventually led to insurmountable and tragic military disarray for the
Federalists.
On
November 5, 1838, Antonio Canales, a prominent lawyer born in Monterrey,
issued a proclamation in Ciudad Guerrero calling for the re-adoption
of the federalist constitution of 1824 and opposition to the centralist
government. By February 1839, the citizens of Laredo had joined the
cause. Helped by the French blockade of the Mexican ports, the Federalist
were able to capture several towns. By March, 1839, however, the French
had lifted their blockade and made peace with Mexico, allowing the Centralists
to devote more resources to fight the Federalists. Between May and September
of 1839, Centralists captured Saltillo, Tampico, Monclova, and Laredo.
Antonio Canales and his chief Lieutenant, Antonio Zapata (For whom the
South Texas county was named in 1858), retreated to the Nueces River
and sought the support of Mirabeau B Lamar, President of the Republic
of Texas, Counting on a buffer state between the newly independent Texas
republic and its former government, Lamar officially remained neutral,
hoping for Mexico's eventual recognition of Texas as a sovereign nation.
President Lamar, however, did allow the recruitment of Texians into
the Federalist armies. The participation of these Texians, who had themselves
chosen to separate from Mexico, caused outrage on the part of some Federalists
who, still considering themselves loyal Mexicans, believed their rebellion
to be one of a temporary nature, to last only until the official government
returned to its former constitution. There serious philosophical differences
eventually led to insurmountable and tragic military disarray for the
Federalists.