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Manuel Lorenzo Justiniano de Zavala y Sáenz
was born the fifth of nine children of Anastasio de Zavala y Velázquez
and María Bárbara Sáenz y Castro in the village
of Tecoh near Mérida, Yucatán, on October 3, 1788. He
graduated from the Tridentine Seminary of San Ildefonso in Mérida
in 1807, and almost immediately embarked on a political career that
spanned more than a quarter of a century. By the time that Lorenzo
de Zavala arrived in Texas in July 1835, he had already held office
on the local, state and national levels in the Mexican Colonial, Imperial,
and National governments.
Zavala was twice imprisoned for his political beliefs.
The first time, he spent three years, 1814-1817, in San Juan de Ulua
prison for advocating democratic reforms in the Spanish government.
While in prison he taught himself English and medicine. He took up the practice
of medicine upon his release and actively pursued it until 1819 when
he returned to politics. From 1822 until his death, he was one of the nation's most active political leaders, representing Yucatán as a deputy in the First and Second Mexican Constituent congresses of 1822 and 1824 and in the Mexican Senate from 1824 to 1826. When Vicente Ramón Guerrero became president, Zavala was appointed secretary of the treasury and served from April to October 1829. Later, after the overthrow of President Guerrero
in 1829, he was kept under house arrest and then forced into exile
the following year.
In addition to holding office, Zavala further affected
political life in Mexico by his active part in establishing York Rite
Masonry in Mexico in 1826. Serving as an alternative to the Scottish
Rite Grand Orient style of Masonry favored by the politically conservative
and centralist leaders, the York Rite boasted a membership that championed
liberal ideals and a decentralized, federal plan for government. Zavala
became the Charter Master of Independencia Lodge No. 454, and he continued
in that office until his exile in 1830.
Zavala extended his political influence both as a writer
and newpaper publisher. He established the first newspaper published
in Yucatan, and from 1807 until his death he contributed articles
and editorials to his own and other newspapers. In addition, he published
a number of pamphlets, memorials, broadsides, and books. As an author,
he is perhaps best known for his two-volume history of Mexico, Ensayo
Historico de las Revoluciones de Megico des 1808 hasta 1830 (Paris
and New York, 1831 and 1832) and his Viages a los Estados-Unidos
del Norte de America (Paris, 1834).
Texans, too, acknowledged Zavala's importance. Zavala
had been representing Mexico in Paris when he got word that Santa
Anna had taken dictatorial control of Mexico. He came to Texas to
work for the restoration of democratic government of his country.
Although orders for Zavala's capture and deportation were issued by
many of the Texas authorities, he was never in real danger of arrest
throughout 1835-1836. Instead, Zavala was invited to attend a conference
of all representatives in the Brazos District to be held at San Felipe
July 15. Asked to speak at meeting planned for August 8, 1835 at Lynchi's
tavern, Zavala was forced to decline because of ill health. However,
he wrote a summary of the political situation to be read at the Lynchburg
meeting. In late September he joined Stephen F. Austin at San Felipe,
and many of Zavala's proposals were incorporated in Austin's October
3 Circular addressed to "The People."
A pragmatic politician throughout his career, Lorenzo
de Zavala tailored his proposals to allow the fullest extension of
democratic practices within the existing or proposed political systems.
This ability to adapt to circumstances is perhaps best reflected in
the three stages of his participation in the Texas Revolution.
In the first stage, Zavala hoped to involve all of the
people of Mexico, including Texans, in a revolt against Santa Anna's
centralist government. At this time, Zavala favored separate statehood
for Texas within a democratic Mexican federation.
Zavala went to San Felipe on October 15 as one of the
five delegates from Harrisburg to the Consultation, a meeting of representatives
from around Texas that conferred on the state of affairs with Mexico
and evolved into Texas' earliest provisional government. Zavala succeeded
Stephen F. Austin as the chairman of the central committee of the
public safety. As a member of the Permanent Council (which served
as interim government while waiting for a quorum of the Consultation
to arrive), he served on the finance committee and wrote an important
article urging the Mexican population of Texas to support the revolution
for the October 31 Telegraph and Texas Register.
When the Consultation finally convened on November 3,
Zavala was named to represent Harrisburg on the "committee of
12" (one delegate from each municipality) in order to write a
declaration "setting forth to the world the causes that impelled
us to take up arms, and the objects for which we fight." With
the membership split between those advocating an immediate declaration
of independence from Mexico and the majority desiring to return Mexican
government to a federal system, Zavala was influential in drafting
the Declaration to the Public (November 7, 1835) in support of a federal
Mexican government and separate statehood for Texas. The Consultation
then appointed him to translate the Declaration into Spanish.
The second stage of Zavala's involvement in the revolution
began with the defeat of his ally, Jose Antonio Mexia, in his insurrection
against Santa Anna in Tampico Expedition. In addition, the balance
of power at the Consultation had begun to swing towards those who
favored separation from Mexico.
Zavala realized that a national Mexican revolt against
Santa Anna was not in the cards, and when the Convention met at Washington-on-the-Brazos
in March 1835, Lorenzo de Zavala reassessed his beliefs.
On March 3 he was among the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence,
an act that would brand him a traitor to his fellow Mexicans to this
day. He and Jose Antonio Navarro were appointed to the committee to
draft a Constitution. Zavala chaired the section on Powers of the
Executive Branch and served on the defense, naval affairs, and flag
design committees. On March 17 he was unanimously elected Vice President
of the ad interim government.
Following the adjournment of the Convention, Zavala
found himself in frequent disagreement with President David G. Burnet.
On April 22, citing his desire to assist the government in a more
active capacity, Zavala submitted the first of three resignations.
On the 28th, Zavala met with the captive President-General
Santa Anna. In the following weeks he would serve as the interpreter
and liaison between Santa Anna and the Texas government, particularly
during the Velasco treaty negotiations completed May 14. In cabinet
meetings he maintained a neutral position on the topic of negotiating
with Santa Anna. When he returned to Velasco he found that both a
public and a secret treaty had been ratified and that the cabinet
had appointed him and Bailey Hardeman to accompany Santa Anna to Mexico
to negotiate treaty of recognition for Texas.
Zavala resigned a second time on June 3, after President
Burnet gave in to cabinet complaints and army protests led by Thomas
Jefferson Green. Although already on board ship for transfer to Vera
Cruz, Santa Anna was returned to prison in Velasco and threatened
with execution. Zavala condemned the action stating: "a government
that takes orders from armed masses is no longer a body politic."
He further extended his protest by helping Santa Anna compose a letter,
addressed to Burnet, denouncing his treatment at the hands of the
mob.
The fiasco at Velasco led to the third stage of Zavala's
thinking about his new country. Writing to Mexia, he declared his
sense of having satisfied his obligations to Texas, but he was inclined
to side with those favoring union with the United States: "for
by this action the stability of our government will be assured
and because I believe it will be very difficult for Texas to march
alone among the other independent nations."
Throughout the rest of the summer he suffered recurrent
bouts of malaria. On September 11 he wrote that he expected to be
strong enough to attend opening session of the government, but two
weeks later, found himself still too ill to attend. On October 14,
President Burnet wrote suggesting that both he and Zavala resign their
offices so that the newly elected government could be inaugurated
at once. Since Congress had not accepted the previous two resignations,
Lorenzo de Zavala submitted his third and final resignation dated
October 17, 1836.
In his inaugural address Vice President Mirabeau B.
Lamar eulogized Zavala:
"Gentlemen, I should be doing an injustice to my own
feelings if I were to resume my seat, without paying to my predecessor
in office that tribute of respect to which he is justly entitled by
his public as well as his private virtues. Through a period of a long
life the ex-vice-president, Governor Lorenzo de Zavala has been the
unwavering and consistent friend of liberal principles of free government.
Among the first movers of the revolution he has never departed from
the pure and sacred principles upon which it was originally founded.
This steady and unyielding devotion to the holy sacred cause of liberty
has been amply rewarded by the confidence, of the virtuous portion
of two republics. The gentleman, the scholar and the patriot, he goes
into retirement with the undivided affections of his fellow citizens;
and I know, gentlemen, that I do not express only my own feelings
when I say that it is the wish of every member of this assembly that
the evening of his day may be as tranquil and happy as the meridian
of his life has been useful and honorable; a gentleman, a patriot,
a scholar and one who loves his fellow man."
On November 15 Lorenzo de Zavala died after contracting
pneumonia, the result of a boating accident on Buffalo Bayou.
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