Comonfort, Ignacio
By Kindra Cowan
Ignacio Comonfort was born in the city of Puebla on March 10th, 1812. He came from a
poor uneducated family but Comonfort was able to educate himself. He studied at the Carolina
College in the city of Natal. During his studies his father died, forcing him to return home to take
the responsibility of being the head of the family's household. In 1831, he became an artillery captain.
Comonfort fought against the dictator Anastasio Bustamante
with Santa Anna. Within one year he was promoted to Artillery Captain of the National Guard and infantry
colonel in the militia of his capital on July 29th, 1833. Comonfort fought under the leadership of
Santa Anna and in 1852 was appointed to be the administrator of the Aduana Maritima of
Mazatlán. In 1853 he was no longer the administrator because Santa Anna announced himself as
dictator of Mexico. Santa Anna suppressed individual rights, sold territory to the U.S and finally
demanded to be called Serene Highness. Many Mexicans like
Juan Alvarez and Comonfort came
together to rebel against Santa Anna. Comonfort joined Juan Alvarez to overthrow Santa Anna
and proclaimed the Plan of Ayutla. One of the demands of The Plan of Ayutla was that Santa
Anna must withdraw from presidency. Santa Anna fled into exile from Mexico and Juan Alvarez
was elected President. Comonfort's chance to rise in the political scene rose when Alvarez
appointed him to be Mexico's minister of war. During Alvarez presidency, congress summoned
for a new constitution and Comonfort was put in charge. During the amending of the constitution
on December 10th Alvarez renounced his presidency and on December 11th Comonfort was named
president.
During his presidency he established three laws. "Comonfort wanted this constitution to
declare personal rights, freedom of education, press, industry of commerce of labor and of
association. The three laws he established was the "Juárez Law of 1855, which suppressed all
the privileges of the clergy and army, and declared all citizens equal in the eyes of the law. In
1856, the Lerdo Law which obliged civil and ecclesiastical corporations to sell all unoccupied
houses and land to their tenants, to allow these propertied to produce greater wealth in favor of
more people. The last law he passed was the Iglesias Law of 1857 which regulated the collection
of parish rights"( SEP, Dept. of Education, 2). Finally, congress proclaimed the new constitution
on February 1857."
During these three years Comonfort had fight to stay president. "Many liberals who called
themselves puros felt that Comonfort was a moderado, a weak liberal who was a dictator and a
traitor to the goals of Ayutla"(Oliff,65). Miguel Lerdo de Tejada, a cabinet minister, opposed him. The puros were plotting to get rid of
Comonfort. They would talk with other liberals to turn them against Comonfort. Lerdo
told these other liberals that Comonfort was playing into the hands of the British and
the French. The proposals were goals of Miguel Lerdo de Tejada and other puros.
Lerdo's main goal was to remove Comonfort from office and place Lerdo as
president. Comonfort knew about this plan and became an even stronger president and fought
these attacks. Comonfort tried to compromise, but Lerdo de Tejada refused and because of
Comonfort's courage Lerdo de Tejada backed down and resigned on January 3rd, 1857.
Not only were liberals against Comonfort, but also conservatives. "After the constitution
was signed many conservatives denounced and refused to obey it"(Mabry, 3). Comonfort knew
that the liberal ideas would lead to social conflict. Comonfort said, "The new code was not
according to the will of the country and contained germs of disorder and lack of unity"( www.libreopinion.com, 3). Angered conservatives
plotted against Comonfort and in Dec. 1857 came the revolt of
Félix Zuloaga. During the revolt
Comonfort knew that he would lose his presidency if he did not side with the conservatives.
Comonfort's position changed and he asked the conservatives for support in governing without
the constitution. The conservative party refused and Comonfort thought as a last result to declare
himself as a constitutional president with angered the conservatives even more. Comonfort tried
to make peace with the conservatives, but nothing helped. On December 17th , the constitution
was suspended and vice president Juárez was arrested. With the suspension of the constitution,
Felix Zuloaga proclaimed the Plan of Tacubaya. The Plan contained six proposals:
from this date let govern the 1857 constitution;
Ignacio will continue the one in charge of the top command, with faculties
omnimodas;
will summon an extraordinary congress that forms a constitution according to the
national will;
0nce the constitution is approved by the vote of the town, will be promulgated,
and if the town does not approve it, it will return to congress so that it reforms it
according to the vote of the majority;
the president will name an advice composed of representatives of the states;
will stop in the exercise of their functions the authorities that do not seconded this
plan"( www.libreopinion.com, 3).
Comonfort now began to back down against Zuloaga knowing he would try to take over.
In his retreat from Zuloaga, Comonfort helped Juárez escape and his family flee from Mexico.
After helping Juárez escape he to had a plan to leave Mexico with his family. On January 21st,
1858 he resigned from the presidency or as some say, "He abandoned his presidency and fled into
exile"(SEP, Dept. of education,3). For the next three years from 1858 to 1861, he lived in the
United States. In 1861, Juárez was reelected and many conservatives fled into exile. Comonfort
decided to return to Mexico. In 1863 he offered his service to fight against the French
Intervention that began in April of 1862. Comonfort was elected to be the General Chief of the
army. Comonfort fought bravely against the French and won many battles. On November 13th
1863, Comonfort was killed near San Juan de la Vega when he and his unit were attacked by
guerillas.
The Comonfort Presidency was a short-lived one. He was neither a liberal nor
a conservative. He played both sides of the political field in order to try to keep things in control
throughout Mexico. He failed because he honestly did not have what it takes to be president. He
was a great military leader, but not a politician. He climbed the military ladder very quickly and
he was noble and brave on the battlefield. The major downfall in his presidency was the
Constitution of 1857. The constitution pleased neither the liberals, conservatives, nor the church.
Comonfort had no support from either political party and was not strong enough in the eyes of
politics. Ignacio Comonfort's courage and leadership belonged on the battlefield and that is where
he did justice for Mexico.
__________
Sources
Mabry, Donald (2001). Historical Text Archive.
The Reform, the French Intervention and the Restored Republic
Online. 6 March 2003.
Mexican Archive Project (1994). Benson Latin American Collection.
Ignfacio Comonfort Papers. Online. 6 March 2003. www.lib.utexas.edu/ benson/Mex_Archives/Comonfort/html
Oliff, Donathon C. (1981). Reforma Mexico and the United States: A search for Alternatives to
Annexation, 1854-1861. University, Alabama.
The War of Three Years. Online. 6 March 2003. www.libreopinion.com/reducto/galeria/guerra3A/introduccion.html
SEP, Department of Education. The 1857 Constitution and the Reform Laws. Online. 6 March
2003.
www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/histroy/html/sxix/constitu.html
