Early life
Juan B. Ceballos was born in Durango in 1811. His family moved from Durango to Valladolid (Presidency
Search for compromise
Dissolution of Congress
Congress was not collaborating with these reforms, and many members were not even attending sessions, giving an undue voice to the remaining opposition. At long last, Ceballos simply decided to give in to the demands of the insurgents, but in such a manner as would retain the possibility of being placed at the head of the movement. On January 19, a bill was presented in the lower house calling for a national convention to frame a federal constitution, choose a president and promote harmony and there was great outcry amongst the deputies who were being invited to essentially dissolve their own authority. Ceballos and his ministers were denounced as treasonous, threatened with revocation of their extraordinary power, and even by arraignment. Ceballos responded by dissolving congress. Congress then met at a private home to impeach Ceballos and attempt to elect a new president. The governor of Puebla, Mugica y Osorio was elected, but he declined to serve. Marcelino Castaneda, vice president of the Supreme Court was then chosen, accepted, but on passing to Puebla in order to be installed, was not allowed to pass by the legislature of Puebla which demanded to see authorization from the Senate, which having been dispersed, could not provide any authorization, so Castaneda had to retreat. Ceballos, meanwhile learning that the congress was engaging in such political intrigues, dispersed the meetings and prevented them from being held. His ministers resigned in response, but Blanco remained, and invited the revolutionary leader Uraga to a conference.Downfall
Ceballos, feeling himself strengthened used the opportunity to seek a loan and increase the tariffs, but lenders were uneasy, as the fall of the government seemed imminent, and only disagreements between the insurgents seemed to be delaying the inevitable. Some revolutionary leaders sought to maintain the federal system, others to revive the Bases of Tacubaya, some wished to raise Santa Ana to power, and one could even hear monarchists among the murmurs. Former Minister of War General Robles Pezuela, who was now in charge of leading government troops in Guadalajara retired into Guanajuato and came to an understanding with governor Ledo a moderate liberal with conservative ties. They decided to join forces with Uraga, and the three established a new revolutionary plan, adopted at Arroyozarco near Queretaro on February 4, 1853. The new plan empowered Uraga to appoint a junta of notables, which had to elect a president with dictatorial powers to act until a congress, called within a year, should issue a new constitution. Seeing a loss of all his authority in the new plan, Ceballos rejected it, but he had already lost all the power needed to enforce his decision. Minister Blanco now sided with Lombardini, in charge of the garrison at Mexico City. In order to gain the adherence of the states the Plan of Arroyozarco was modified to let the state legislatures choose the dictator, adding a clause allowing exiled citizens to be amongst the candidates, a device clearly meant to allow the election of Santa Anna. Ceballos, recognizing the inevitable, and refusing to play a role in the restoration of Santa Anna, resigned on February 7, 1853, to his former position on the Supreme Court. The insurgents chose Lombardini as his successor.Later life
Ceballos was removed from the court by the restored Santa Anna and went into exile. As Santa Anna was overthrown by a liberal movement in 1855, Ceballos did not lack supporters who wished to see him back in the presidency, but Ceballos did not wish to return to public life and settled in France. He fell gravely ill and was visited by prominent Mexicans living in France at the time. He died in Paris on August 20, 1859.See also
*References
Further reading
* "Ceballos, Juan Bautista", ''Enciclopedia de México'', v. 3. Mexico City, 1996, . * GarcÃa Puron, Manuel, ''México y sus gobernantes'', v. 2. Mexico City: JoaquÃn Porrúa, 1984. * Orozco Linares, Fernando, ''Gobernantes de México''. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1985, . * Rivera, AgustÃn, ''El Plan del Hospicio y el Cabildo Eclesiástico de Guadalajara''. Lagos, Jal.: 1890. * Rivera Cambas, Manuel, ''Los gobernantes de México'', 2 vols., 1872.External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ceballos, Juan Bautista Presidents of Mexico Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation justices 1811 births 1859 deaths 19th-century Mexican people 1850s in Mexico Politicians from Durango People from Morelia 19th-century Mexican politicians