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Vice Admiral José de Bustamante y Guerra, named by the government of Ferdinand VII to the of¤ce of governor and captain general of the Kingdom of Guatemala and president of the royal audiencia, arrived in Guatemala City on 14 March 1811 to assume command of a colony at peace and ¤rm in its loyalty to Spain. The welcome he received from the local population re®ected no animosity toward this latest in a long line of Spanish governors, nor did it hint at the turmoil then enveloping the Spanish world. Instead, the residents of the capital rallied that day hopeful that peace and stability would soon return to the empire. For more than a month, the ayuntamiento of the capital had planned the reception of the new governor, making preparations that illustrated the council’s desire to be recognized as an equal among the senior colonial institutions. Responsibility for the festivities was delegated to José de Aycinena and José María Peinado, who estimated the expenses at ¤fteen hundred pesos, funds that the regidores thought could come from excise taxes but that they hoped the audiencia would cover. In the weeks that followed, the two institutions argued over the cost of the celebrations . Finally, the audiencia authorized a nineteen-hundred-peso budget . In the meantime, the municipal council arranged the details of the of¤cial welcome reception, including a lavish buffet and two orchestras, and worked feverishly to put the capital in a celebratory state, decorat4 The Preservation of Empire, 1811 ing the parade route and calling on citizens to adorn their homes and as many of the adjacent streets as possible.1 The ayuntamiento then turned its attention to the incoming governor . On 22 February Regidor Francisco Pacheco left the capital as the head of an advance team to meet Bustamante on the road. At Chimaltenango , Pacheco greeted Bustamante on behalf of the ayuntamiento and asked for his support in a minor dispute with the audiencia over the means of transportation to be used on the day of his arrival. The regidores had planned to receive the governor-elect on horseback, while the oidores wanted to use carriages. Bustamante agreed to the ayuntamiento plan.2 The formal services for the reception of the new governor began on 13 March in Mixco, a town just outside Guatemala City. Here Bustamante received delegations from the cabildo ecclesiástico, the ayuntamiento , and other corporate groups.3 He spent the night there and was conducted to the capital the following morning in a carriage drawn by six mules. The ¤rst stop was at the south end of the city in a specially prepared house next to the Church of the Calvary. There, Bustamante was introduced to the ayuntamiento and many of the leading individuals in the kingdom. On behalf of the municipal council, Peinado gave a welcome speech and presented the distinguished guests and corporate bodies, which included Captain General González, the College of Lawyers, various prelates, and university ¤gures. Then, on horseback, Bustamante paraded through the streets of Guatemala City with Alcalde Moreno, Regidor Palomo, and González, who conducted him to the Convent of Santa Clara, where the audiencia had assembled. From there the procession proceeded to the cathedral, where the governorelect received the cabildo ecclesiástico and where the main welcoming ceremony, including a Te Deum, was held. Immediately following this event, the kingdom’s senior civil and religious of¤cials crossed the Plaza Mayor to the royal palace. Surrounded by the audiencia in the Hall of the Real Acuerdo, “on his knees with one hand on the Cross and the other on the Bible,”Bustamante took his oath of of¤ce, swearing his allegiance to the Catholic faith, espousing his loyalty to the Spanish nation as represented by the Cortes, administered by the Council of Regency, and symbolized by King Ferdinand VII, and Preservation of Empire 81 pledging to obey, defend, execute, and enforce all the decrees, laws, and orders that might emanate from these sovereign bodies.4 Now in full possession of his of¤cial powers, Captain General Bustamante emerged from the royal palace to receive from the military units and their of¤cers , the ayuntamiento, and the community at large their protestations of loyalty and oaths of allegiance to him. The rest of the day was given over to celebration. The welcome given to Bustamante was to all appearances an appropriate and enthusiastic one, and the captain general seemed to enter into his new duties...

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