“He’ll fetch back the bacon, if anybody can,” remarked Dick Carroll, rather dubiously. “But sometimes I don’t trust even Santa Anna. You never can tell what is about to happen, down there in Mexico; and Santa Anna may want to be the whole thing, just like the others.” It was a long journey to the City of Mexico, and weeks would pass before Texas could hear from its petition for a separate statehood. Meanwhile, affairs continued to be not satisfactory at all. For instance, the legislature of Coahuila and Texas, which was more for Coahuila than for Texas, had assembled and among other measures adopted one that declared that petitions to the government “excited disorder,” and therefore no more than three persons should join in any petition. This was not the way Texas felt. Other resolutions also were adopted which seemed to be aimed against the Texas half of the state. And soon afterward Coahuila became even divided against itself, when the legislature attempted to change the capital from the town of Saltillo to the town of Monclova. A little revolution ensued, down there across the Rio Grande. It was evident that Texas could expect small help from Coahuila, and must stand on its own feet. The Mexican way of government was not the Texas-American way. Other disquieting news arrived. Santa Anna had been president only a few months, when up rose a party of the Mexican people and proclaimed him dictator, an absolute ruler responsible to nobody, much less to the republic’s constitution of 1824. It seemed to be the opinion that Santa Anna had hatched this movement, himself; and although he accompanied an army under General Arista, to subdue the revolutionists, he was accused of making only a pretense at resistance. Then, when General Arista turned revolutionist, and actually seized Santa Anna and insisted that he be dictator, the whole matter looked more suspicious than ever. But Don Gomez Farias, the vice-president, proved to be honest and faithful. He promptly squelched the movement, and President Santa Anna, finding that the revolution was not going to succeed and that he could not be made dictator yet, pretended to escape, and returned to the capital. He did not like Don Gomez any the better for his honesty; and saying that he needed rest he retired to his great ranch, there to scheme while he waited another opportunity. Meanwhile, again, Stephen Austin was due in the City of Mexico, bearing the petition from Texas for the national congress to act upon; but with so much confusion and plotting, it would appear that he would arrive at not a very favorable time.