COMONFORT, Ygnacio, 1g-na-se'-o 10 mi:in-fort', Mexican general: b. Pueblo, 12 March 1812; d. 13 Nov. 1863. He became a captain of cavalry in 1832, in 1834 was niade prefect and military governor of the district of Tlapa, and in 1842 he was elected member of the National Congress. This Congress was soon dissolved, and Comonfort resumed his functions in Tlapa, displaying great energy in repelling the aggressions of hostile Indians. Appointed 3d alcalde of the capital, and after ward prefect of western Mexico, he relinquished these positions to engage in the war with the United States; and on Santa Anna's dissolving the army and leaving the capital open for the Americans, Comonfort commenced organizing 11 guerrilla when he was summoned to the Con gress of ueretaro, where a treaty of peace was conclude with the United States. He was now chosen senator by his native state, and served in this capacity until 1851. In 1852-53 he was the representative in Congress of the newly created state of Guerrero, and acted as custom house director of Acapulco and other places until Santa Anna's return to power, when he was dismissed from office. He now joined Gen. Juan Alvarez, raised the standard of rebellion, proclaimed the plan of Ayutla, 11 March 1854, and compelled Santa Anna, who endeavored to seize that town, to retreat. At the end of the campaign in 1855, Santa Anna was finally com pelled to abdicate. Alvarez assumed the su preme government, but shortly afterward dele gated his authority to Comonfort, who became provisional President of Mexico, 11 Dec. 1855. He soon met, however, with the mast strenuous opposition on the part of the clergy, the army and the large body of the Conservative party. The junta of Zacapoaxtla declared itself on 19 December against the President, and a little later the seat of revolution was transferred to the city of Pueblo. Over 5,000 men assembled there in February 1856. Comonfort marched against them, forced the rebels to surrender on 20 March, promulgated on 31 March a decree or dering the confiscation of the property of the Church, followed on 28 June by another decree forbidding. the clergy to hold landed estate. At the same time he sent a Mexican envoy to Rome to settle with the Holy See the questions raised by these measures; but the Mexican clergy made all possible effort to prevent his reception, while at home they labored to undermine the govern ment Congress, which was opened by the Presi dent, 5 Feb. 1857, assembled under very inau
spicious circumstances. It proceeded, however, to draw up a new constitution, which vested the legislative power and the control over religious and military affairs exclusively in Congress. The President, finding it impossible to meet the difficulties which agitated the country under such restrictions, was eventually constrained, on October 1857, to apply for extraordinary powers. These were granted. by Congress .on 4 November and he was proclaimed constitutional President on 1 December. His position, how ever, became more and more critical. Opposed by the clergy and the army, he found himself isolated, and could only depend upon the brigade of General Zuloaga, which was attached to him personally. By a pronunciamento at Tacubaya, 17 December, this brigade, too, de clared itself against the new constitution, but appointed Comonfort chief of a new govern ment. By a new pronunciamento, however, of 11 Jan. 1858, they discarded him altogether, and the insurrection which broke out on that day in the capital led to a fierce struggle of several days. Appointing Juarez, president of the Supreme Court, provisional President, Comonfort attempted to regain his authority by force of arms, but in vain. On the morning of 21 January the capital was in the hands of the rebels. The House of Representatives, con voked on the same day by Zuloaga, appointed that general provisional President, while Juarez convened a Congress at Guanajuato, to guard the rights of Comonfort. The latter in the meantime, deserted by his soldiers, and unable any longer to maintain his power, repaired to the United States. He returned in 1861 and was Minister of War in the Juarez cabinet. He was also appointed general of one of the armies of the Republican party, and for a time he held command of Zaragoza. He was sent to the relief of Puebla in 1863; but he was de feated by an Imperialistic force to which the city was afterward forced to surrender. Sub sequently Comonfort was killed by a party of guenllas who shot him from ambush.