In January 1840, Señor Antonio Canales and other Federalists met near Guerrero to found the Republic of the Rio Grande. Canales and his allies were loyal to the Mexican Constitution of 1824, which Centralists in Mexico City had set aside. The republic was intended to govern northern Mexico and the part of Texas south of the Nueces. Jesus Cardenas served as president, Francisco Vidaurri y Villasenor as vice president, and Juan Francisco Farias as secretary, and the capitol was established at 1000 Zaragoza Street on this plaza in Laredo. Centralist General Manuel Arista brought an army to crush the republic, taking Laredo without a fight in March, then capturing and killing Federalist leader Antonio Zapata after a battle at Morelos. Mexican and Anglo-Texan Federalists then counterattacked and recaptured Laredo and several other towns, but when they faced a large Centralist force at Saltillo, the Anglo-Texans and some Carrizo Indians made a lone stand after many comrades had fled. After a bloody battle, the Indians and Texans escaped to the north of the Rio Grande. Canales, deserted by his army, surrendered to Arista near Camargo, and within a few days Cardenas gave up Laredo. The Republic of the Rio Grande lasted 283 days.