the hispanic nations of the new world-第12节

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ho　disliked　innovations　of　a　democratic　sort　and　viewed　askance　the　entry　of　immigrants　professing　an　alien　faith。　Opposed　to　the　Church　stood　governments　verging　on　bankruptcy；　desirous　of　exercising　supreme　control；　and　dominated　by　individuals　eager　to　put　theories　of　democracy　into　practice　and　to　throw　open　the　doors　of　the　republic　freely　to　newcomers　from　other　lands。　In　the　opinion　of　these　radicals　the　Church　ought　to　be　deprived　both　of　its　property　and　of　its　monopoly　of　education。　The　one　should　be　turned　over　to　the　nation；　to　which　it　properly　belonged；　and　should　be　converted　into　public　utilities；　the　other　should　be　made　absolutely　secular；　in　order　to　destroy　clerical　influence　over　the　youthful　mind。　In　this　program　radicals　and　liberals　concurred　with　varying　degrees　of　intensity；　while　the　moderates　strove　to　hold　the　balance　between　them　and　their　opponents。

Out　of　this　complex　situation　civil　commotions　were　bound　to　arise。　Occasionally　these　were　real　wars；　but　as　a　rule　only　skirmishes　or　sporadic　insurrections　occurred。　They　were　called　〃revolutions；〃　not　because　some　great　principle　was　actually　at　stake　but　because　the　term　had　been　popular　ever　since　the　struggle　with　Spain。　As　a　designation　for　movements　aimed　at　securing　rotation　in　office；　and　hence　control　of　the　treasury；　it　was　appropriate　enough！　At　all　events；　whether　serious　or　farcical；　the　commotions　often　involved　an　expenditure　in　life　and　money　far　beyond　the　value　of　the　interests　affected。　Further；　both　the　prevalent　disorder　and　the　centralization　of　authority　impelled　the　educated　and　wellto…do　classes　to　take　up　their　residence　at　the　seat　of　government。　Not　a　few　of　the　uprisings　were；　in　fact；　protests　on　the　part　of　the　neglected　folk　in　the　interior　of　the　country　against　concentration　of　population；　wealth；　intellect；　and　power　in　the　Spanish　American　capitals。

Among　the　towns　of　this　sort　was　Buenos　Aires。　Here；　in　1829；　Rosas　inaugurated　a　career　of　rulership　over　the　Argentine　Confederation；　culminating　in　a　despotism　that　made　him　the　most　extraordinary　figure　of　his　time。　Originally　a　stockfarmer　and　skilled　in　all　the　exercises　of　the　cowboy；　he　developed　an　unusual　talent　for　administration。　His　keen　intelligence；　supple　statecraft；　inflexibility　of　purpose；　and　vigor　of　action；　united　to　a　shrewd　understanding　of　human　follies　and　passions；　gave　to　his　personality　a　dominance　that　awed　and　to　his　word　of　command　a　power　that　humbled。　Over　his　fellow　chieftains　who　held　the　provinces　in　terrorized　subjection；　he　won　an　ascendancy　that　insured　compliance　with　his　will。　The　instincts　of　the　multitude　he　flattered　by　his　generous　simplicity；　while　he　enlisted　the　support　of　the　responsible　class　by　maintaining　order　in　the　countryside。　The　desire；　also；　of　Buenos　Aires　to　be　paramount　over　the　other　provinces　had　no　small　share　in　strengthening　his　power。

Relatively　honest　in　money　matters；　and　a　stickler　for　precision　and　uniformity；　Rosas　sought　to　govern　a　nation　in　the　rough…and…ready　fashion　of　the　stock　farm。　A　creature　of　his　environment；　no　better　and　no　worse　than　his　associates；　but　only　more　capable　than　they；　and　absolutely　convinced　that　pitiless　autocracy　was　the　sole　means　of　creating　a　nation　out　of　chaotic　fragments；　this　〃Robespierre　of　South　America〃　carried　on　his　despotic　sway；　regardless　of　the　fury　of　opponents　and　the　menace　of　foreign　intervention。

During　the　first　three　years　of　his　control；　however；　except　for　the　rigorous　suppression　of　unitary　movements　and　the　muzzling　of　the　press；　few　signs　appeared　of　the　〃black　night　of　Argentine　history　〃which　was　soon　to　close　down　on　the　land。　Realizing　that　the　auspicious　moment　had　not　yet　arrived　for　him　to　exercise　the　limitless　power　that　he　thought　needful；　he　declined　an　offer　of　reelection　from　the　provincial　legislature；　in　the　hope　that；　through　a　policy　of　conciliation；　his　successor　might　fall　a　prey　to　the　designs　of　the　Unitaries。　When　this　happened；　he　secretly　stirred　up　the　provinces　into　a　renewal　of　the　earlier　disturbances；　until　the　evidence　became　overwhelming　that　Rosas　alone　could　bring　peace　and　progress　out　of　turmoil　and　backwardness。　Reluctantly　the　legislature　yielded　him　the　power　it　knew　he　wanted。　This　he　would　not　accept　until　a　〃popular〃　vote　of　some　9000　to　4　confirmed　the　choice。　In　1835；　accordingly；　he　became　dictator　for　the　first　of　four　successive　terms　of　five　years。

Then　ensued；　notably　in　Buenos　Aires　itself；　a　state　of　affairs　at　once　grotesque　and　frightful。　Not　content　with　hunting　down　and　inflicting　every　possible；　outrage　upon　those　suspected　of　sympathy　with　the　Unitaries；　Rosas　forbade　them　to　display　the　light　blue　and　white　colors　of　their　party　device　and　directed　that　red；　the　sign　of　Federalism；　should　be　displayed　on　all　occasions。　Pink　he　would　not　tolerate　as　being　too　attenuated　a　shade　and　altogether　too　suggestive　of　political　trimming！　A　band　of　his　followers；　made　up　of　ruffians；　and　called　the　Mazorca；　or　〃Ear　of　Corn；〃　because　of　the　resemblance　of　their　close　fellowship　to　its　adhering　grains；　broke　into　private　houses；　destroyed　everything　light　blue　within　reach；　and　maltreated　the　unfortunate　occupants　at　will。　No　man　was　safe　also　who　did　not　give　his　face　a　leonine　aspect　by　wearing　a　mustache　and　sidewhiskersemblems；　the　one　of　〃federalism；〃　and　the　other　of　〃independence。〃　To　possess　a　visage　bare　of　these　hirsute　adornments　or　a　countenance　too　efflorescent　in　that　respect　was；　under　a　regime　of　tonsorial　politics；　to　invite　personal　disaster！　Nothing　apparently　was　too　cringing　or　servile　to　show　how　submissive　the　people　were　to　the　mastery　of　Rosas。　Private　vengeance　and　defamation　of　the　innocent　did　their　sinister　work　unchecked。　Even　when　his　arbitrary　treatment　of　foreigners　had　compelled　France　for　a　while　to　institute　a　blockade　of　Buenos　Aires；　the　wily　dictator　utilized　the　incident　to　turn　patriotic　resentment　to　his　own　advantage。

Meanwhile　matters　in　Uruguay　had　come　to　such　a　pass　that　Rosas　saw　an　opportunity　to　extend　his　control　in　that　direction　also。　Placed　between　Brazil　and　the　Argentine　Confederation　and　so　often　a　bone　of　contention；　the　little　country　was　hardly　free　from　the　rule　of　the　former　state　when　it　came　near　falling　under　the　domination　of　the　latter。　Only　a　few　years　of　relative　tranquillity　had　elapsed　when　two　parties　sprang　up　in　Uruguay：　the　〃Reds〃　（Colorados）　and　the　〃Whites〃　（Blancos）。　Of　these；　the　one　was　supposed　to　represent　the　liberal　and　the　other　the　conservative　element。　In　fact；　they　were　the　followings　of　partisan　chieftains；　whose　struggles　for　the　presidency　during　many　years　to　come　retarded　the　advancement　of　a　country　to　which　nature　had　been　generous。

When　Fructuoso　Rivera；　the　President　up　to　1835；　thought　of　choosing　some　one　to　be　elected　in　constitutional　fashion　as　his　successor；　he　unwisely　singled　out　Manuel　Oribe；　one　of　the　famous　〃Thirty…three〃　who　had　raised　the　cry　of　independence　a　decade　before。　But　instead　of　a　henchman　he　found　a　rival。　Both　of　them　straightway　adopted　the　colors　and　bid　for　the　support　of　one　of　the　local　factions；　and　both　appealed　to　the　factions　of　the　Argentine　Confederation　for　aid；　Rivera　to　the　Unitaries　and　Oribe　to　the　Federalists。　In　1843；　Oribe；　at　the　head　of　an　army　of　Blancos　and　Federalists　and　with　the　moral　support　of　Rosas；　laid　siege　to　Montevideo。　Defended　by　Colorados；　Unitaries；　and　numerous　foreigners；　including　Giuseppe　Garibaldi；　the　town　held　out　valiantly　for　eight　yearsa　feat　that　earned　for　it　the　title　of　the　〃New　Troy。〃　Anxious　to　stop　the　slaughter　and　destruction　that　were　injuring　their　nationals；　France；　Great　Britain；　and　Brazil　offered　their　mediation；　but　Rosas　would　have　none　of　it。　What　the　antagonists　did　he　cared　little；　so　long　as　they　enfeebled　the　country　and　increased　his　chances　of　dominating　it。　At　length；　in　1845；　the　two　European　powers　established　a　blockade　of　Argentine　ports；　which　was　not　lifted　until　the　dictator　grudgingly　agreed　to　withdraw　his　troops　from　the　neighboring　republic。

More　than　any　other　single　factor；　this　intervention　of　France　and　Great　Britain　administered　a　blow　to　Rosas　from　which　he　could　not　recover。　The　operations　of　their　fleets　and　the　resistance　of　Montevideo　had　lowered　the　prestige　of　the　dictator　and　had　raised　the　hopes　of　the　Unitaries　that　a　last　desperate　effort　might　shake　off　his　hated　control。　In　May；　1851；　Justo　Jose　de　Urquiza；　one　of　his　most　trusted　lieutenants；　declared　the　independence　of　his　own　province　and　called　upon　the　others　to　rise　against　the　tyrant。　Enlisting　the　support　of　Brazil；　Uruguay；　and　Paraguay；　he　assembled　a　〃great　army　of　liberation；〃　composed　of　about　twenty…five　thousand　men；　at　whose　head　he　marched　to　meet　the　redoubtable　Rosas。　On　February　3；1852；　at　a　spot　near　Buenos　Aires；　the　man　of　might　who；　like　his　contemporary　Francia　in　Paraguay；　had　held　the　Argentine　Confederation　in　thralldom　for　so　many　years；　went　down　to　final　defeat。　Embarking　on　a　British　warship　he　sailed　for　England；　there　to　become　a　quiet　country　gentleman　in　a　land　where　gauchos　and　dictators　were　unhonored。

In　the　meantime　Paraguay；　spared　from　such　convulsion　as　racked　its