the hispanic nations of the new world-第14节

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Garcia　Moreno　had　a　varied　career。　He　had　been　a　student　of　chemistry　and　other　natural　sciences。　He　had　spent　his　youth　in　exile　in　Europe；　where　he　prepared　himself　for　his　subsequent　career　as　a　journalist　and　a　university　professor。　Through　it　all　he　had　been　an　active　participant　in　public　affairs。　Grim　of　countenance；　austere　in　bearing；　violent　of　temper；　relentless　in　severity；　he　was　a　devoted　believer　in　the　Roman　Catholic　faith　and　in　this　Church　as　the　sole　effective　basis　upon　which　a　state　could　be　founded　or　social　and　political　regeneration　could　be　assured。　In　order　to　render　effective　his　concept　of　what　a　nation　ought　to　be；　Garcia　Moreno　introduced　and　upheld　in　all　rigidity　an　administration　the　like　of　which　had　been　known　hardly　anywhere　since　the　Middle　Ages。　He　recalled　the　Jesuits；　established　schools　of　the　〃Brothers　of　the　Christian　Doctrine；〃　and　made　education　a　matter　wholly　under　ecclesiastical　control。　He　forbade　heretical　worship；　called　the　country　the　〃Republic　of　the　Sacred　Heart；〃　and　entered　into　a　concordat　with　the　Pope　under　which　the　Church　in　Ecuador　became　more　subject　to　the　will　of　the　supreme　pontiff　than　western　Europe　had　been　in　the　days　of　Innocent　III。

Liberals　in　and　outside　of　Ecuador　tried　feebly　to　shake　off　this　masterful　theocracy；　for　the　friendship　which　Garcia　Moreno　displayed　toward　the　diplomatic　representatives　of　the　Catholic　powers　of　Europe；　notably　those　of　Spain　and　France；　excited　the　neighboring　republics。　Colombia；　indeed；　sent　an　army　to　liberate　the　〃brother　democrats　of　Ecuador　from　the　rule　of　Professor　Garcia　Moreno；〃　but　the　mass　of　the　people　stood　loyally　by　their　President。　For　this　astounding　obedience　to　an　administration　apparently　so　unrelated　to　modern　ideas；　the　ecclesiastical　domination　was　not　solely　or　even　chiefly　responsible。　In　more　ways　than　one　Garcia　Moreno；　the　professor　President；　was　a　statesman　of　vision　and　deed。　He　put　down　brigandage　and　lawlessness；　reformed　the　finances；　erected　hospitals；　promoted　education；　and　encouraged　the　study　of　natural　science。　Even　his　salary　he　gave　over　to　public　improvements。　His　successors　in　the　presidential　office　found　it　impossible　to　govern　the　country　without　Garcia　Moreno。　Elected　for　a　third　term　to　carry　on　his　curious　policy　of　conservatism　and　reaction　blended　with　modern　advancement；　he　fell　by　the　hand　of　an　assassin　in　1875。　But　the　system　which　he　had　done　so　much　to　establish　in　Ecuador　survived　him　for　many　years。

Although　Brazil　did　not　escape　the　evils　of　insurrection　which　retarded　the　growth　of　nearly　all　of　its　neighbors；　none　of　its　numerous　commotions　shook　the　stability　of　the　nation　to　a　perilous　degree。　By　1850　all　danger　of　revolution　had　vanished。　The　country　began　to　enter　upon　a　career　of　peace　and　progress　under　a　regime　which　combined　broadly　the　federal　organization　of　the　United　States　with　the　form　of　a　constitutional　monarchy。　Brazil　enjoyed　one　of　the　few　enlightened　despotisms　in　South　America。　Adopting　at　the　outset　the　parliamentary　system；　the　Emperor　Pedro　II　chose　his　ministers　from　among　the　liberals　or　conservatives；　as　one　party　or　the　other　might　possess　a　majority　in　the　lower　house　of　the　Congress。　Though　the　legislative　power　of　the　nation　was　enjoyed　almost　entirely　by　the　planters　and　their　associates　who　formed　the　dominant　social　class；　individual　liberty　was　fully　guaranteed；　and　even　freedom　of　conscience　and　of　the　press　was　allowed。　Negro　slavery；　though　tolerated；　was　not　expressly　recognized。

Thanks　to　the　political　discretion　and　unusual　personal　qualities　of　〃Dom　Pedro；〃　his　popularity　became　more　and　more　marked　as　the　years　went　on。　A　patron　of　science　and　literature；　a　scholar　rather　than　a　ruler；　a　placid　and　somewhat　eccentric　philosopher；　careless　of　the　trappings　of　state；　he　devoted　himself　without　stint　to　the　public　welfare。　Shrewdly　divining　that　the　monarchical　system　might　not　survive　much　longer；　he　kept　his　realm　pacified　by　a　policy　of　conciliation。　Pedro　II　even　went　so　far　as　to　call　himself　the　best　republican　in　the　Empire。　He　might　have　said；　with　justice　perhaps；　that　he　was　the　best　republican　in　the　whole　of　Hispanic　America。　What　he　really　accomplished　was　the　successful　exercise　of　a　paternal　autocracy　of　kindness　and　liberality　over　his　subjects。

If　more　or　less　permanent　dictators　and　occasional　liberators　were　the　order　of　the　day　in　most　of　the　Spanish　American　republics；　intermittent　dictators　and　liberators　dashed　across　the　stage　in　Mexico　from　1829　well　beyond　the　middle　of　the　century。　The　other　countries　could　show　numerous　instances　in　which　the　occupant　of　the　chief　magistracy　held　office　to　the　close　of　his　constitutional　term；　but　Mexico　could　not　show　a　single　one！　What　Mexico　furnished；　instead；　was　a　kaleidoscopic　spectacle　of　successive　presidents　or　dictators；　an　unstable　array　of　self…styled　〃generals〃　without　a　presidential　succession。　There　were　no　fewer　than　fifty　such　transient　rulers　in　thirty…two　years；　with　anywhere　from　one　to　six　a　year；　with　even　the　same　incumbent　twice　in　one　year；　or；　in　the　case　of　the　repetitious　Santa　Anna；　nine　times　in　twenty　yearsin　spite　of　the　fact　that　the　constitutional　term　of　office　was　four　years。　This　was　a　record　that　made　the　most　turbulent　South　American　states　seem；　by　comparison；　lands　of　methodical　regularity　in　the　choice　of　their　national　executive。　And　as　if　this　instability　in　the　chief　magistracy　were　not　enough；　the　form　of　government　in　Mexico　shifted　violently　from　federal　to　centralized；　and　back　again　to　federal。　Mad　struggles　raged　between　partisan　chieftains　and　their　bands　of　Escoceses　and　Yorkinos；　crying　out　upon　the　〃President〃　in　power　because　of　his　undue　influence　upon　the　choice　of　a　successor；　backing　their　respective　candidates　if　they　lost；　and　waiting　for　a　chance　to　oust　them　if　they　won。

This　tumultuous　epoch　had　scarcely　begun　when　Spain　in　1829　made　a　final　attempt　to　recover　her　lost　dominion　in　Mexico。　Local　quarrels　were　straightway　dropped　for　two　months　until　the　invaders　had　surrendered。　Thereupon　the　great　landholders；　who　disliked　the　prevailing　Yorkino　regime　for　its　democratic　policies　and　for　favoring　the　abolition　of　slavery；　rallied　to　the　aid　of　a　〃general〃　who　issued　a　manifesto　demanding　an　observance　of　the　constitution　and　the　laws！　After　Santa　Anna；　who　was　playing　the　role　of　a　Mexican　Warwick；　had　disposed　of　this　aspirant；　he　switched　blithely　over　to　the　Escoceses；　reduced　the　federal　system　almost　to　a　nullity；　and　in　1836　marched　away　to　conquer　the　revolting　Texans。　But；　instead；　they　conquered　him　and　gained　their　independence；　so　that　his　reward　was　exile。

Now　the　Escoceses　were　free　to　promulgate　a　new　constitution；　to　abolish　the　federal　arrangement　altogether；　and　to　replace　it　by　a　strongly　centralized　government　under　which　the　individual　States　became　mere　administrative　districts。　Hardly　had　this　radical　change　been　effected　when　in　1838　war　broke　out　with　France　on　account　of　the　injuries　which　its　nationals；　among　whom　were　certain　pastry　cooks；　had　suffered　during　the　interminable　commotions。　Mexico　was　forced　to　pay　a　heavy　indemnity；　and　Santa　Anna；　who　had　returned　to　fight　the　invader；　was　unfortunate　enough　to　lose　a　leg　in　the　struggle。　This　physical　deprivation；　however；　did　not　interfere　with　that　doughty　hero's　zest　for　tilting　with　other　unquiet　spirits　who　yearned　to　assure　national　regeneration　by　continuing　to　elevate　and　depose　〃presidents。〃

Another　swing　of　the　political　pendulum　had　restored　the　federal　system　when　again　everything　was　overturned　by　the　disastrous　war　with　the　United　States。　Once　more　Santa　Anna　returned；　this　time；　however；　to　joust　in　vain　with　the　〃Yankee　despoilers〃　who　were　destined　to　dismember　Mexico　and　to　annex　two…thirds　of　its　territory。　Again　Santa　Anna　was　banishedto　dream　of　a　more　favorable　opportunity　when　he　might　become　the　savior　of　a　country　which　had　fallen　into　bankruptcy　and　impotence。

His　opportunity　came　in　1853；　when　conservatives　and　clericals　indulged　the　fatuous　hope　that　he　would　both　sustain　their　privileges　and　lift　Mexico　out　of　its　sore　distress。　Either　their　memories　were　short　or　else　distance　had　cast　a　halo　about　his　figure。　At　all　events；　he　returned　from　exile　and　assumed；　for　the　ninth　and　last　time；　a　presidency　which　he　intended　to　be　something　more　than　a　mere　dictatorship。　Scorning　the　formality　of　a　Congress；　he　had　himself　entitled　〃Most　Serene　Highness；〃　as　indicative　of　his　ambition　to　become　a　monarch　in　name　as　well　as　in　fact。

Royal　or　imperial　designs　had　long　since　brought　one　military　upstart　to　grief。　They　were　now　to　cut　Santa　Anna's　residence　in　Mexico　similarly　short。　Eruptions　of　discontent　broke　out　all　over　the　country。　Unable　to　make　them　subside；　Santa　Anna　fell　back　upon　an　expedient　which　recalls　practices　elsewhere　in　Spanish　America。　He　opened　registries　in　which　all　citizens　might　record　〃freely〃　their　approval　or　disapproval　of　his　continuance　in　power。　Though　he　obtained　the　huge　majority　of　affirmative　votes　to　be　expected　in　such　cases；　he　found　that　these　pen…and…ink　signatures　were　no　more　serviceable　than　his　soldiers。　Accordingly　the　dictator　of　m