the hispanic nations of the new world-第4节

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　Chile。　Though　the　great　landholders　were　disposed　to　favor　a　reasonable　amount　of　local　autonomy　for　the　country；　they　refused　to　heed　the　demands　of　the　radicals　for　complete　independence　and　the　establishwent　of　a　republic。　Accordingly；　in　proportion　as　their　opponents　resorted　to　measures　of　compulsion；　the　gentry　gradually　withdrew　their　support　and　offered　little　resistance　when　troops　dispatched　by　the　viceroy　of　Peru　restored　the　Spanish　regime　in　1814。　The　irreconcilable　among　the　patriots　fled　over　the　Andes　to　the　western　part　of　La　Plata；　where　they　found　hospitable　refuge。

But　of　all　the　Spanish　dominions　in　South　America　none　witnessed　so　desperate　a　struggle　for　emancipation　as　the　viceroyalty　of　New　Granada。　Learning　of　the　catastrophe　that　had　befallen　the　mother　country；　the　leading　citizens　of　Caracas；　acting　in　conjunction　with　the　cabildo；　deposed　the　captain　general　on　April　19；　1810；　and　created　a　junta　in　his　stead。　The　example　was　quickly　followed　by　most　of　the　smaller　divisions　of　the　province。　Then　when　Miranda　returned　from　England　to　head　the　revolutionary　movement；　a　Congress；　on　July　5；　1811；　declared　Venezuela　independent　of　Spain。　Carried　away；　also；　by　the　enthusiasm　of　the　moment；　and　forgetful　of　the　utter　unpreparedness　of　the　country；　the　Congress　promulgated　a　federal　constitution　modeled　on　that　of　the　United　States；　which　set　forth　all　the　approved　doctrines　of　the　rights　of　man。

Neither　Miranda　nor　his　youthful　coadjutor；　Simon　Bolivar；　soon　to　become　famous　in　the　annals　of　Spanish　American　history；　approved　of　this　plunge　into　democracy。　Ardent　as　their　patriotism　was；　they　knew　that　the　country　needed　centralized　control　and　not　experiments　in　confederation　or　theoretical　liberty。　They　speedily　found　out；　also；　that　they　could　not　count　on　the　support　of　the　people　at　large。　Then；　almost　as　if　Nature　herself　disapproved　of　the　whole　proceeding；　a　frightful　earthquake　in　the　following　year　shook　many　a　Venezuelan　town　into　ruins。　Everywhere　the　royalists　took　heart。　Dissensions　broke　out　between　Miranda　and　his　subordinates。　Betrayed　into　the　hands　of　his　enemies；　the　old　warrior　himself　was　sent　away　to　die　in　a　Spanish　dungeon。　And　so　the　〃earthquake〃　republic　collapsed。

But　the　rigorous　measures　adopted　by　the　royalists　to　sustain　their　triumph　enabled　Bolivar　to　renew　the　struggle　in　1813。　He　entered　upon　a　campaign　which　was　signalized　by　acts　of　barbarity　on　both　sides。　His　declaration　of　〃war　to　the　death〃　was　answered　in　kind。　Wholesale　slaughter　of　prisoners；　indiscriminate　pillage；　and　wanton　destruction　of　property　spread　terror　and　desolation　throughout　the　country。　Acclaimed　〃Liberator　of　Venezuela〃　and　made　dictator　by　the　people　of　Caracas；　Bolivar　strove　in　vain　to　overcome　the　half…savage　llaneros；　or　cowboys　of　the　plains；　who　despised　the　innovating　aristocrats　of　the　capital。　Though　he　won　a　few　victories；　he　did　not　make　the　cause　of　independence　popular；　and；　realizing　his　failure；　he　retired　into　New　Granada。

In　this　region　an　astounding　series　of　revolutions　and　counter…revolutions　had　taken　place。　Unmindful　of　pleas　for　cooperation；　the　Creole　leaders　in　town　and　district；　from　1810　onward；　seized　control　of　affairs　in　a　fashion　that　betokened　a　speedy　disintegration　of　the　country。　Though　the　viceroy　was　deposed　and　a　general　Congress　was　summoned　to　meet　at　the　capital；　Bogota；　efforts　at　centralization　encountered　opposition　in　every　quarter。　Only　the　royalists　managed　to　preserve　a　semblance　of　unity。　Separate　republics　sprang　into　being　and　in　1813　declared　their　independence　of　Spain。　Presidents　and　congresses　were　pitted　against　one　another。　Towns　fought　among　themselves。　Even　parishes　demanded　local　autonomy。　For　a　while　the　services　of　Bolivar　were　invoked　to　force　rebellious　areas　into　obedience　to　the　principle　of　confederation；　but　with　scant　result。　Unable　to　agree　with　his　fellow　officers　and　displaying　traits　of　moral　weakness　which　at　this　time　as　on　previous　occasions　showed　that　he　had　not　yet　risen　to　a　full　sense　of　responsibility；　the　Liberator　renounced　the　task　and　fled　to　Jamaica。

The　scene　now　shifts　northward　to　the　viceroyalty　of　New　Spain。　Unlike　the　struggles　already　described；　the　uprisings　that　began　in　1810　in　central　Mexico　were　substantially　revolts　of　Indians　and　half…castes　against　white　domination。　On　the　16th　of　September；　a　crowd　of　natives　rose　under　the　leadership　of　Miguel　Hidalgo；　a　parish　priest　of　the　village　of　Dolores。　Bearing　on　their　banners　the　slogan；　〃Long　live　Ferdinand　VII　and　down　with　bad　government；　〃　the　undisciplined　crowd；　soon　to　number　tens　of　thousands；　aroused　such　terror　by　their　behavior　that　the　whites　were　compelled　to　unite　in　self…defense。　It　mattered　not　whether　Hidalgo　hoped　to　establish　a　republic　or　simply　to　secure　for　his　followers　relief　from　oppression：　in　either　case　the　whites　could　expect　only　Indian　domination。　Before　the　trained　forces　of　the　whites　a　horde　of　natives；　so　ignorant　of　modern　warfare　that　some　of　them　tried　to　stop　cannon　balls　by　clapping　their　straw　hats　over　the　mouths　of　the　guns；　could　not　stand　their　ground。　Hidalgo　was　captured　and　shot；　but　he　was　succeeded　by　Jose　Maria　Morelos；　also　a　priest。　Reviving　the　old　Aztec　name　for　central　Mexico；　he　summoned　a　〃Congress　of　Anahuac；〃　which　in　1813　asserted　that　dependence　on　the　throne　of　Spain　was　〃forever　broken　and　dissolved。〃　Abler　and　more　humane　than　Hidalgo；　he　set　up　a　revolutionary　government　that　the　authorities　of　Mexico　failed　for　a　while　to　suppress。

In　1814；　therefore；　Spain　still　held　the　bulk　of　its　dominions。　Trinidad；　to　be　sure；　had　been　lost　to　Great　Britain；　and　both　Louisiana　and　West　Florida　to　the　United　States。　Royalist　control；　furthermore；　had　ceased　in　parts　of　the　viceroyalties　of　La　Plata　and　New　Granada。　To　regain　Trinidad　and　Louisiana　was　hopeless：　but　a　wise　policy　conciliation　or　an　overwheming　display　of　armed　force　might　yet　restore　Spanish　rule　where　it　had　been　merely　suspended。

Very　different　was　the　course　of　events　in　Brazil。　Strangely　enough；　the　first　impulse　toward　independence　was　given　by　the　Portuguese　royal　family。　Terrified　by　the　prospective　invasion　of　the　country　by　a　French　army；　late　in　1807　the　Prince　Regent；　the　royal　family；　and　a　host　of　Portuguese　nobles　and　commoners　took　passage　on　British　vessels　and　sailed　to　Rio　de　Janeiro。　Brazil　thereupon　became　the　seat　of　royal　government　and　immediately　assumed　an　importance　which　it　could　never　have　attained　as　a　mere　dependency。　Acting　under　the　advice　of　the　British　minister；　the　Prince　Regent　threw　open　the　ports　of　the　colony　to　the　ships　of　all　nations　friendly　to　Portugal；　gave　his　sanction　to　a　variety　of　reforms　beneficial　to　commerce　and　industry；　and　even　permitted　a　printing　press　to　be　set　up；　though　only　for　official　purposes。　From　all　these　benevolent　activities　Brazil　derived　great　advantages。　On　the　other　hand；　the　Prince　Regent's　aversion　to　popular　education　or　anything　that　might　savor　of　democracy　and　the　greed　of　his　followers　for　place　and　distinction　alienated　his　colonial　subjects。　They　could　not　fail　to　contrast　autocracy　in　Brazil　with　the　liberal　ideas　that　had　made　headway　elsewhere　in　Spanish　America。　As　a　consequence　a　spirit　of　unrest　arose　which　boded　ill　for　the　maintenance　of　Portuguese　rule。



CHAPTER　III　　〃INDEPNDENCE　OR　DEATH〃

The　restoration　of　Ferdinand　VII　to　his　throne　in　1814　encouraged　the　liberals　of　Spain；　no　less　than　the　loyalists　of　Spanish　America；　to　hope　that　the　〃old　King〃　would　now　grant　a　new　dispensation。　Freedom　of　commerce　and　a　fair　measure　of　popular　representation　in　government；　it　was　believed；　would　compensate　both　the　mother　country　for　the　suffering　which　it　had　undergone　during　the　Peninsular　War　and　the　colonies　for　the　trials　to　which　loyalty　had　been　subjected。　But　Ferdinand　VII　was　a　typical　Bourbon。　Nothing　less　than　an　absolute　reestablishment　of　the　earlier　regime　would　satisfy　him。　On　both　sides　of　the　Atlantic；　therefore；　the　liberals　were　forced　into　opposition　to　the　crown；　although　they　were　so　far　apart　that　they　could　not　cooperate　with　each　other。　Independence　was　to　be　the　fortune　of　the　Spanish　Americans；　and　a　continuance　of　despotism；　for　a　while；　the　lot　of　the　Spaniards。

As　the　region　of　the　viceroyalty　of　La　Plata　had　been　the　first　to　cast　off　the　authority　of　the　home　government；　so　it　was　the　first　to　complete　its　separation　from　Spain。　Despite　the　fact　that　disorder　was　rampant　everywhere　and　that　most　of　the　local　districts　could　not　or　would　not　send　deputies；　a　congress　that　assembled　at　Tucuman　voted　on　July　9；　1816；　to　declare　the　〃United　Provinces　in　South　America〃　independent。　Comprehensive　though　the　expression　was；　it　applied　only　to　the　central　part　of　the　former　viceroyalty；　and　even　there　it　was　little　more　than　an　aspiration。　Mistrust　of　the　authorities　at　Buenos　Aires；　insistence　upon　provincial　autonomy；　failure　to　agree　upon　a　particular　kind　of　republican　government；　and　a　lingering　inclination　to　monarchy　made　progress　toward　national　unity　impossible。　In　1819；　to　be　sure；　a　constitution　was　adopted；　providing　for　a　centralized　government；　but　in　the　country　at　large　it　encountere