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Jeremy Bentham and the Colombian Liberators

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2015

Theodora L. McKennan
Theodora L. McKennan*
Affiliation:
Barry College, Miami Shores, Florida
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Extract

No English reformer of the early nineteenth century was so much admired by his Latin American contemporaries as was Jeremy Bentham, the prolific author of utilitarian treatises on government, economics, and law. The fundamental reasons for the Colombian liberators' interest in Bentham were undoubtedly the attractive manner in which he treated the explosive question of sovereignty, and his demand for a complete reconstruction of all legal systems upon utilitarian principles. It is even more certain that Bentham's most important entrée to the Spanish-American world was afforded by the popularity of his works, many of them published first on the Continent and in the French language, among the Spanish liberals. Yet the story of Bentham's personal contacts with a number of the próceres of Gran Colombia formed a noteworthy chapter in the history of the Bentham vogue in South America, as they sought him out during their journeys to Europe and the British Isles. Bentham himself was more than a passive partner in this exchange. Especially in the case of Bolívar, he pursued his acquaintances rather relentlessly by correspondence in his high-minded efforts to provide men in positions of power with the models for introducing utilitarian reforms.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Americas , Volume 34 , Issue 4 , April 1978 , pp. 460 - 475
Copyright
Copyright © Academy of American Franciscan History 1978 

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References

1 Rojas, Armando, Ideas educativas de Simón Bolívar (2d ed.; Caracas, 1955), p. 12 Google Scholar; Ponce, Ignacio Gutiérrez, Vida de Don Ignacio Gutiérrez Vergara y episódios históricos de su tiempo (2 vols.; London, 1900), 1, 459–60,Google Scholar hereinafter cited as Gutiérrez Vergara.

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4 Draft letter, n.d., University College, London, Bentham MSS, box x, sheet 4. Papers from this collection will hereinafter be cited as Bentham MSS.

5 One of the documents in the collection is indexed as dating from the year 1808, but it appears to be another copy of the proposed law for establishing liberty of the press which Bentham drafted in 1810. Cf. Bentham MSS, xxvi, 2–11; Milne, A. Taylor (comp.), Catalogue of the Manuscripts of Jeremy Bentham in the Library of University College, London (2d ed.; London, 1962), p. 10.Google Scholar

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8 See Kayser, Elmer Louis, The Grand Social Enterprise: A Study of Jeremy Bentham in His Relation to Liberal Nationalism (New York, 1932), especially p. 28,Google Scholar where Bentham’s foreign endeavors are conveniently summarized.

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10 Ibid.

11 Letter, Bentham to Blanco White, Oct. 25, 1810, ibid., p. 456.

12 Cf. Decree of Nov. 10, 1810, Colección de los decretos y órdenes que han expedido las cortes generales y extraordinarias (10 vols.; Madrid, 1820–23), I, 14–17; “Reglamento de la libertad de la Imprenta en Venezuela,” El Español, Nov. 30, 1811, pp. 88–92, quoting Publicista de Venezuela, July 25, 1811.

13 This observation was made years ago by Angel, and Cuervo, Rufino J. in Vida de Rufino Cuervo y noticias de su época (2 vols., 2d ed.; Bogotá, 1946), I, 16.Google Scholar Hereinafter cited as Vida de Cuervo. The first edition of this work was published in 1892. Cf. “Articulo extractado de los manuscritos ingleses de Bentham y publicado por el Sr. Blanco en su ‘Español,’” La Bagetela, Dec. 1, 1811.

14 Issue of April 26, 1812.

15 “Miscelanea,” El Español, Jan.-Feb. [1814], p. 34. Gutiérrez Ponce, copying an error printed in the original, incorrectly dated this article 1813.

16 Gutiérrez Vergara, I, 459–60.

17 Bentham MSS, x 3–6. Bentham’s notation on sheet 6, dated Jan. 24, 1820, explains that the draft had been written “more than a year ago but not sent.”

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24 Bentham MSS, xii, 54–61. Possibly “Dos palabras” was included in the publication Colombia constituída, por un español-americano. … Dado a luz por J. De Echeverría, ciudadano de la misma (Paris, 1822).

25 Vida de Cuervo, II, 184.

26 Cf. Nariño, Antonio, “Discurso del Vicepresidente interino …,” “Proyecto de Constitución …,” in Posada, Eduardo and Ibáñez, Pedro M. (eds.), El Precursor: Documentos sobre la vida pública y privada del General Antonio Nariño (Bogotá, 1903), pp. 501, 515–16Google Scholar; Bentham, , Three Tracts Relative to Spanish and Portuguese Affairs…, in Works of Bentham, 8, 468.Google Scholar

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29 Letter, Bentham to Nuñez, March, 1822, ibid., sheet 296.

30 Groot, José Manuel, Historia eclesiástica y civil de la Nueva Granada (5 vols., 2d ed.; Bogotá, 1889–93), 5, 63 Google Scholar; Ponce, Gutiérrez, Gutiérrez Vergara, 1, 462.Google Scholar

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36 Letter of May 17, 1822, Bentham MSS, xii, 62.

37 Letter of Oct. 17, 1822, ibid., sheet 85, p. 4.

38 English translation of letter, Bolívar to Blaquiere, Sept. 27, 1822, ibid., lx, 68.

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45 Hall, Francis, “Preface,” Colombia: Its Present State (London, 1824), p. iv.Google Scholar For the enactment see Law of June 11, 1823, Codificación nacional de todas las leyes de Colombia desde el año de 1821 (v. -; Bogotá, 1924–), I, 186.

46 Draft letter, April 20–21, 1823, Bentham MSS, xii, 110–14. See also another draft, March 27-June 3, 1823, which seems to deal with the same subject (ibid., sheets 129–34).

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52 Lecuna, ibid., p. 156, n.

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