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Paraguayan Independence and Doctor Francia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2015

Jerry W. Cooney
Jerry W. Cooney*
Affiliation:
University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
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Extract

One of the consequences of the Buenos Aires revolution in May of 1810 was the eventual independence of Paraguay and the rise to power of Doctor José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia. But before analysing the events of the Independence Movement in the isolated province of Paraguay it is necessary to consider both the conditions in that region in the last decade of colonial rule and the activities of Doctor Francia in the same period.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Americas , Volume 28 , Issue 4 , April 1972 , pp. 407 - 428
Copyright
Copyright © Academy of American Franciscan History 1972 

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References

1 de Pinedo, Agustín Fernando, “Informe del Gobernador del Paraguay Agustín Fernando de Pinedo á S. M. el Rey de España acerca de la pobreza de la provincia y dela opresión de los indios,” Revista del Instituto Paraguayo, LI & LII (1905), 337–352, 3–31, respectively.Google Scholar

2 Velázquez, Rafael Eladio, El Paraguay en 1811 (Asunción, 1966), pp. 77–86.Google Scholar

3 Ibid. Lynch, John, Spanish Colonial Administration, 1782–1810. The Intendant System in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata.(London, 1958), pp. 158–161, 210–215.Google Scholar de Kostianovsky, Olinda Massare, La instrucción pública en la época colonial (Asunción, 1968), pp. 187–217.Google Scholar

4 Velázquez, Eladio, El Paraguay en 1811, pp.63–76.Google Scholar Efraím Cardozo, El Paraguay colonial: Las raices de la nacionalidad (Buenos Aires, 1959), passim.Google Scholar

5 Filho, V.Correa, As ratas de Matto Grosso (São Paulo, 1925),3, 135–149.Google Scholar Comandante of Villa Real de la Concepción Coronel José de Espinola to the Governor of Paraguay Lázaro de Ribera, Concepción, February 19, 1802, in Coleção Visconde de Rio-Branco, Biblioteca Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 1–30, 26, 27. Hereafter cited as CRB.

6 Governor of Paraguay Bernardo de Velasco to Viceroy the marqués de Sobremonte, Asunción, October 19, 1806, in Archivo General de la Nación, Buenos Aires, IX–5–5–#l. Hereafter cited as AGN. Bando of Governor Velasco, Asunción, January 15, 1807, in Archivo Nacional de Asunción, Sección Histórica, volume 204. Hereafter cited as ANA-SH.

7 Ibid. Beverina, Juan, Las invasiones inglesas al Río de la Plata (1806–1801) (Buenos Aires, 1939), 2, 116–117, 151–152.Google Scholar Blanco Sánchez, Jesús L., El capitán don Antonio Tomás Ye gros. Prócer de la independencia nacional (Asunción, 1961), pp. 7–9.Google Scholar

8 Bando of Governor Velasco about the putative expedition to the Río de la Plata, Asunción, July 2, 1810, ANA-SH 211. Expediente on the capture of Coronel Espínola, Asunción, July 14, 1810, ANA-SH 211.

9 Secret Instructions given to General Manuel Belgrano by the Junta of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, September 22, 1810, AGN X–23–2#6.

10 Resolutions of the Junta General of Paraguay, Asunción, July 27, 1810, ANA-SH 211.

11 Expediente on the expedition to Corrientes, Asunción, September 27, 1810, ANA-SH 211.

12 Vinone, Coronel Luis, El Paraguay en la lucha por su independencia (Asunción, 1960), pp. 45–94.Google Scholar

13 Chaves, Julio César, La revolución del 14 y 15 de mayo (Asunción, 1961), pp. 27–31.Google Scholar

14 Centurión, Carlos R., Precursores y actores de la independencia del Paraguay (Asunción, 1962), pp. 20–42.Google Scholar Rodríguez, Marcelino, “Recuerdos de un precursor de la revolución paraguaya en 1811,” Revista Nacional, 13 (1874), 174–183.Google Scholar

15 Cardozo, Efraím, “La Princesa Carlota Joaquina y la independencia del Paraguay,” Revista de Indias, 14 (1954), 363–375.Google Scholar

16 Report on the Abreu mission by Francisco das Chagas Santos of São Borja to General Diogo de Souza, São Borja, June 7, 1811, in Vittone, pp. 181–193. Acuerdo of the Cabildo of Asunción, Asunción, May 13, 1811, CRB I29, 22, 9.

17 Somellera, Pedro, “Notas del doctor don Pedro Somellera á la introducción que ha puesto el doctor Rengger á su ensayo histórico sobre la revolución del Paraguay,”in Mitre, Museo, Documentos del Archivo de Belgrano (Buenos Aires, 1914), 3, 320–324.Google Scholar

18 Capitán Pedro Juan Cavaliere to Governor Velasco, Asunción, May 15, 1811, ANA-SH 214. Bando of Velasco, Asunción, May 15, 1811, ANA-SH 214. Bando of Velasco, Asunción, May 17, 1811, ANA-SH 214.

19 Chaves, Julio César, El Supremo Dictador (4th revised edition: Madrid, 1964), pp. 25–72, passim.Google Scholar Wisner, Francisco, El Dictador del Paraguay: José Gaspar de Francia (2nd edition; Buenos Aires, 1957), pp. 15–25.Google Scholar Informe of Doctor Francia, Asunción, August 18, 1809, Archivo Nacional de Asunción, Nueva Encuademación, volume 3405. Hereafter cited as ANA-NE.

20 Chaves, , El Supremo Dictador, pp.72–75.Google Scholar Somellera, 314–315.

21 Election of a deputy by the Cabildo of Asunción, Asunción, August 4, 1809, ANA-NE 3405.

22 Somellera, 325.

23 Chaves, , El Supremo Dictador, pp. 101–102.Google Scholar

24 Somellera, 325.

25 Triumvirate of Paraguay to the population, Asunción, May 28, 1811, ANA-SH 213.

26 Bando of Triumvirate of Paraguay ordering the evacuation of Corrientes, Asunción, May 30, 1811, ANA-SH 213.

27 Bando of the officers of the Cuartel General concerning the deposition of Velasco, Asunción, June 9, 1811, ANA-SH 213. Carlos Genovés to Governor Velasco, aboard the falucho San Martín, April 27, 1811, ANA-SH 213.

28 Somellera, 330–333.

29 Francia to the Paraguayan Congress, Asunción, June 18, 1811, ANA-SH 213.

30 Act of Congress, Asunción, June 20, 1811, ANA-SH 214.

31 Paraguayan Junta to the Junta of Buenos Aires, Asunción, July 20, 1811, ANA-SH 214.

32 Cardozo, Efraím, El plan federal del Dr. Francia (Buenos Aires, 1941), pp. 18–23.Google Scholar

33 Ibid. Junta of Buenos Aires to Belgrano and Echevarría, Buenos Aires, August 1, 1811, AGN X–l–9#12. Junta of Buenos Aires to Junta of Paraguay, Buenos Aires, October 1, 1811, AGN X–l–9#12.

34 Junta of Buenos Aires to the Junta of Paraguay, Buenos Aires, August 28, 1811, ANA-SH 214.

35 Junta of Paraguay to Doctor Francia, Asunción, August 6, 1811 ANA-SH 214. Doctor Francia to the Junta of Paraguay, Ibiray, August 7, 1811, ANA-SH 214.

36 Acuerdo of the Cabildo of Asunción, Asunción, September 2, 1811, ANA-SH 214.

37 Doctor Francia to the Cabildo of Asunción, Ibiray, September 3, 1811, ANA-SH 214.

38 “Auto de Francia, Asunción, Noviembre 4, 1817,” Revista del Paraguay, I (1913), 453–458.

39 Charisma is still an elusive concept but for a discussion of this phenomenon as applied to a leader in a “ conservative ” sense—as would be the case of Doctor Francia— see: Edward Shils, “Charisma, Order, and Status,” American Sociological Review, XXX (1965), 200–205.

40 Chaves, , El Supremo Dictador, pp. 128–130.Google Scholar

41 Secret Manifesto of the Junta (not the Junta of Paraguay), Asunción, August 29, 1811, ANA-SH 214. There is little doubt that the royalist plotters were enticed into action by the government. Their attempted coup d'etat was a complete failure and discredited their party. Somellera, 337–339.

42 Treaty between Paraguay and Buenos Aires, Asunción, October 12, 1811, ANA-SH 214.

43 Triumvirate of Buenos Aires to Belgrano and Echevarría, Buenos Aires, October 31, 1811, AGN X–1–9Λ3.

44 Doctor Francia to the Junta of Paraguay, Ibiray, December 15, 1811, ANA-SH 214. Junta of Paraguay to Doctor Francia, Asunción, December 16, 1811, ANA-SH 214.

45 “Auto de Francia, Asunción, Noviembre 4, 1817, ” 453–458.

46 Cabildo of Asunción to the Junta of Paraguay, Asunción, December 31, 1811, ANA-SH 214. Junta of Paraguay to the Cabildo of Asunción, December 31, 1811, ANA-SH 214.

47 Junta of Paraguay to the population, Asunción, June 19, 1812, ANA-SH 218. In this proclamation the remaining Junta warned against grumbling, subversion, etc., and gave those discontent with the regime fifteen days to remove themselves and their goods from the province.

48 Carlos R. Centurión, Historia de la cultura paraguaya (Asunción, 1961), I, 184–191.

49 Junta of Paraguay to Triumvirate of Buenos Aires, Asunción, May 26, 1812, AGN X–l–9#13. R. Antonio Ramos, La política del Brasil en el Paraguay bajo la dictadura del Dr. Franck (2nd edition; Buenos Aires, 1959), pp. 21–30.

50 Junta of Paraguay to Triumvirate of Buenos Aires, Asunción, January 19, 1812, ANA-SH 217.

51 Ventura Díaz de Bedoya to Triumvirate of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, January 23, 1812, AGN X–l–9#12. José Závala y Delgadillo (attributed to Doctor Juan Manuel Granee), “Diario de los sucesos memorables de la Asunción desde el 14 de mayo de 1812,” Revista Nacional, III (1887), 245. Chaves, , Historia de las relaciones entre Buenos-Ayres y el Paraguay, 1810–1813, pp. 178–195.Google Scholar

52 J. P, . and Robertson, W. P., Letters on Paraguay (London, 1838), 1, 336–337.Google Scholar

53 Závala y Delgadillo, 241–245. Comandante of the Cuartel General Antonio Tomás Yegros to Doctor Francia, Asunción, May 15, 1812, ANA-SH 218.

54 Acuerdo of the Junta of Paraguay, Asunción, November 16, 1812, ANA-SH 218.

55 Junta of Paraguay to Fernando de la Mora, Asunción, December 22, 1812, CRB I-30, 2, 80. Auto of Junta of Paraguay, Asunción, September 18, 1813, CRB I–30, 2, 80.

56 Instructions to Nicolás de Herrera from the Buenos Aires government, Buenos Aires, March 4, 1813, AGN X–l–9#12.

57 Junta of Paraguay to Juez Comisionado of Ybicuy, Asunción, August 26, 1813, ANA-SH 221.

58 Act of Government, Asunción, October 12, 1813, ANA-SH 222. Herrera to Government of Buenos Aires, Asunción, October 13, 1813, AGN X–l–9#12.

59 Act of Government, Asunción, October 12, 1813, ANA-SH 222.

60 There is an apocryphal story that at the celebrations inaugurating the Consular system there were two chairs, one marked Caesar and the other Pompey. Doctor Francia was supposed to have seized the one marked Caesar. Chaves, El Supremo Dictador, p. 166.

61 Wisner, pp. 70–72.

62 Chaves, , El Supremo Dictador, pp. 168–169.Google Scholar

63 J. P., and W. P., Robertson, Letters on Paraguay, 2, 34–36.Google Scholar Consuls of Paraguay to the Cura Vicario of Capiatá including the Consular Resolution of March 1, 1814, Asunción, July 1, 1814, in Archivo de la Curia Metropolitana de Asunción, Casilla # 107, Volume II.

64 Artigas to Comandante Vicente Matiauda of Itapúa, Batoví, January 26, 1814, ANA-SH 223.

65 Consuls of Paraguay to the Lieutenant Governor of Corrientes, Asunción, March 13, 1814, ANA-SH 223.

66 J. P., and W. P., Robertson, Francia’s Reign of Terror (Philadelphia, 1839), 2, 84–102.Google Scholar

67 Act of the Paraguayan Congress, Asunción, October 3, 1814, CRB I–30, 24, 45.

68 J. P., and Robertson, W.P., Letters on Paraguay, 2, 314–31.Wisner, pp. 74–77.Google Scholar

69 Act of Congress, Asunción, June 1, 1816, CRB I–29, 23, 5–B.