CHAPTER VII.

The Argentine Republic - Territorial Extent and Divisions Separation of Paraguay, the Banda Oriental, and Bolivia Isolation of the Provinces Rise of Federalism - Overthrow of the Supreme Government French Scheme for a Monarchy for the Duke of Lucca Rise and Progress of the Provincial Government of Buenos Ayres Weakness of the Provinces - Delegation of Extraordinary Powers to General Rosas, provisionally — Comparison of the State of the South Americans with that of the People of the United States when emancipated - Slow Progress of the former in their Political Organization — Why — Recognition of their Independence and Treaties made with them by Great Britain.

THE United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata, or, as they are sometimes called, the Argentine Republic, comprise the whole of that vast space (with the exception of Paraguay and the Banda Oriental, which are now separate and independent states) lying between Brazil and the Cordillera of the Andes, and extending from the 22nd to the 41st degrees of south latitude. The most southern settlement of the Buenos Ayreans as yet is the little town of Del Carmen, on the Rio Negro. The native Indians are in undisturbed possession of all beyond to Cape Horn.

Generally speaking, the Republic may be described as bounded on the north by Bolivia, on the west by Chile,

on the east by Paraguay, the river Uruguay, which divides it from the Banda Oriental, and the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south by the Indians of Patagonia.

Altogether it contains about 726,000 square miles English, as computed by Mr. Arrowsmith, with a population of from 600,000 to 700,000 inhabitants,* exclusive of Indians variously estimated at from 50,000 to 100,000, including every tribe from the Gran Chaco to the southernmost parts of Patagonia.

Politically, this vast territory is now subdivided into thirteen Provinces, assuming to govern themselves more or less independently of each other, though for all national purposes united in one general Confederation.

For want of a more defined national executive, the provincial government of Buenos Ayres, invested with extraordinary powers, is temporarily charged with carrying on the business of this Confederation with foreign nations, and with the management of all matters appertaining to the common interests of the Republic. The executive power of that Government, as constituted in 1821, is vested in the Governor or Captain-General, as he is styled, aided by a council of ministers appointed by himself-responsible to the Sala, or Legislative Assembly of the province, by whom he is elected. The Junta consists of forty-four deputies, one-half of whom are annually renewed by popular election.

Geographically, these Provinces may be divided into three principal sections:

1st. The Riverine Provinces, or those on either side of the Paraná, viz., Buenos Ayres and Santa Fé on the right, and Entre Rios and Corrientes on the left bank of that river.

2nd. Those called the Upper Provinces, (Provincias arribeñas,) on the high road to Peru, viz., Cordova, Santiago del Estero, Tucuman, and Salta, with Jujuy, to which may be added Catamarca and La Rioja.

3rd. The Provinces of Cuyo, to the west of Buenos Ayres, and at the foot of the Cordillera of the Andes,

* See Appendix for Estimates of the Population.

CHAP. VII. EXTENT OF THE OLD VICEROYALTIES.

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viz., San Luis, Mendoza, and San Juan, which formerly constituted a separate Intendancy, known by that name, and subject to the Government of Chile.

All these together now form the Confederation of the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata.

Under the Spanish rule the Viceroyalty of Buenos Ayres comprehended further the provinces of Upper Peru, now called Bolivia, as well as Paraguay and the Banda Oriental; and, immense as this jurisdiction appears for one Government, it was but a portion separated from that of the old Viceroys of Peru, whose nominal authority at one time extended from Guayaquil to Cape Horn, over 55 degrees of latitude, comprising almost every habitable climate under the sun, people of various races, speaking different languages, and every production which can minister to the wants of man.

To Spain it was a convenience and saving of expense to divide her American possessions into as few governments as possible; and under her colonial system, without a hope of improving their social condition, their native industry discouraged, and the very fruits of the soil forbidden them, lest they should interfere with the sale of those of the mother country, it was of little consequence to the generality of the people by what Viceroy they were ruled, or at what distance from them he resided.

It became, however, a very different matter when that colonial system was overthrown, and to be replaced by governments of their own election. Then, as the many and various distinctions of races, of language, of habits, of climate, and productions, burst into notice, and separately put forth their claims to consideration, it became obvious that the necessity would, sooner or later, arise of dividing and subdividing into distinct and separate governments the immense and unwieldy jurisdictions of the old viceroyalties.

Unfortunately in most instances these changes have been brought about by violent means, which have tended greatly to retard the social organization and improvement of the people; and in no part of South America has this been more strikingly exemplified than in the

G

widely-spread provinces of the old Viceroyalty of Buenos Ayres.

During the struggle with the mother country, one common object, paramount to all other considerations, the complete establishment of their political independence, bound them together; but the very circumstances of that struggle, and the vicissitudes of the war, which often for long periods cut off their communications with their old metropolis and with each other, obliging them to provide separately for their own temporary government and security, gave rise, especially in those at a distance, to habits of independence, which, as they acquired strength, loosened more or less the ties which bound them to Buenos Ayres, and in some cases produced an entire separation.

Paraguay set the example, and, after asserting her right to manage her own affairs, virtually established at least a provisional independence by defeating a Buenos Ayrean army sent to reduce her to obedience.

The Banda Oriental was also separated from the authority of the capital by the notorious Artigas, whose anarchical proceedings, fraught with the most fatal consequences to the peace of the Republic, afforded a plausible pretext for the occupation of Monte Video by their Portuguese neighbours-the cause eventually of a long and ruinous war between the Republic and Brazil, which was only terminated by British mediation, and by the territory in question being erected into a new and independent state in 1828.*

The provinces of Upper Peru, comprising the rich mineral districts of Potosi, in old times the most valued portion of the Viceroyalty of Buenos Ayres, were no sooner completely freed from the Spanish yoke by the victories of Bolivar, than they too set up a government of their own, under one of his generals, Sucré, assuming the name of Bolivia, in honour of their "Liberator," in 1825.

Thus was Buenos Ayres dismembered of the most important of her old dependencies, whilst the provinces which remained nominally in connexion with her have

*As the Treaty establishing the independence of the Banda Oriental becomes of interest from late events in the Rio

de la Plata, I have added it to the other historical documents given in the Appendix.

CHAP. VII.

MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS.

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only done so upon terms barely justifying their continuing to call themselves the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata.

Under the rule of Spain the Viceroyalty was divided into several Intendancies or provinces, governed by "Intendentes," as they were styled, with the assistance of the Cabildos, or municipal corporations, which existed in all the principal cities or townships. Submissive and unproductive under the Spanish rule, the authorities fixed in the capital troubled themselves little about them: there was nothing then to disturb their domestic peace-nothing to make them emulous of fame or improvement-nothing to require interference with the administration of the Colonial laws by their own petty Cabildos and Alcaldes; and such a state of things was perhaps almost a necessary consequence of the enormous distances which separated them de facto from each other and from the capital, and which under any circumstances must make it a very difficult attempt to govern them in any other manner.

Of the Upper Provinces, Cordova, the nearest and most important of these townships, is no less than 500 miles; Salta, the frontier town on the same line, is 1200; and Mendoza, the principal town of the Province of Cuyo, is 900 miles from Buenos Ayres. Santa Fé, the nearest of the towns of the Riverine Provinces, is 300 miles, and Corrientes more than double that distance, up the Paraná.

After the deposition of the Viceroy the Executive Junta (Junta Gubernativa) appointed to replace his authority, in their desire to secure the cordial co-operation of the Provinces, invited these same Cabildos to send representatives to Buenos Ayres to take part in their first administrative measures-and although this was not unopposed at the time, and was of very short duration, it sufficed to give them a degree of importance to which they had never before aspired, whilst the recognition of Provincialism as apparently a necessary element in the new government, contributed, there is no doubt, naturally enough to the notion of a federal instead of central system of government, subsequently put forward in opposition to the views