The Reports on the Present State of the United Provinces of South America
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES UNIVERSITY of CALlFoKlAl* AT LOS ANGELB3 LIBRARY THE REPORTS ON THE PRESENT STATE OF THE UNITED PROVINCES OF SOUTH AMERICA; DRAWN UP BY MESSRS. RODNEY AND GRAHAM, COMMISSIONERS SENT TO BUENOS AYRES BY THE GOVERNMENT OF NORTH AMERICA, And laid before the Congress of the United States ; WITH THEIR ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTS ; OCCASIONAL NOTES BY THE EDITOR ; AN INTRODUCTORY DISCOURSE, INTENDED TO PRESENT, WITH THE REPORTS AND DOCUMENTS, A VIEW OF THE PRESENT STATE OF THE COUNTRY, AND OF THE PROGRESS OF THE INDEPENDENTS. WITH A MAP. London : PRINTED FOR BALDWIN, CRADOCK, AND JOY, PATERNOSTER-ROW. 1819. ,>-. .ri /"* r\ r\ • . * • ; , ;C< &»M*lo,- iVinter, # .• - » ' iLondon.. .*• '. -\ *. .* I Wew tei'lig«-sfredtj t t t 07 0-0-33 ft U \ v ADVERTISEMENT. 1 HE observations prefixed to these Reports under the title of Preliminary Discourse, and the Notes added to them in illustration of their contents, were written, and in the former printed, before the documents published the Appendix had arrived in this country. The Reports themselves first reached Europe through the medium of the American journals, which did not contain the docu- ments referred to, the latter not being considered of the same intrinsic importance, or at least not of the same popular interest as the former. They could only be ob- tained therefore by procuring a copy of the Reports and their accompanying papers as presented to Congress, and such a copy had not arrived when the present edition was first sent to press. The Editor did not think proper how- ever to delay the publication on that account. Though divested of the documents which served as proofs and illustrations of some of their statements and reasonings, the Reports themselves conveyed information of such importance, and detailed facts, the authenticity of which was so well established through other sources, that he did not hesitate a moment about the propriety of re* a2 IV ADVERTISEMENT. form publishing them in a more convenient and durable with than in the pages of a newspaper, accompanied such remarks and notices, as opportunities similar to those of the American Commissioners enabled him to time supply. Had he seen the Appendix at the same that he received the Reports, some of his own observa- tions might have been shortened or rendered more pre- cise with this fresh ; but upon re-perusing them along accession of knowledge, no reason was seen for omitting, and few calls for correcting them. It has however been thought proper to mention the circumstance, to account for any repetitions that may occur, and as an apology for that any trifling inconsistencies or contradictions may be detected. The Editor cannot help thinking that by this publica- tion a benefit is conferred, both on the English public, and the Provinces to which these Reports relate. If the government of the United States, which has apparently so little interest compared with the English in the coun- tries here described, was at the trouble and expense of appointing special commissioners to survey their physical and geographical position, and to report on their com- mercial and political situation and resources, it was not presuming too much on the curiosity of the latter to suppose that they would desire with some impatience, and receive with some satisfaction, accounts procured from such authentic sources and clothed with such an ADVERTISEMENT. V official character. It was considered to be of the great- est importance that our prejudices should be dispelled, and our knowledge enlarged, regarding countries where the most interesting political changes have recently taken place, and with which our intercourse by these changes may in future become so extensive and so beneficial. With this idea the Editor proposed to collect into a general view the most important topics connected with the South American cause, in the preliminary discourse ; and by notes on the Reports, to supply some of their omissions and to qualify some of their statements. After the documents in the Appendix came to hand the press was stopped, that by their insertion the work might be rendered more complete. The History of the Revolution by Dr. Funes will be read with great interest. It is seldom that an author is able, with so much coolness, to describe scenes in which he himself acted, or to paint characters to whom he himself was opposed, or with whom he associated. In making this remark we cannot, however, refrain from expressing our fears that the worthy Dean has, in the execution of his task, in some degree verified the ob- servations with which he sets out at the beginning of his History : some of the transactions, in our opinion, being represented under a colouring that shows how difficult it is for a contemporary historian to avoid all party feelings and preserve a strict impartiality. VI ADVERTISEMENT. This is not the proper place for making any remarks on the provisional constitution towards the end of the Appendix, but it will at least be allowed to be an object of great curiosity. But of all the papers in the Ap- pendix, those which pleased the Editor the most, are the notes placed in the hands of the North American commissioners by the Secretary of State of the Buenos Ayres government, not so much for the information they contain, as the spirit with which they were communi- cated. The frankness with which the accounts were exhibited shows that the new republic affects no re- or and that it wishes to serve mystery ; derive no ad- vantage from the concealment of its resources. CONTENTS. Page Introductory Discourse 3 Mr. Rodney's Report to the Secretary of State 64 Mr. Graham's Report 114 APPENDIX A. Historical Sketch of the Revolution of the United Pro- vinces of South America, from the 25th of May, 1810, until the Opening of the National Congress, on the 25th of March, 1816, written by Dr. Gregorio Funes, and appended to his History of Buenos Ayres, Paraguay and Tucuman 117 Continuation made, at Mr. Rodney's Request, by Dean Funes, bringing the Sketch down to the Battle of Maipo 177 APPENDIX B. Manifesto directed to all Nations by the General Consti- tuent Congress of the United Provinces of Rio de la Plata 215 APPENDIX D. Notes, which the Secretary of State, in the Department of the Government, ana of Foreign Relations, places in the Hands of Messrs. the Deputies of the United States of North America for the Information of the President of those States 233 APPENDIX E. Provisional Regulations, sanctioned by the Sovereign Congress of the United Provinces of South America, for the Government of the State, to be observed until the Adoption of the Constitution 246 Section I. Of Men in Society 246 VUI CONTENTS. Section II. Of the Legislative Power 250 III. Of the Executive Power 251 IV. Of the Judicial Power 260 V. The Mode of choosing public Officers 268 VI. Of the the Army and Navy 276 VII. Personal Security and the Liberty of the Press 282 APPENDIX H. The Director (ad interim) of the State, in Buenos Ayres, to the Citizens of all the Provinces 298 Plan for the Establishment of Harmony, presented by the Deputation of the Chief of the Orientals to the Government of Buenos Ayres 290 Official Letter of his Excellency the Director of the State, to the Chief of the Orientals 291 Official Letter of Don Antonio Saens, to the Director of the State 294< Another Official Letter from his Excellency the Director of the State, to the Chief of the Orientals 298 APPENDIX I. General Artigas to the Supreme Director, Pueyrredon. 299 APPENDIX J. Extract from the Gazette of Buenos Ayres of the 5th of February, 1818 304- Official Letter of the General of the Portuguese Army, in the Banda Oriental, in Reply to that of this Go- vernment, published in the Gazettee of the 1st of De- cember last 305 Reply to the foregoing Letter by the Supreme Director. 306 Notes on the Reports, &c. 310 INTRODUCTORY DISCOURSE. J. HE object of this publication is to diffuse among our countrymen correct notions of the situation and resources of the provinces on the Rio de la Plata. The reports of Messrs. Rod- ney and Graham have already appeared in most of our newspapers. But a newspaper is seldom read with that degree of attention and reflection, which a subject so important as the present requires : and as those documents were printed in detached morsels on successive days, no person had the full extent of the Commis- sioners' views before him at once. Only a small part of their map of the political state of Buenos Ayres was unfolded to the general eye at any one given time. It has therefore been thought advisable to republish the reports of Messrs. Graham and Rodney, so as to enable the reader to take a connected survey of the whole subject, and in the hope that they may be perused at times admitting of more steady thought than the moments which are devoted to a 2 4 INTRODUCTORY DISCOURSE. the papers of the clay. They will amply repay whatever labour may be bestowed on them. The information which they contain is valuable, and the language in which it is conveyed is clear and forcible : sometimes it even aspires to the praise of elegance. There is no country which better deserves the attention of Britons than the provinces on the Rio de la Plata. They contain an immense extent of fertile soil, blessed with a salubrious climate, and fitted for the growth of every Under a liberal species ofproduce.