“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...

to divide and his old manias.” 100 Rather than being complicit in Martinez’s schemes, Llupes
argued that Lamas effectively lacked either the power or the will to restrain his protégé. In
this way, Llupes linked blanco officials throughout the borderlands to lawless coercion and
factional divisions without directly implicating their own conduct. In effect, Lamas lacked
the power to restrain his lieutenants and ensure law and order. In this sense, Lamas failed in
his basic obligations to provide justice. Through this type of argument, Llupes could
undermine Lamas’ reputation as a reliable source of legal rights, bolstering the colorado case
against their factional rivals.
Not surprisingly, Martinez immediately brought a juicio de imprenta against Llupes. In
it, he challenged a number of statements in the article. As the trial neared, colorados and
blancos maneuvered to influence the outcome. Several prominent colorados refused to
participate in the trial, receiving multiple fines of 25 pesos for neglecting their civic duties. 101
The colorados perhaps realized that a conviction was likely and sought to avoid conferring any
legitimacy to the case in the public’s eye. The blancos made sure that proceeding went
forward. Dionicio Trillo, the jefe político of Salto’s department, issued an order for Llupes to
appear in the proceeding. He threatened the police commissioner with arrest if he failed to
appear to answer the charges. Trillo’s actions ensured that despite the lack of participation
by Salto’s colorados, the trial could proceed in the public theater in early October of 1862.
At trial, Antonio Perez appeared on Llupes’ behalf. This brought the dispute
between the police commissioner and Martinez back to the original conflict over Perez’s
personal property rights. Perez confirmed Llupes’ allegations that Martinez had abandoned
100 Ibid.
101 Ibid., 22-22bis.
194