“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...
“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ... “MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...
that the cattle in question pertained to the family and were not subject to the contractually mandated payments. 24 In short, for Lamas to recover his tax payments under the agreement, Nunes had to establish that the cattle Guterres extracted from the Estado Oriental were his. João Xavier appeared in support of Nunes’ claim, detailing the negotiations that had led up to the original agreement between Nunes, Lamas and Guterres. João Xavier testified: [I]t was true what [Nunes] claimed . . . for the reason that the convention was negotiated in his presence, and even more so because said Colonel Diego Lamas, with whom the witness [João Xavier] had friendly relations would not consent for [Nunes] to enter into possession of his lands without payment to remove the embargo on them, paying that quantity of four contos pesos in taxes, on whose part [divida] the deceased Liberato Guterres was obligated. 25 João Xavier’s testimony was critical to obtaining the requested relief. The rancher possessed numerous ties to prominent merchants and politicians in Alegrete. As an “honorable vizinho,” his word required respect. Lamas no doubt recognized this fact as well. The testimony publicly expressed an important relationship between the two men – one that Lamas had to honor to preserve access to Alegrete’s courts in the future. Once again, leveraging one’s reputation by offering testimony provided a powerful means to fashion durable alliances across the borderlands. João Xavier’s testimony also revealed several things about his prior connections with Lamas in the Estado Oriental. João Xavier openly testified to his friendship with the blanco commander. This friendship proved instrumental in orchestrating the transaction in question. An 1850 report detailing the losses suffered by Brazilian landowners in Uruguay during the Guerra Grande makes clear that Lamas was occupying Nunes’ lands, using them to 24 Jeremias José Nunes c. Doña Delmire Caetana Guterres e seus filhos, cujo autor sequem por appelação para a relação do distrito, APRGS. Alegrete. Cartório Civil e Crime. Ações Ordinarias, Maço 35, No. 843 (1854). 25 Ibid. The litigation record for this proceeding does not contain page numbers. 270
supply his troops. 26 By the time of the report, Brazilian officials claimed that only some 500 head of cattle remained out of the original 2,000 on the tract. Interestingly, the same document indicated that João Xavier remained in possession of both his lands and cattle in the Estado Oriental. 27 This fact alone suggests that João Xavier’s claims to personal friendship were not merely passing statements in his testimony, but real and capable of influencing his commercial opportunities on both sides of the border. With Lamas in complete control of Nunes’ lands, João Xavier likely used his friendship with the blanco commander to arrange a mutually beneficial transaction to market a portion of Nunes’ cattle through Guterres. When Guterres’ heirs attempted to back out of the deal, João Xavier further testified in support of Nunes’ and by proxy Lamas’ claims. Given this background, Cándido’s letter invoked much more than basic documentary evidence of Pedro’s ownership. Rather, the letter represented a direct response to Pedro’s attempts to erect a permanent juridical division between himself and the Azambujas in Brazil. It emphasized a long-standing and continuous cross-border relationship between Lamas and João Xavier. This relationship had been repeatedly cemented by commercial dealings, reciprocity and mutual assistance in litigation. What is striking is that the letter called upon Lamas, a committed blanco, to reject slave appeals to Uruguayan sovereignty and instead treat the borderlands as a single, integrated space. In the process, the letter implicitly asserted the limits of state-centered institutions while at the same time turning to them to ensure labor discipline. And it worked. Lamas promptly ordered officials to conduct further investigations into Pedro’s citizenship claims. Authorities questioned other residents in Tacuarembó. 26 Project, "Relatório da Repartição dos Negocios Estrangeiros, Anexo 'A'." Nunes’ land is listed as entry No. 406. 27 Ibid., No. 470 271
- Page 229 and 230: [Lima] contracted with an untrained
- Page 231 and 232: that department, Colonel Diego Lama
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- Page 235 and 236: Brigadier Don David Canavarro . . .
- Page 237 and 238: assistance, Garces won her case aga
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- Page 243 and 244: Urquiza’s efforts to placate his
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- Page 251 and 252: The correntino merchants responded
- Page 253 and 254: assembling witnesses (in this case,
- Page 255 and 256: etween himself and Abendaño, howev
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- Page 263 and 264: The incident also revealed how impe
- Page 265 and 266: positioned the Ribeiro faction to g
- Page 267 and 268: Borderlands inhabitants in the earl
- Page 269 and 270: neatly encapsulated the ongoing con
- Page 271 and 272: for Brazilian ranchers. In the best
- Page 273 and 274: anchers operating throughout the bo
- Page 275 and 276: Brazilian slave laws followed them
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- Page 279: defined their respective places in
- Page 283 and 284: Brazilian masters that resulted in
- Page 285 and 286: pursue further rights. They would p
- Page 287 and 288: in the Estado Oriental. At the hear
- Page 289 and 290: was also a personal enemy of Canaba
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- Page 293 and 294: anything, Orientales.” 56 Gomez
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- Page 303 and 304: his cattle in 1858. 79 Recall also
- Page 305 and 306: of warfare in the borderlands furth
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- Page 309 and 310: guarantee their commercial relation
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- Page 317 and 318: captured the city of Corrientes. To
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supply his troops. 26 By the time of the report, Brazilian officials claimed that only some 500<br />
head of cattle remained out of the original 2,000 on the tract. Interestingly, the same<br />
document indicated that João Xavier remained in possession of both his lands and cattle in<br />
the Estado Oriental. 27 This fact alone suggests that João Xavier’s claims to personal<br />
friendship were not merely passing statements in his testimony, but real and capable of<br />
influencing his commercial opportunities on both sides of the border. With Lamas in<br />
complete control of Nunes’ lands, João Xavier likely used his friendship with the blanco<br />
commander to arrange a mutually beneficial transaction to market a portion of Nunes’ cattle<br />
through Guterres. When Guterres’ heirs attempted to back out of the deal, João Xavier<br />
further testified in support of Nunes’ and by proxy Lamas’ claims.<br />
Given this background, Cándido’s letter invoked much more than basic documentary<br />
evidence of Pedro’s ownership. Rather, the letter represented a direct response to Pedro’s<br />
attempts to erect a permanent juridical division between himself and the Azambujas in<br />
Brazil. It emphasized a long-standing and continuous cross-border relationship between<br />
Lamas and João Xavier. This relationship had been repeatedly cemented by commercial<br />
dealings, reciprocity and mutual assistance in litigation. What is striking is that the letter<br />
called upon Lamas, a committed blanco, to reject slave appeals to Uruguayan sovereignty and<br />
instead treat the borderlands as a single, integrated space. In the process, the letter implicitly<br />
asserted the limits of state-centered institutions while at the same time turning to them to<br />
ensure labor discipline.<br />
And it worked. Lamas promptly ordered officials to conduct further investigations<br />
into Pedro’s citizenship claims. Authorities questioned other residents in Tacuarembó.<br />
<br />
26 Project, "Relatório da Repartição dos Negocios Estrangeiros, Anexo 'A'." Nunes’<br />
land is listed as entry No. 406.<br />
27 Ibid., No. 470<br />
271 <br />
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