“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...
“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ... “MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...
Flores and his allies now worked to stoke these tensions further. In doing so, they utilized the local factional conflicts swirling around borderlands courtrooms over citizenship claims to provoke renewed confrontations over sovereignty. Inverting Andrés Lamas’ narrative of Brazilian conscriptions of Uruguayan citizens, one common tactic was to accuse blancos of wrongfully impressing Brazilian and Argentine citizens into the armed forces. Such arguments were useful tactics because they joined narratives of Uruguayan disorder with the growing nationalist rhetoric in Argentina and Brazil that aimed to tramp down regional rivals and consolidate central state control. Another example from Salto shows how this process worked. Some five days following Flores’ crossing from Argentina into the Uruguayan borderlands, the Argentine Vice-Counsel in Salto, Juan Coronada, issued a formal complaint to blanco officials. He alleged that many of the soldiers serving in the armed forces were Argentine citizens and exempt from military service. During the next few months, Coronada followed his initial letter with a number of other communications. He identified dozens of alleged Argentines in the blanco armies. Not surprisingly, colorados in Salto provided much of the information for Coronada’s claims. For instance, Coronada indicated that Agustín Sañudo had established the “true” citizenship of several soldiers serving in the local garrison. 78 The factional conflicts over citizenship became even starker when Pastor Tejo replaced Coronada as the Argentine Vice-Counsel in October of 1863. Tejo was a committed colorado and personal enemy of the local blanco leadership. Already, Tejo’s brother, Angel, had engaged in prolonged disputes with Lucas Piris over the confiscation of 78 Vice-Consulado al Señor D. Antonio Sagarra, Gefe Político del Departamento, AGN. Salto. Jefatura (June 22, 1863), 1; Vice-Consulado al Señor D. Antonio Sagarra, Gefe Político del Departamento, AGN. Salto. Jefatura (July 30, 1863), 1-2; Vice-Consulado al Señor D. Antonio Sagarra, Gefe Político del Departamento, AGN. Salto. Jefatura (August 5, 1863), 1. 292
his cattle in 1858. 79 Recall also that Angel had clashed with Diego Lamas over allegations that Manuel Cristobo had stolen some two ounces of gold from Miguel Gelabert, the correntino merchant. 80 By 1863, Angel had joined Flores’ revolution. With his brother openly opposing the government militarily, Pastor Tejo used his position as Vice-Counsel to attack Piris and the other blancos in the town legally. Citizenship was Pastor’s chief weapon. Antonio Sagarra, the acting blanco commander in Salto, accused Tejo of being the “hidden hand” trying to obtain the release of several of his former peons conscripted from his brother Angel’s ranch on the spurious grounds that they were Argentine citizens. Sagarra noted that the men in question had actively conspired against the government along with their patron. He had offered them the opportunity to avoid treason charges by agreeing to serve in the government’s forces. Pastor now was attempting to use his position as Vice- Counsel to interfere with the just resolution of their cases. 81 Ultimately, the Uruguayan government ordered Pastor to abandon his post when it severed diplomatic relations with the Argentine government. Almost immediately, Joaquim María Viana, the Brazilian Vice- Counsel in Salto, stepped in to fill the void created by Pastor’s departure. He declared in a letter to the salteño government that the Argentine citizens remaining in the town should now be “considered under the protection of the Government of His Majesty the Emperor of Brazil.” 82 79 Lucas Piris al Sor Gefe Político interino del Departamento del Salto D. Bernardino Alcain, AGN. Salto. Jefatura (March 30, 1858). 80 Miguel V. Gelabert al Sor. Gregorio Valdés (September 11, 1858). 81 Gefatura Política del Departamento Antonio Sagarra al Sor. Comandante Militar del Norte del Río Negro Brid. Gen. D. Diego Lamas, AGN. Salto. Jefatura (October 23, 1863). 82 Vice-Consulado do Brasil Joaquim María Viana al Señor Gefe Política y de Policía del departamento del Salto, Caballero D. Antonio Sagarra, AGN. Salto. Jefatura (December 24, 1863), 1. 293
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Flores and his allies now worked to stoke these tensions further. In doing so, they<br />
utilized the local factional conflicts swirling around borderlands courtrooms over citizenship<br />
claims to provoke renewed confrontations over sovereignty. Inverting Andrés Lamas’<br />
narrative of Brazilian conscriptions of Uruguayan citizens, one common tactic was to accuse<br />
blancos of wrongfully impressing Brazilian and Argentine citizens into the armed forces. Such<br />
arguments were useful tactics because they joined narratives of Uruguayan disorder with the<br />
growing nationalist rhetoric in Argentina and Brazil that aimed to tramp down regional rivals<br />
and consolidate central state control.<br />
Another example from Salto shows how this process worked. Some five days<br />
following Flores’ crossing from Argentina into the Uruguayan borderlands, the Argentine<br />
Vice-Counsel in Salto, Juan Coronada, issued a formal complaint to blanco officials. He<br />
alleged that many of the soldiers serving in the armed forces were Argentine citizens and<br />
exempt from military service. During the next few months, Coronada followed his initial<br />
letter with a number of other communications. He identified dozens of alleged Argentines<br />
in the blanco armies. Not surprisingly, colorados in Salto provided much of the information for<br />
Coronada’s claims. For instance, Coronada indicated that Agustín Sañudo had established<br />
the “true” citizenship of several soldiers serving in the local garrison. 78<br />
The factional conflicts over citizenship became even starker when Pastor Tejo<br />
replaced Coronada as the Argentine Vice-Counsel in October of 1863. Tejo was a<br />
committed colorado and personal enemy of the local blanco leadership. Already, Tejo’s<br />
brother, Angel, had engaged in prolonged disputes with Lucas Piris over the confiscation of<br />
<br />
78 Vice-Consulado al Señor D. Antonio Sagarra, Gefe Político del Departamento, AGN. Salto.<br />
Jefatura (June 22, 1863), 1; Vice-Consulado al Señor D. Antonio Sagarra, Gefe Político del<br />
Departamento, AGN. Salto. Jefatura (July 30, 1863), 1-2; Vice-Consulado al Señor D. Antonio<br />
Sagarra, Gefe Político del Departamento, AGN. Salto. Jefatura (August 5, 1863), 1.<br />
292 <br />
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