“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...

serves?” 36 He continued: “Does La Tribuna believe that Col. Latorre, a man of conscience,
would not hear the voices of thousands in order to attend to that of two or three
wrongdoers.” 37
Malta’s article neatly encapsulated the dual elements of each side’s strategy to
triumph in their judicial struggles. It offered a public demonstration of Guimaraens’ and his
allies’ local strength and high regard in the town. This reflected the traditional legal politics
of personal reputation. Once again, the courts were being used to make the often-tacit
connections and understandings underpinning local political associations explicit to the
community. Alongside this message, however, was also a statement to national officials.
This emphasized a faction’s ability to maintain order and loyalty. The rivals offered this to
the national government in exchange for its support in their skirmish. Latorre’s government
was faced with the task of weighing political strengths, recognizing local conclusions
regarding reputation and honor, and then conferring the national seal of approval upon the
putative winners. In this way, national officials bolstered their place as important and
legitimate actors in peripheral communities like Salto.
Having succeeded both in the local courts and in its struggle to secure the approval
of national officials, Guimaraens and his allies proceeded to embark on a campaign to push
Thevenet and his associates out of the local government entirely. They immediately
produced evidence of fraudulent transactions between Thevenet and Miguel Reilly. This
included documents purportedly from Guarch to the two men in connection with the 1874
Raffo dispute. 38 Thevenet ultimately resigned his position. As 1877 progressed,
36
El Salteño, Año I, n. 183 (December 13, 1876), 1.
37
Ibid.
38
D. Victor Gomensa en representación de los miembros de la Comision Extraordinaria
Administrativa acusando una publicación del Diario “El Progreso,” AGN-SJ. Salto. Penales, n. 56B
347