“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...
“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ... “MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...
Montevideo maintained a lifeline through the Uruguayan capital’s deepwater port. Fearing that Rosas would gain control over the entire Río de la Plata, French and now British naval forces intervened to ensure that Montevideo’s port remained open. The two European powers also began once again to blockade Buenos Aires, closing off rivertine traffic along the Paraná. Despite the blockade, Rosas and his allies remained dominant on land. With the blancos unable to take the Uruguayan capital and the colorados unable to challenge Oribe in the countryside, the conflict devolved into a prolonged stalemate. Rivera’s defeat in 1843 had precluded Guarch from conducting his cross-border trade with the Farrapos rebels. To address this, the colorado merchant drew upon his existing relationships in order to continue his commercial operations between Montevideo and ports along the Uruguay River. Once again, Guarch’s brother-in-law played a key role. Working with Guarch, Picant established ties to Restuaración. The town was situated just across the Uruguay River from Uruguaiana in Corrientes. Picant also expanded his operations upriver by opening a trading house in São Borja. Picant developed a growing trade with the Madariagas. They were a powerful correntino family led by Joaquim and Juan Madariaga. The previous year, the two brothers had overthrown the Rosas supported government in Corrientes. Picant and Guarch, allied with the colorados in the Estado Oriental and with the opposition forces to Rosas throughout the borderlands, took advantage of the situation to supply the Madariagas with weapons and other items. They received mules and horses from the correntinos in São Borja throughout much of 1844 in exchange. Picant could then market the horses to his Farrapos allies, while using the mules to ferry other goods overland. 39 39 Don Luis Miraglia por Doña Augustina Guarch y D. Julian Subsiela sovre liquidación y arreglo de cuentas. 82
In short, over the course of a decade of warfare, Guarch had strategically used personal and political alliances to build a commercial empire that stretched from Montevideo to Brazilian ports along the upper Uruguay and the Argentine Littoral. Once established, the reciprocal relationships borne out of trading ties and property transactions provided an important mechanism to secure its continued viability. By way of example, we can see how Guarch used his prior dealings with Domingos José de Almeida to navigate the often- shifting factional connections across the border in Brazil. This provided the Uruguayan merchant with a means to protect his legal rights in a number of local fora. The connections between the two men first appear in the record in the late 1830s when they became involved in negotiations to supply the Farrapos army. The specific transaction initially involved an agreement between Bento Ribeiro and Guarch to provide clothing, other military provisions and a printing press to the Farrapos rebels around Alegrete. In exchange, Ribeiro agreed to tender yerba to Guarch in Salto in advance, along with cattle following the delivery of the goods in Brazil. Fructuoso Rivera, by then in control of the Estado Oriental, further agreed to secure the cross-border exchange. 40 When Bento Ribeiro defected from the Farrapos and rejoined imperial forces in 1839, the proposed transaction ran into immediate trouble. Ribeiro wrote to Guarch, informing the merchant that he no longer needed to fulfill the contract with the rebel government. 41 Farrapos officials arranged for Simão Francisco Pereira to cross the border and meet with Guarch in Montevideo. 42 When Pereira arrived, Guarch indicated that he was “still ready to supply the goods that were then in Salto.” 43 He now demanded, however, that 40 CV-2156 (n/d). 41 CV-4830 (November 10, 1840). 42 Ibid. 43 Ibid. 83
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- Page 73 and 74: operate throughout the borderlands
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- Page 81 and 82: simmering struggles. By 1840, local
- Page 83 and 84: merchants, traders and landowners.
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- Page 99 and 100: Pinto sought to have the property d
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- Page 109 and 110: With his money now in limbo and his
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- Page 113 and 114: meant more than establishing a docu
- Page 115 and 116: Uruguaiana and Salto. 80 Chaves and
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Montevideo maintained a lifeline through the Uruguayan capital’s deepwater port. Fearing<br />
that Rosas would gain control over the entire Río de la Plata, French and now British naval<br />
forces intervened to ensure that Montevideo’s port remained open. The two European<br />
powers also began once again to blockade Buenos Aires, closing off rivertine traffic along<br />
the Paraná. Despite the blockade, Rosas and his allies remained dominant on land. With the<br />
blancos unable to take the Uruguayan capital and the colorados unable to challenge Oribe in the<br />
countryside, the conflict devolved into a prolonged stalemate.<br />
Rivera’s defeat in 1843 had precluded Guarch from conducting his cross-border<br />
trade with the Farrapos rebels. To address this, the colorado merchant drew upon his existing<br />
relationships in order to continue his commercial operations between Montevideo and ports<br />
along the Uruguay River. Once again, Guarch’s brother-in-law played a key role. Working<br />
with Guarch, Picant established ties to Restuaración. The town was situated just across the<br />
Uruguay River from Uruguaiana in Corrientes. Picant also expanded his operations upriver<br />
by opening a trading house in São Borja. Picant developed a growing trade with the<br />
Madariagas. They were a powerful correntino family led by Joaquim and Juan Madariaga. The<br />
previous year, the two brothers had overthrown the Rosas supported government in<br />
Corrientes. Picant and Guarch, allied with the colorados in the Estado Oriental and with the<br />
opposition forces to Rosas throughout the borderlands, took advantage of the situation to<br />
supply the Madariagas with weapons and other items. They received mules and horses from<br />
the correntinos in São Borja throughout much of 1844 in exchange. Picant could then market<br />
the horses to his Farrapos allies, while using the mules to ferry other goods overland. 39<br />
<br />
39 Don Luis Miraglia por Doña Augustina Guarch y D. Julian Subsiela sovre liquidación y arreglo<br />
de cuentas.<br />
82 <br />
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