“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...

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.
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