The fourth volume of Isidro Fabela’s documentary history of the Constitutionalist revolution and regime headed by Venustiano Carranza follows its predecessors in spirit, but varies somewhat in format. Although small in physical dimensions, this volume devoted to the internal history of Mexico from 1913 through early 1917 is of considerable significance.
The earlier volumes consisted in large measure of documents with commentary limited to an introductory essay, explanatory paragraphs preceding each document, and appended discussions. While documentary materials constitute an important part of the present volume, they are interwoven with a chronological and analytical text. As for the spirit of the book, Fabela is once again the defender of Carranza, “the eponymous hero of the Mexican Revolution, grander than all his enemies.”
Carranza’s conduct is viewed as exemplary from start to finish. With a profusion of reproduced and excerpted documents, the author seeks to defend and justify Carranza’s conduct during the final days of the Madero government as well as vis-à-vis the new Huerta regime. Carranza’s talks with other revolutionary governors during the waning days of the former administration are justified on the grounds that he was concerned with threats to the stability of Madero’s regime. The allegation that he might have been plotting against Madero is not deemed worthy of a reply. The documentation on the period of the decena trágica is particularly rich.
However, the principal task assumed with enthusiasm by the author is to demonstrate that Carranza not only was aware of the socio-economic character of the Mexican Revolution, but that despite internal and external difficulties of considerable magnitude he did concern himself with the social reforms needed by the Mexican people. Just as in the volumes devoted to external affairs, Fabela endeavored to establish that the “Carranza Doctrine” had identifiable threads early in the movement and that it evolved into a fully developed foreign policy ideology, so now the editor of this series endeavors to reveal all the threads of Carranza’s awareness of and contribution to the social revolution.
Fabela begins by citing Carranza’s reasons for delimiting the program of the movement rejecting Huerta’s usurpation. This section focuses attention on Carranza’s remarks of March 23, 1913, the Plan of Guadalupe, and the Act of Monclova. There follows a section treating Carranza’s decrees and circulars, largely emanating from Veracruz, during the 1914-1915 period. Emphasis is on the creation of the National Agrarian Commission, documents relating to municipal autonomy, marriage and divorce, and petroleum, and the Additions to the Plan of Guadalupe. Key links in Fabela’s chain of evidence are Carranza’s speeches at Matamoros (November 29, 1915), and at San Luis Potosí (December 26, 1915). The volume concludes with Carranza’s presentation to the Querétaro Constituent Assembly and his speech accepting the work of that convention.
It must be confessed that Fabela’s case is not quite so convincing this time. One cannot ignore the circumstances and motives which prompted certain reform measures not to mention the other contemporaneous efforts to give expression to popular aspirations. The decrees of revolutionary military commanders and governors, as well as the program espoused by the Aguascalientes Convention, cannot be ignored. Nevertheless, Fabela’s effort is extremely interesting, and the publication of the documentary material involved is most welcome.