The outpouring of socio-economic studies in recent years has tended to obscure the importance and relevancy of political history for an understanding of a nation’s past and present. In the field of Latin American history the current emphasis has meant that political history in general and of the nineteenth century in particular has received less attention among Americans than it deserves. This is most unfortunate, for many of the political practices and contemporary problems of Latin America, political, economic, and social, have their origins in the nineteenth century. As it is concerned with political developments at a critical juncture in Argentine history, the monograph reviewed here fills an essential need, and does so admirably. It also serves to remind us that the Latin American nations were forged in the nineteenth century, and that students interested in the formation of modern states might profit from an examination of the turbulent years following the achievement of Latin American independence.
Professor Scobie concentrates on the period from the fall of Juan Manuel de Rosas at Monte Caseros (February 2, 1852) to the inauguration of Bartolomé Mitre as president of the Argentine Republic (October 12, 1862). The events he examines—the Acuerdo de San Nicolás, the Revolution of September, the organization of the Argentine Confederation under the aegis of General Justo José de Urquiza, the Constitution of 1853, the battles of Cepeda and Pavón, and the efforts of Great Britain, France, Brazil, and Paraguay to mediate the dispute between Buenos Aires and the Confederation—have been treated by other investigators, notably Ramón J. Cárcano, but not as thoroughly. Scobie’s account is based on an intensive and meticulous examination of published and unpublished personal correspondence, and especially those of Mitre, Urquiza, and the British and American diplomats in Buenos Aires and Paraná. As a result he fills many gaps in our knowledge. Many questions remain unanswered or are only tentatively answered, but as Scobie observes, this is because the necessary documents are missing or unavailable.
Scobie’s interpretation of the years 1852 to 1862 is the accepted one, that is, that they reflected the struggle for dominance between the city of Buenos Aires and the provinces. He carefully avoids the all-too-prevalent tendency to characterize the contest as one between the Unitarian and Federalist parties. Instead he stresses the existence of numerous political groups in Buenos Aires and the Confederation. He also endeavors to present a balanced account, to do justice to both the porteños and the provincianos. This is most apparent in his judicious treatment of the crisis created by the assassination of Virasoro in San Juan. Finally, by quoting liberally from their dispatches, he has permitted the reader to follow some of the political drama through the eyes of the British and American representatives.
The author is to be complimented. His monograph deserves a wide audience and a place in every library.
