The Argentine in the Twentieth Century — John Shaqi
The Argentine in the Twentieth CenturyMartínez, Alberto B.
History
The Argentine in the Twentieth Century
Martínez, Alberto B.
Argentina -- Commerce; Argentina -- Economic conditions; Finance -- Argentina
The civil war broke out anew several times. The military leader of the
Buenos Ayres Federals, General Rosas, seized upon the dictatorship in
a time of disorder, exercising it not without intelligence, but with a
cruel despotism, and he carried on a long war against Montevideo, which
lasted until General Urquiza, of the Union party (with Brazil and Uruguay
as allies) delivered his country by the victory of Caseros (1852). The
Constitution of the Argentine Republic was voted on 25th May 1853; but
the end of the civil war and the definite reunion of Buenos Ayres to the
other Provinces did not take place until 1860, the year of the revision
of the Constitution.
War and confusion are not usually propitious to progress. However, the
population in 1861 was estimated approximately at 1,375,000; it had
increased to almost five times what it was at the beginning of the
century.
Buenos Ayres became definitely the capital of the Republic in 1882, upon
ceasing to be the capital of the State of Buenos Ayres.
The third period is that of _economic development_. This is the period
of which our authors write. We may mention it as beginning with the
re-entrance of Buenos Ayres into the Argentine Concert, and the revision
of the Constitution of October 1860. If it has not been free from
political agitations and international misunderstandings, it has none
the less been more pacific than the preceding periods, and industry has
enjoyed a security which in former years was only too often disturbed by
the regulations of colonial trade, the attacks of the Indians, the civil
wars, and the Separatist policy. But there were still for twelve years
intestine troubles and dissensions.
It was only in 1882 that the political organisation was completely
constituted, when Buenos Ayres became the Federal capital; for from 1865
to 1870 the Argentine was forced to wage war against Paraguay, when
it struggled, in concert with Brazil, against the despotism of Lopez.
The Treaty of the 3rd of February 1876 gave it the greater Chaco as
far as Pilcomayo. The Chaco is pacified; matters are not the same now
as when, in 1881, Crevaux was assassinated there by the Tobas. General
Riva effected the Argentine conquest of Patagonia (1879-1880), and the
Indians, feared so long by the planters, were driven across the Andes.
In 1895 the difference which had arisen between the Argentine and Brazil,
with reference to the Misionès frontier, was settled by arbitration. By
the Treaty of 23rd July 1881 was terminated a long quarrel with Chili in
relation to Patagonia; the Argentine obtained possession of the country
as far as the line made by the Cordilleras and a portion of Tierra del
Fuego. Arbitration also, in November 1902, settled the difference with
Chili, no less irritating and of equally long standing, concerning, the
frontiers of the Andes. No more serious causes of quarrel between the
Argentine and its neighbours remain.
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