There
were some circumstances favorable to the assembling at Cadiz of the
most progressive men of Spain. When the elections took place, the
movement had not yet subsided, and the very disfavor which the
Central Junta had incurred recommended its antagonists, who, to a
great extent, belonged to the revolutionary minority of the nation.
At the first meeting of the Cortes, the most democratic provinces,
Catalonia and Galicia, were almost exclusively represented; the
deputies from Leon, Valencia, Murcia and the Islas Baleares, not
arriving till three months later. The most reactionary provinces,
those of the interior, were not allowed, except in some few
localities, to proceed with the elections for the Cortes. For the
different kingdoms, cities and towns of old Spain, which the French
armies prevented from choosing deputies, as well as for the
ultramarine provinces of New Spain, whose deputies could not arrive
in due time, supplementary representatives were elected from the many
individuals whom the troubles of the war had driven from the
provinces to Cadiz, and the numerous South Americans, merchants,
natives and others, whose curiosity or the state of affairs had
likewise assembled at that place. Thus it happened that those
provinces were represented by men more fond of innovation, and more
impregnated with the ideas of the eighteenth century, than would have
been the case if they had been enabled to choose for themselves.
Lastly, the circumstance of the Cortes meeting at Cadiz was of
decisive influence, that city being then known as the most radical of
the kingdom, more resembling an American than a Spanish town. Its
population filled the galleries in the Hall of the Cortes and
domineered the reactionists, when their opposition grew too
obnoxious, by a system of intimidation and pressure from without.
It
would, however, be a great mistake to suppose that the majority of
the Cortes consisted of reformers. The Cortes were divided into three
parties — the Serviles,
the Liberales
(these
party denominations spread from Spain through the whole of Europe),
and the Americanos,
the latter voting alternately with the one or the other party,
according to their particular interests. The Serviles, far superior
in numbers, were carried away by the activity, zeal and enthusiasm of
the Liberal minority. The ecclesiastic deputies, who formed the
majority of the Servile party, were always ready to sacrifice the
royal prerogative, partly from the remembrance of the antagonism of
the Church to the State, partly with a view to courting popularity,
in order thus to save the privileges and abuses of their caste.
During the debates on the general suffrage, the one-chamber system,
the no-property qualification and the suspensive veto the
ecclesiastic party always combined with the more democratic part of
the Liberals against the partisans of the English Constitution.
- Summarize the arguments Marx gave about how more progressive men imposed their opinions in the Cortes.
- Why do you think Cadiz was the more radical city of Spain? Is it still now?
- What kind of explanation did Marx give to the contradictions of the Constitution of 1812?
- Compare the graph about the composition of the Cortes with Marx's arguments. What conclusion do you come to?
- What were the more progressive aspects of the Constitution? And the more conservative?
- How do you explain that liberals were more influenced by French Constitution and the Serviles by the English one?
- According to Marx, the ideology of the Constitution of 1812 is explained through two arguments. Which were these arguments?
You can download the whole Marx's text here
You can download assignment 4 here
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