THE NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE
PROCESS
Spanish
Independence Day
The Consulate General of the Dominican
Republic in New York, is proud to present the Pictorial "La independencial
Nacional, su proceso....". Originally released in 1994, by the Official
Commission for The Celebration Of The 150th Anniversary of National
Independence. The original work presents 38 pictures each containing transcripts
of historical documents and graphics. Since February 27, 1995, the Dominican
Consulate shows a permanent exhibition of the complete work as it was released
in 1994.
UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE
"Now that
Rufinito has made clear the problems of our independence, I am going to allow
myself to speak of them to you. I believe that the concept of independence took
root in Santo Domingo at the beginning of the 19th century, but was not made
clear to the people or perfected until 1873. The first Independence was, without
doubt, that of Nuñez de Caceres; not clearly conceived, perhaps, but
independence to be sure. That of 1844 was conscientious and defined by the
founders, but not for all the people, not even for certain leadership groups. To
liberate ourselves from the Haitians was just and natural, but did all the
people understand that we had to be completely independent? This is how we saw
the annexation to Spain, and we know that, if for some this annexation was wrong
from the start, for others it failed in its implementation; for these reasons
they fought against the annexation. And the strange thing is, then, that not
even this failure was enough to banish all thoughts of foreign intervention, and
that the government of Baez was still thinking about the United States.
Nevertheless by that time the idea had matured, the revolution of 1873 overthrew
Baez, and not only Baez, but also his enemy Santana; overthrew, in sum, the
regimen that prevailed during the first Republic, and banished definitively all
ideas of annexation to a foreign country. This for me is the real meaning of
November 25th; the work of this youthful, anonymous movement was to fix the
consciousness of nationality.
Since then, the most grievous accusation that we can make to a government is
to denounce it before the people as likely to diminish the national integrity;
and it is noteworthy that until now that accusation in all cases seems to have
been unfounded. The year 1873 signifies for Dominicans what the year 1867 means
for Mexico the moment in which the process of understanding the idea of
nationalism was completed.
Our period of Independence, and thereby, our process of moral independence,
lasts, for me, from 1821 to 1873. During this half century, the most heroic
moment, the apex, is 1844. However, that date must be considered as the middle,
not as the beginning. The independence of the Republic as a fact, as a country,
I believe, must date from 1821, although as an effective reality it did not
exist until 1844, nor as a moral reality until 1873.
It is logical independence, for the countries of America, means independence
from Europe, not from the other countries of America, although these have seen
of races and customs so different from those or the people over whom they ruled
(as happened in our case) that the domination seemed like tyranny. Surely I am
not the only Dominican who has seen himself in this conflict when a Hispanic
American asks us the date of our independence, we respond, naturally, 1844; but
since the question is frequently asked whether Spain at that time still had
battles in America, we have to explain that we had been separated from Spain
since 1821; therefore, we declare tacitly that is the date of Dominican
independence.
I do not claim, nor by any means affirm, that 1821 was our most glorious
date. It is not: our symbolic date must always be that which the popular vote
selected, the 27th of February, not because it was the beginning, but because it
commemorates the most serious and most deeply thought out work, the most
heroically realized (so much so that the people themselves did not understand
it, according to that "Rufinito" of yours) in the fifty years that I have called
"our period of independence."
(Passages from the letter of Pedro
Henriquez Arena to Federico Garcia Godoy La Vega, Dominican Republic.
Mexico,1909.)
THE EPHEMERAL INDEPENDENCE. 1821
"One day, on the first
of December of 1821, the Separation of the Spanish part of Santo Domingo and its
reunification with Colombia was proclaimed. This step was very risky. The
population was small Barely 80,000 inhabitants public wealth was diminished;
there was no tax revenue; commerce was insignificant; public opinion vacillated
or was in opposition, rooted in its old habits. How would they sustain the
emerging political entity, without an army, against a neighbor ten times more
numerous, organized, warlike, equipped with resources of all types, incited by
the strong desire to seize the entire territory of the island, and made arrogant
by the growing triumphs that had produced Haitian unity? To this day, the causes
that moved Jose Nunez de Caceres to separate his country from Spain in such
difficult moments remain a secret, although it can be noted that he had
understood the dangers of the undertaking because he did not proclaim absolute
independence which perhaps was what he wanted but rather, the unification with
Colombia, which offered him a greater probability of success."
Emiliano
Tejera, "Monument to Duarte," Santo Domingo, Published by Garcia Brothers,
1884.
THE HAITIAN OCCUPATION. 1822-1844
"With the entrance
of (Jean Pierre) Boyer into the city of Santo Domingo on February 9, 1822, the
activities of the Haitian government began. New laws and governmental practices
were substituted for the colonial system of the old metropolis, which had not
seen any changes during the brief period of independence, from December of 1821
to February of 1882. Although, since that time, the entire island had been
governed by the same laws, the conquered territory was the object of diverse
executive dispositions and legislative actions, representative of the character
of the Haitian domination. Boyer had achieved the political unity his
predecessors dreamed of thanks to his strength and astuteness but took the route
opposite to that of the realization of social unity and indivisibility, which
Nunez de Caceres had indicated to him were impossible in his prophetic speech
made when handing him the symbolic keys to the city."
Emilio Rodriguez
Demorizi, Actions of the Haitian Government, 1821 1843." In Haitian Invasions of
1801, 1805 and 1822, 1955.
JUAN PABLO DUARTE AND DIEZ FOUNDER OF THE REPUBLIC
"...Dedicated from his most tender years to study and to meditation, this
enthusiastic, free spirited youth could not resign himself to living peacefully
with the noise of his homeland in chains. The idea of freeing it from the yoke
of Haiti became his only thought, and to this he sacrificed all. Indefatigable in
his purpose, he brought together a group of friends who achieved his difficult
proposal successfully to raise the spirit of a people who had been subjugated
and impoverished for twenty years. At last came the dawn of February 27, 1844,
crowning with success the noble aspiration of that disinterested patriot, whose
only dream of glory was eradicating the stain of occupation that was an affront
to his country."
Obituary of Duarte, published by Felix Maria Del Monte
in the Dominican newspaper "The Observer," founded in Santo Domingo in May of
1876.
THE TRINITARIANS
""My friends," said
Duarte after a long period of meditation "we are united here for the purpose of
ratifying that which we have conceived, to conspire and to cause the people to
rise up against the Haitian government, with the goal of forming a free and
independent state called the Dominican Republic; to this we pledge our honor and
commit our lives. The situation in which we have placed ourselves will be very
serious, and once we have begun this journey, turning back will be impossible.
But now, at this moment, there is still time to decline all nature of
commitment. Therefore, if anyone desires to leave and to abandon the noble cause
of freedom for our beloved country..."
José María Serra, "Notes for the
History of the Trinitarians Founders of the Dominican Republic,", Santo Domingo,
1887.
THE FOUNDING OF THE TRINITARIA. 1838
"... Duarte
continued And so, let us take this irrevocable oath before God. And unfolding
the page on which it was written, having given each of them a copy in code, he
read it slowly, in a loud and clear voice, and when he was through, he signed
it, and they all read and signed it. The nine crosses corresponded, in order, to
the following names: Juan Pablo Duarte, Juan Isidro Perez, Juan Nepomuceno
Ravelo, Felix Ruiz, Benito Gonzalez, Jacinto de la Concha, Pedro Pina, Felipe
Alfau, Jose Maria Serra."
José María Serra, "Notes for the History of
the Trinitarians Founders of the Dominican Republic," Santo Domingo l887.
THE TRINITARIAN OATH
"In the name of the Holy, Venerable
and indivisible Trinity of God Almighty: I swear and I promise, on my honor and
on my conscience, in the hands of our President Juan Pablo Duarte, to dedicate
my person, my life and my property to the definitive separation from the Haitian
government, and to establish a free republic that shall be called the Dominican
Republic, that shall have a tricolor flag in quarters of red and blue, divided
by a cross of white. In the meantime, we shall be Known as the Trinitarians,
with the sacred motto: God, Country and Liberty. This I promise before God and
the world. If I comply, God will protect me; and if not, may He not hold it
against me, and may my companions punish my perjury and my treason should I
betray them."
THE TRINITARIANS
"When the last one had signed, with the page
open on the left, and pointing to the crosses with his right hand, Duarte said,
"The cross is not the symbol of suffering; it is the symbol of redemption. under
his authority the Trinitaria was formed, with each of the nine members pledged
to its continuation, even if only one of them lived, until they had achieved the
goal of redeeming the country from Haitian power."
José María Serra,
"Notes for the History of the Trinitarians Founders of the Dominican Republic,"
Santo Domingo, 1887.
FRANCISCO SANCHEZ DEL ROSARIO FATHER OF THE COUNTRY
"On
February 27, 1844, a young man who lived wandering and exiled by the Haitian
government, and whose funeral had already been held, appeared as if in an
apparition to his fellow citizens, calling them to arms. God, Country and
Liberty were his war cries, and his heroic emblem a crossed flag. The Dominicans
responded to this sublime alert with all the enthusiasm of patriotism, and a new
republican star shone in the skies of America. . . . The first soldier of
independence, he died with the nationality and independence of the country. In
1844 he became a great and heroic public figure, and died a great and heroic man
in 1861."
Manuel Rodríguez Objío, "Relations," 1870.
MATIAS RAMON MELLA, FATHER OF THE COUNTRY
"He was born on
February 25, 1816, and the first years of his precious youth were spent in the
despotic shadow of Haitian domination. That soul, chosen by God for great plans
that in His holy judgment were being prepared, knew how to respond to his
destiny, always keeping alive in the sanctuary of his heart the noble virtue of
patriotism. In imitation of Hannibal, when his father raised him to the holy
altar and he swore eternal enmity toward the Romans, he too swore implacable
hatred to the oppressors. Hence, We could always be found among the sons of the
people in their diverse activities, and at the side of his companions to punish
the grievances and annoyances that they received at the hands of the oppressors.
From then on, he sought the ties of friendship that joined all those who could
contribute to the idea of separatism in any way. And in conclusion, he risked
his life to further the cause by performing the difficult and important tasks
assigned to him by his party."
Father Dr. Adolfo Alejandro Nouel.
"ORATION," Cathedral of Santo Domingo, February 27, 1891, during the Apotheosis
of General Matias Ramon Mella.
THE DRAMATIC SOCIETY
"Therefore, they
resolved to create an amateur dramatic society that, with the pretext of
producing plays, gave the members the right to hold meetings. The Haitian
government, seeing in that society nothing more than foolishness, gave their
permission, not without having a Colonel named Santillana, head of the Artillery
Field, appear at times before a judge to give testimony as to whether or not
certain dramatic pieces should be censored, the type of decorations that were
used, the size of their productions, etc.; and who assured the government that
not only was this a childish activity, "But that it would be good if the Haitian
young people imitated the Dominicans. . . "
Felix Maria Del Monte
historic Rejections of Santo Domingo," Santo Domingo, 1852.
THE PHILANTHROPIC SOCIETY
"Every day new
recruits were incorporated into the Dominican crusade; to show who the recruits
were, they used the names of the colors of their emblems. Therefore, when the
general counted the number of new patriots, he said so many yellows, so many
greens, so many blues, and so on, and thus each of the founders had his
pseudonym and an emblem color. Afterward, they formed a philanthropic society;
their sessions were public (the speeches)."
Rosa Duarte, "Notes."
THE DECLARATION OF JANUARY 16 1844
"Thus, when the
Dominicans thought that the right moment had arrived for the call to freedom,
they decided, as liberators conscious of their historic responsibility, to
compose the document of their solemn determination the declaration by the
peoples of the eastern part of the island that was Hispaniola, or of Santo
Domingo, stating the causes of their separation from the Republic of Haiti,
dated January 16, 1844 in Santo Domingo, a few days before the Dominican
Republic was proclaimed. Therefore, the first official document of the Nation,
with which our Collection of Laws was begun, is properly considered the
Declaration of Separation from Haitian Domination, and whose principals were the
norm in the organization of the State which came into being on February 27,
1844."
Emilio Rodriguez Demorizi "The Declaration of Dominican
Separation and the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America,"
1944.
THE FIRST DOMINICAN FLAG
"To achieve, then,
the goal desired by the separatists, it was necessary to give to the flag that
was to serve as the symbol of Dominican nationality a meaning that was
diametrically opposed, either choosing colors different from those of the
Haitian flag, or combining these colors with the white that they considered a
principal of discord, which would be for the Dominicans a symbol of peace and
harmony. Inspired by this belief, and their patriotic faith Kindled by the
doctrines of the Christian religion, the national leader, searching in the
symbol of redemption for the way to resolve this difficult problem, conceived
the great idea of separating the colors of the Haitian flag with a white cross,
to signify to the world in this way that the Dominican people, entering into a
free life, were proclaiming the union of all races linked by civilization and
Christianity."
Jose Gabriel Garcia, "The Separatist Idea," 1883.
THE OVERTHROW
"The solemn hour
had arrived: a group of patriots anxiously awaited those who were late in a
distant and solitary part of the city called La Misericordia, at the foot of
Saint Giles Fort. . . One of the band finally arrived, excited and out of breath
"I think they have discovered everything, " he said. "A patrol has seen
following me, and I had to take the long way around in order to get here. "
These words put fear into the few that were listening; a frightened one already
spoke of returning home and leaving the glorious project. "NO," a robust, boyish
voice replied firmly, carelessly disturbing the quiet night. "WE CANNOT TURN
BACK. COWARDLY OR VALIANT, WE MUST ALL GO TO THE END. LONG LIVE THE DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC!
He spoke, and a loud firing of his gun noisily accented the heroic
cry. No one hesitated then: everyone renounced their lives and ran toward the
venerable Conde Gate. The bold shot made by the intrepid RAMON MELLA announced
to the world the birth of the Dominican Republic."
Manuel De Jesus
Galvan, February, 1883.
THE PROCLAMATION OF INDEPENDENCE
FEBRUARY 27, 1844
"I remember with
pleasure that outburst of pure patriotism with which, on the night of February
27 in the year 1844, with the cry of separation, God, Country and Liberty this
people became an independent nation called the Dominican Republic. I hear in
mind the memorable day that followed that night of triumph, on which all
Dominicans, with great joy, complemented each other for the glory they had
obtained; and those moving scenes that caused such rejoicing will never be
erased from my imagination. There was such enthusiasm! Such excitement among the
people! What harmony in everyone's ideas! Oh, yes! They were a people who had
just torn to pieces the infamous tyranny to which despotism had despicably yoked
them; they were gentlemen, a people enlivened by the first gust of the air of
liberty, focusing their attention on the sole objective of confusing their
tyrant.
Father Fernando Arturo de Merino, Sermon Of February 27, 1860,"
Cathedral of Santo Domingo.
CHRONOLOGY OF GOVERNMENTS AND LEADERS
OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, 1844-1874
FIRST REPUBLIC 1844-1861
PROVISIONAL GOVERNING BOARD:
• February 28, 1844:
Francisco Sanchez del
Rosario, Joaquin Puello, Remigio del Castillo, Tomas Bobadilla, Manuel Jimenes,
Ramon Matias Mella.
CENTRAL GOVERNING BOARD:
• March 1, 1844:
Tomas
Bobadilla, President; Manuel Jimenes, Vice President; Manuel Maria Valverde,
Francisco Javier Abreu, Felix Mercenario, Carlos Moreno, Ramon Echavarria,
Francisco Sanchez del Rosario, Jose Maria Caminero, Ramon Matias Mella. Silvano
Pujol, Secretary.
• March 11, 1844:
Tomas Bobadilla, President; Carlos
Moreno, Ramon Echavarria, Francisco Javier Abreu, Jose Maria Caminero, Felix
Mercenario.Silvano Pujol, Secretary.
• April 19, 1844:
Tomas Bobadilla,
President; Manuel Jimenes, Vice President; Jose Maria Caminero, Ramon
Echavarria, Carlos Moreno, Jose Ramon Delorve, Manuel Maria Valverde, Jose Tomas
Medrano,Juan Pablo Duarte. Silvano Pujol, Secretary.
• May 6, 1844:
Tomas
Bobadilla, President; Manuel Jimenes, Vice President; Ramon Echavarria, Jose
Maria Ramirez, Francisco Sanchez del Rosario, Manuel Maria Valverde, Carlos
Moreno, Jose Tomas Medrano. Silvano Pujol, Secretary.
• June 5, 1844:
Jose
Maria Caminero, President; Carlos Moreno, Francisco Sanchez del Rosario, Tomas
Bobadilla, Jose Tomas Medrano, Juan Pablo Duarte, Felix Mercenario. Silvano
Pujol, Secretary.
• June 5, 1844:
In addition, the signatures of Manuel
Jimenes and Ramon Echavarria appear in another decree of the same date.
•
June 9 to July 12, 1844:
Francisco Sanchez del Rosario, President
• July
13, 1844:
Pedro Santana is named leader.
• July 16, 1844:
On this date
the Board is reorganized and Telesforo Objio and Toribio Lopez Villanueva are
added.
• July 24, 1844:
Pedro Santana, President and Supreme Leader;
Manuel Jimenes, Jose Ramon Delorve, Toribio Manon, Felix Mercenario Tomas
Bobadilla, Carlos Moreno, Lorenzo Santamaria, ad hoc Secretary.
• July 27,
1844:
Pedro Santana, President and Supreme Leader; Felix Mercenario, Jose
Ramon Delorve, Manuel Jimenes, Toribio Mafion, Tomas Bobadilla, Juan Tomas
Medrano. Manuel Cabral Bernal, ad hoc Secretary.
• August 22, 1844:
Pedro
Santana, President and Supreme Leader; Manuel Jimenes, Tomas Bobadilla, Felix
Mercenario, Toribio Manon, Jose Tomas Medrano, Norberto Linares, Toribio Lopez
Villanueva. Felix M. Marcano, ad-doc Secretary.
• August 29, 1844:
Pedro
Santana, President and Supreme Leader; Felix Mercenario, Tomas Bobadilla
Rudecindo Ramirez, Telesforo Objio, Jose Tomas Medrano, Toribio Manon. Deputy
Secretary: Toribio Lopez Villanueva
PEDRO SANTANA
PRESIDENT THE
REPUBLIC:
November 14, 1844 to August 4, 1848.
COUNCIL OF SECRETARIES
OF STATE:
(Domingo de la Rocha, Justice and PubIic Instruction; Jose Maria
Caminero, Housing, Commerce and Foreign Relations; Felix Mercenario, Interior
and the Police; and Manuel Jimenes, War and the Navy) August 4 to September 8,
1848.
MANUEL JIMENES:
September 8, 1848 to May 29, 1849.
PEDRO
SANTANA:
May 30 to September 24, 1849. Although elected, Santiago Espaillat
did not accept.
BUENAVENTURA BAEZ:
September 24, 1849 to February 15,
1853.
PEDRO SANTANA:
February 15, 1853 to June 1, 1856. Manuel de Regla
Mota: (Vice President, in charge of Executive Power): January 2 to May 30,1855.
July 2 to September 5, 1855. MANUEL DE REGLA MOTA:
June 1 to October 9,
1856.
BUENAVENTURA BAEZ:
October 8, 1856 to June 12, 1858.
JOSE
DESIDERIO VALVERDE:
July 7, 1857 to August 31, 1858.
PEDRO SANTANA:
June 27, 1858 to March 18, 1861. Antonio Abad Alfau (Vice President, in
charge of Executive Power): April l to May 1, 1859. May 11 to May 27, 1859. June
30 to November 18, 1859.
ANNEXATION TO SPAIN 1861-1865
CAPTAIN GENERAL
PEDRO SANTANA:
March 18, 1861 to July 20, 1862.
CAPTAIN GENERAL FELIPE
RIBERO Y LEMOINE:
July 20, 1862 to October 22, 1863.
CAPTAIN GENERAL
CARLOS DE VARGAS Y CERVETO:
October 23, 1863 to March 30, 1864.
CAPTAIN
GENERAL JOSE DE LA GANDARA Y NAVARRO:
March 31, 1864 to July 11,
1865.
RESTORATION AND SECOND REPUBLIC: 1863-1874
JOSE ANTONIO
SALCEDO:
September 14, 1863 to October 10, 1864.
GASPAR
POLANCO:
October 10, 1864 to January 24, 1865.
BENIGNO FILOMENO DE
ROJAS:
January 24 to March 24, 1865.
PEDRO ANTONIO PIMENTEL:
March 25
to November 15, 1865.
JOSE MARIA CABRAL:
August 4 to November 15,
1865.
PEDRO GUILLERMO:
November 15 to December 8, 1865.
BUENAVENTURA
BAEZ:
December 8, 1865 to May 29, 1866.
TRIUMVIRATE:
(Gregorio
Luperon,Pedro Antonio Pimentel and Federico de Jesus Garcia):May 1 to August 22,
1866.
JOSE MARIA CABRAL:
August 22, 1866 to January 31, 1868.
MANUEL
CACERES:
January 31 to February 13, 1868.
BOARD OF GENERALS IN CHARGE
OF EXECUTIVE POWER:
(Jose Hungria, Antonio Gomez and Jose Ramon Luciano):
February 13 to May 2, 1868.
BUENAVENTURA BAEZ:
May 2, 1868 to January 2,
1874.
IGNACIO MARIA GONZALEZ:
November 25, 1873 to January 21,
1874.
Aristides Inchaustegui "Chronology of Governments and Leaders
of the Dominican Republic 1844 1977", Dominican Studies, Vol. VI, No. 36, May
June 1978, Santiago, Dominican Republic.
DOMINICAN HAITIAN WAR. 1844 1856
"Do not listen to
those who cowardly think to intimidate you, spreading alarming rumors about the
coming Haitian invasion, to reduce you to total extermination, whose enterprise
the entire world would judge by comparing it with the spirit of civilization
that reigns everywhere and the generosity with which we have conducted
ourselves. Even if it were so, we would resist them strongly, our bodies serving
as bulwarks to those who dare invade our territory, make war on us and strip us
of our rights. They would die with honor and glory those whose destiny had been
determined by fate, and the rest of us would be assured of a country that we did
not have before, to be able one day to sing hymns to liberty and to the
Dominican Republic. Long live religion. /Long live the Country. /Long live
liberty." Central Governing Board: "Passage from the Proclamation to the
Dominicans," March 10, 1844.
BATTLES WON BY THE DOMINICANS OVER THE HAITIANS AND OUTSTANDING
HEROES
•Azua, 3 19 1844: General Pedro Santana • Santiago, 3 30
1844: General Jose Maria Imbert and General Fernando Valerio •Tortuguero,
(Naval), 4 23 1844: Commanders Juan Bautista Cambiaso and Juan Bautista Maggiolo
• Caciman, 7 13 1845: General Antonio Duverge •Estrelleta, 9 21 1845: General
Jose Joaquin Puello a Beler, 10 27 1845: General Francisco Antonio Salcelo
(Tito) • El Numero, 4 17 1849: General Pedro Santana • Las Carreras, 5 4 1849:
General Pedro Santana •Santome, 12 22 1855: General Jose Maria Cabral
•Cambronal, 12 22 1855: General Francisco Sosa • Sabana Larga, 1 24 1856:
General Fernando Valerio.
THE RETURN OF DUARTE. MARCH 15.1844
"Duarte arrives in
Santo Domingo at midnight ... The neighbors get up and light their Louses,
displaying flags in the windows. They come from all over to congratulate the
family. It would be seven in the morning when a commission from the Central
Board went down to the dock to receive them, with the order to disembark The
commission was accompanied by the troops, the workers, and the Archbishop(*),
who was the first to embrace him when he landed, saying, "Hail to the Father of
the Country! With the Archbishop(*) were the priests, who loved him very much
and finally, the people, hailing the hero who had achieved this great
accomplishment. As he stepped into the land, a canon from the fort saluted him
in homage, and all was excitement and joy." Jose Maria Serra "Letter to
Father Fernando Arturo de Merino," 188? (*) Named in 1848 (j.ch.ch )
THE BATTLE OF AZUA. MARCH 19, 1844
"The Haitians have
provoked hostilities, and have attacked us without any notice, and without
responding to the official notes we have sent to their President. The affront
has only added to their former vexations, thinking undoubtedly that by their
presence alone they would dominate us again to treat us better than ever; but
the Omnipotent One who protects our cause has wanted our arms to be victorious
in the three encounters we have had with them in Neiba and Azua, particularly on
the day of the 19th, on which the number of dead and wounded on their side was
considerable, causing them to abandon the battlefield after three hours of
combat. Central Governing Board: Passages from the Proclamation to the
People and the Army," March 21, 1844.
THE BATTLE OF SANTIAGO. MARCH 30 1844
' Some plausible
news has just strengthened the just cause that we have embraced. The arrogance
of our oppressors not only has succumbed in Santo Domingo, but furthermore,
according to the communications we received during the night from Santiago, we
have the satisfaction of announcing that our arms have prevailed. The
battlefields are strewn with the bodies of the enemy, since our oppressors dared
to tighten even more the chains that violently tied us to them." Central
Governing Board: Passages from the Proclamation to the Dominicans," April 2,
1844.
THE BATTLE OF TORTUGUERO. APRIL 1884
"Our victorious arms on
the banks of the Guayubin and on the overflowing Yaque have completely repelled
the villainous soldiers from the North. Victorious also in the unfortunate town
of Azua, they have admired the army from the South, and by the same token have
surely upset their President. Informed, more or less, of the weak forces that
the Haitians might have in the port of Azua, we resolved to arm some ships,
forming a naval expedition that advanced on them with the objective of attack;
the beaches of Tortuguero were immortalized with what our schooners, the
Dominican Separation and the Little Maria, have accomplished. Such was the
result of the first encounter by sea, and as our cause is just and acceptable in
the sight of God, He has protected us, and there is no doubt of a complete
triumph over our oppressors." Central Governing Board: Message to the People
and the Army," April 23, 1844.
THE FIRST CONSTITUTIONAL CONGRESS
"Honorable Representatives
let us not forget that the Nation has put its destiny in our Lands. If in
responding with dignity to their trust we satisfy their needs and desires, we
will earn the blessings of the people whose happiness we will have worked for;
but if in neglecting our duties, we sacrifice the country to self interest and
personal gain, you may be sure that our names will be passed down to posterity
charged with the terrible but just curse of the victims of our passion. Let us
congratulate ourselves with the hope that this will not happen, and that the
same hand that has thus far directed our noble efforts will complete his work,
giving us the wisdom to bestow on our beloved country a constitution worthy of
the Dominicans." Manuel Maria Valencia President of the Sovereign
Constitutional Congress, (Speech given at the first session, September 24,
1844).
THE CONSTITUTION OF SAN CRISTOBAL. NOVEMBER 6 1844
Since
the works of man are never entirely perfect, despite all the effort that people
put into the writing of their Basic Law, it is always necessary to amend some of
its dispositions... It can he sail that our constitution was something
improvised due to the Dominican people's sudden change from the ominous yoke of
the Haitians to the liberty that they enjoy today. Furthermore, we did not have
the best resources available to ensure that the work would be completed and that
it would fulfill everyone's desires; with public instruction entirely
suppressed, denied intercourse with civilized nations and dealing only with
cruel oppressors, it was not possible for us to reach the level of those
nations. In spite of this disadvantageous position, we developed our political
code with the deepest wisdom and meditation, consigning to it the guarantee of
the unwritten natural rights of man, and organizing a republican government with
all the conditions necessary for its preservation and enhancement, except for a
few small flaws..." Juan Nepomuceno Tejera, Constitutional Delegate.
1854.
THE IDEA OF THE PROTECTORATE
"In Santo Domingo
there is a people whose only desire is to exist, and they have proclaimed
themselves independent of all foreign powers, and a miserable fraction who has
always Seen against this law, against this desire of the Dominican people,
achieving always by means of intrigue and sordid dealings to take advantage of
the situation and to make the Dominican people appear to be different from what
they really are. This fraction, or to be exact, this faction, has Seen, is, and
always will be, less Dominican. They will be seen as such in our history,
representing all antirational parties, and a criminal enemy of all our
revolutions; and if not, they will be seen as MINISTERIAL, during Boyer's time,
and then as RIVIERISTS, and the 27th of February had not yet occurred, when they
were seen as FRENCH PROTECTIONISTS, and later as AMERICAN ANNEXATIONISTS, and
after that as SPANIARDS, and today they still claim to wear the coat of the
vindictive public with yet another annexation, thus lying to all the nations
about the political faith they do not possess, and all this in the name of the
country, from those who neither have nor deserve another country, but only the
mire of their miserable degradation. Juan Pablo Duarte Letter to the
Minister of Foreign Relations of the Restoration Government, Caracas, May 7,
1865.
THE ANNEXATION TO SPAIN. MARCH 18 1861
'Santana very
quickly understood the urgency of the case and that he must not miss the
opportunity. Therefore, when on March 18, 1861 Santo Domingo already had a well
established and capable city government, he proposed before the councilmen that
which everyone had known for several months, and being all of the same opinion
as the President of what was no longer a republic, he drew up a declaration of
voluntary annexation. The Tower of Homage lowered the tricolor flag and replaced
it with the flag of Castile, with a twenty one gun salute. The authorities
proceeded to the Cathedral, where a Te Deum was sung. With that first act the
clergy began to demonstrate their opposition to the Spanish domination, and
announced the continuing war would have to be waged. Santana was nervous until
he saw the conclusion of the comedy that he presented. . . The government of
Santo Domingo informed the captain generals of Cuba and Puerto Rico of what had
occurred, asking that they send troops to take possession of the island that was
being rejoined to its former mother country." Ramon Gonzalez Tablas "History
of the Domination and Last War of Spain in Santo Domingo," in universal
Correspondence, Madrid, 1870.
THE GOVERNMENT OF ANNEXATION. 1861 1863
"Santana's personal
situation had been entirely cleared up, since he had received from Colonel Rizo
the assurance that the Spanish government would approve his documents, which he
immediately chose to make public in repeated proclamations, as well as the
announcement of the honors and compensation that he received from the royal
munificence: the rank of Captain General of the island, the title of Marquis of
Carreras, a lifetime pension, and last but not least, an official chair among
the Founding Fathers of the Kingdom. All this seemed to give new spirit to the
struggle, and his initiative was such that he gave himself up without reserve to
the authoritarian spirit that had motivated him, that from his earliest
dispositions he saw the voice of Pelaez raised before the highest Spanish
authority on the island of Cuba. None of this is strange in Santana, as he had
just realized his greatest dream, the most gratifying aspiration of his life,
and like one who longs to possess something for a long time and then receives
it, he gave himself up completely to the unlimited pleasure of the good fortune
that had just provided him with such riches' Jose De la Gandara, "Annexation
and War in Santo Domingo," Madrid, 1884.
THE MARTYRDOM OF SANCHEZ, JULY, 1861
"Commanded by a few
Dominican officers and by one or another of those who changed their minds, the
neighbors from the town of cercado drove the rebels out, pursuing them over the
mountains until many of them crossed the border, not without leaving behind
several prisoners, among whom, it can be noted, was General Sanchez, who had
been gravely wounded. The number of prisoners rose to twenty-one. On Santana's
orders they were subjected to a drastic and irregular proceeding and were
executed on July 4th...
...Those executions constituted '...a gross and unspeakable act of tyranny,'
for, according to the eyewitnesses, they were condemned in what would only be
called a parody of a court martial, incapable of satisfying in any way the
legitimate demands of a rational proceeding. Brought to this court martial were
the accused, who were treated as enemies, not as prisoners. They were condemned
to death, and this sentence was carried out in a way that is repugnant to
remember, for while some were shot, others were beaten or hacked to death, an
act that was objected to by a commander of the Crown's regiment, who happened to
be in San Juan with this company." General Jose de La Gandara, "Annexation and War in Santo Domingo," Madrid, 1884
CAUSES OF THE RESTORATION, 1863
"We, the
inhabitants, of the Spanish part of the island of San Domingo, do, by means of
the present Declaration of Independence, make evident before God, the whole
world and the Throne of Spain, the just and legal causes that have obliged us to
take up arms in order to restore the Dominican Republic and reconquer out
freedom, the first, the most precious of rights by which man was favored by the
Supreme Creator of the Universe, thereby justifying out orderly conduct and out
indispensable work, when other soft and persuasive methods have not been enough
to pursude the Throne of Castle that our annexation to the Crown was not a
voluntary act, but the treacherous desire of General Pedro Santana and his
followers who, in desperation, seeing their imminent fall from power, made the
decision to hand over the Republic, gained by great and bloody sacrifices, with
the pretext of annexation to the power of Spain, permitting the flag with the
cross to be lowered after it had been raised at the cost of the blood of the
Dominican people and with the sad memory of a thousand gallows." "Passages
from the Declaration of Independence,"
Santiago, September 14,
1863
CAUSES OF THE RESTORATION, 1863
"Scorn, contempt,
marked arrogance, persecution and undeserved and scandalous hangings are the
only results that we sacrificed lambs received from the subordinates of the
Spanish Throne into whose hands our fate has been delivered. First, devastation
of our population, wives without husbands, children without parents, the loss of
all out interests and misery, these are the wages we have earned from out forced
and deceitful annexation to the Spanish Throne. Al this we have lost, but we
still have out independence and out freedom, for which we are willing to spill
the last drop of out blood. If the Spanish government is political, if they are
concerned about their interests and about ours as well, they must be convinced
that it is not possible to subjugate a people who, for a certain amount of time
have enjoyed their freedom, without exterminating the last of its men... Your
Majesty has been deceived by the perfidy of he who was out President, General
Pedro Santana, and by his followers; that which has had a corrupt beginning
cannot become valid with the passing of time." Passages from the Declaration
of Independence," Santiago, September 14, 1863
THE RESTORATION AS A SOCIAL WAR, 1863-1865
"It is necessary
to remember that this revolution is not like the one of July 7th. The latter was
a revolution of a few men who dragged the masses down with them. In the current
revolution, it was the masses who rose up, dragging the others with them. In the
revolution of July, the masses put themselves at the disposition of the
intellectuals; in this one, the intellectuals have become devoted to the masses.
In the revolution of July there were a half dozen individuals who committed
themselves; in their present revolution all the people are committed; at any
rate, we can say to them, 'Dominicans: we have joined our fate to yours, giving
the nation what little intelligence we have and out name, after having
sacrificed all that we had. Together we will run all the risks of the
war...Today it is not a half dozen men who are committed; it is thousands, who
would sooner cross over piles of bodies than let themselves be deceived by a few
villains.' " Passages from the Editorial "Political Principals of the
Republic,"
Official Bulletin, Santiago, Number 1, January 10,
1864.
THE RESORATION OF THE GOVERNMENT, 1863
"For the men of the
Restoration their task was not a simple, local revolution or one of mere
nationalism, but a more altruistic revolution, directed toward all of America,
equal to and in favor of democracy and against colonialism. In their epic
proclamations the exemplary Government of Santiago not only directed themselves
to out people; they also directed themselves to the continent, declaring that
they observed with pleasure the march of the Revolution and that they had
strengthened their relations abroad; that they could and should assure us that
out independence was consolidated and that the progressive march of liberty on
American soil was already an established fact.
And in a grandiloquent period, worthy of the stage set among the ruins of the
city, the paladins of Santiago boasted that they were attracting the attention
of the world." Emilio Rodriguez Demorizi, "In Praise of the
Restoration Government," Santiago, 1963
THE HEROES OF THE RESTORATION
"The immortal
leaders of the memorial Dominican Restoration have been mistreated, insulted,
defamed, persecuted and abandoned by their indomitable valor, their self-denial
and their sacrifices, they saved the country from foreign domination, and aided
valiantly by the generation of their glorious era, they fulfilled their
responsibility, inspired by an unimposed patriotism. They struggled
indefatigably, without respite, for the freedom and the welfare of their
compatriots...
The leaders of August 16th met the same fate as the heroes of February 27th,
and in exchange for the boldness of the proclamation of the country's
independence, they received persecutions and cruelties from the ambitious men
who did not want to pardon them for the great fame they acquired with their
bravery and noble spirit of freedom.
The usurpers of power cannot cause the liberators to suffer except by
humiliating them and dragging them down." Gregorio Luperon,
"Autobiographical Notes."
BUENAVENTURA BÁEZ
"The life that
under the action of a free spirit unfolded on the stage during more than a third
of a century, reflecting, perhaps unconsciously, the characteristics of the
collective entity, is as certain a reality as that very society of which it
forms a part. If of that society, as in the case of Buenaventura, one wraps up a
bundle and labels it with a single word or phrase, thus pretending to definitely
characterize that entity, it does not alter in the slightest his eternal right
to be studied and thereafter judged and classified accordingly. Faced with the
conventional labeling, there are some who stretch their accusatory character
and, cursing, remember scenes that move them, and others, those who do not write
in order to maintain their public image, portray a Buenaventura who, in any
sensible and unprepared Dominican, causes admiration. Leaving all that aside,
let us loosen the bindle and examine its contents. There is no other way of
knowing the truth." Rufino Martínez, "Dominican Men," 1943.
THE AMERICAN COMMISSION, 1871
"By demonstrating
to the North American People that the commissioners sent by President Grant to
study the people and problems of Santo Domingo have no fulfilled their mission
with the impartiality required of such an important matter, we believe that we
have proven with data of indisputable exactitude:
1. That the
diplomats to whom we refer have altered historical truth and disfigured national
traditions in order to benefit the illegal aspirations of Báez.
2.
That the revolution that has bloodied the country is an essentially national
revolution and has as its rallying cry the maintenance of the independence and
sovereignty of the Dominican people.
3. That the plan for annexation
in essence is not a voluntary desire of the Dominicans, but of the selfishness
and evil passions of their rulers.
4. That the idea of annexation
has strong opposition in the country.
Fulfilling in this manner a
sacred duty, we have only...to warn the North American people of what their
representatives omitted, so that they will know what to be guided by and will be
able to act justly." Josése Gabriel García, "Critical Examination of the
Report of the Commissioners of Santo Domingo, dedicated to the People of the
United States," 1871.
THE PLAN ANNEXATION TO THE UNITED STATES, 1871
"The question that
I wish to discuss is quite simple: It is not whether it is desirable to acquire
all or part of the island of Santo Domingo, with its population that is
different from outs; their language, their institutions, their origin, but
whether the means that we have employed to obtain this acquisition are
justifiable. This question is independent of the principal question and is
essentially anterior to it; regarding the principal question, there can be
various opinions. Some think that it is a desirable acquisition; others think it
is not. Some are desirous of expanding our empire, although if only to have a
hospital in the tropics; others only dream of establishing a Republic of
Negroes...Some dream of gold mines, mountains of salt, much sugar, crates of
cigars; others think, above all, about what we owe to the African race. But
whatever the difference of opinion regarding the principal question, the
documents that are already in our power clearly prove that the means used up to
now are blameworthy in the highest degree..." Charles Sumner, Passages from
his Speech to the American Senate, March 24, 1871. Quoted in José Gabriel
García's "Critical Examination of the Report of the Commissioners of Santo
Domingo, Dedicated to the People of the United States," 1871.
Lea
500 años de Historia Monumental
|
Copyright © 2000. Consulado
General de la República Dominicana en NY®
|
| Ultima
actualización: 28-Feb-2004 11:16:29 AM
|