the peace of don porfirio 2011

8/13/2019 The Peace of Don Porfirio 2011

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The Peace of Don Porfirio: the

Diaz system

Modern Mexico Lecture, Week 82011


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The Porfiriato, 1876 -1911

Three Lectures

Week 8 The Peace of Don Porfirio: the DiazSystem

Week 9 Economic and social change, 1876-1910

Week 10 The Onset of the Revolution


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Pax Porfiriana: 1876-1911 Diaz ruled for 31 of 35 yrs between 1876-1911

Order : first unbroken period of foreign and domestic peace

Progress : period sustained growth after 75 years of economicdecline/stagnation

Ideology : reigning radical liberalism gave way in practice topositivism. Auguste Comte: Order andProgress.rebellions treated harshly

Constitutional regime....not a dictatorship no suspension ofconstitutional guarantees (a la Juarez, 1858-72), elections heldregularly at all levels.

Anti-clerical laws : kept in place...yet selectively notapplied...Diaz sought modus vivendi between Church andState


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The Diaz System: Personal

Personal friendships: masonic lodges, Liberal

Clubs, companions at armsterritoriallyextensive networks of patronage (from palace topueblo): e.g. Juan Francisco Lucas & Felipe Garcia.

Oaxaca and Puebla key statesForeign writers and investors : techniques of

hospitality, offered a Liberal territory, letters ofrecommendation: access to networks of friendsEnemies: cooptation or repression - Pan o Palo(Bread or the Club) or allowing circulation ofelites in areas beyond personal control


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The Diaz System: vigorous public sphere

Regime mobilised public support through Clubs,congresses, processions, newspapers, pamphlets,

posters, school textbooks and catechisms, patrioticceremonies, funerals.people invited/expected todemonstrate loyaltyPersonality cult : Diaz portrait in every office, yetinsisted on no statue.... Cincinnatus idealDiaz washis own chief political asset (Mark Wasserman,Everyday Life).Opposition offered some space : balanced radicalswith Church.Censorship, imprisonment, exile after 1900:PLM in Lecumberi and Los Angeles


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Porfirio Daz (1830-1915)


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Porfirio Diaz (1860s)


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Porfirio Diaz (c.1890)


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Porfirio Diaz (1910)


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Diazs Tomb (1830 -1915) in MontparnasseCemetery, Paris


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Lecture: Content

Restored Republic: Diaz as opposition tribune The passing of the Tuxtepecanos Constitutionalism and elections Popularity and the Juarez Cult Conciliation of Church Rise of positivism and Conservative

Liberalism ....pragmatism The army


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The Porfiriato: three stages i) 1877-1884: struggle to find reliable allies (and detach

himself from old ones), re-establish relations with majorforeign powers, build favourable environment for foreigninvestment

ii) 1884-1900: political consolidation: bought off or defeatedregional opposition, passed laws favourable to foreigninvestment (Commercial Code and Colonization Laws),restored finances

iii) 1900-1911: Elite consensus begins crack, growth ofregional elite and middle class dissatisfaction mountingpopular unrest. Diaz loses common touch...Ministers(Cientificos) lose sight of politics.


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The Restored Republic, 1867-1876

Juarez & Diaz and the new politics: bred as radicals butgoverned as pragmatists .

Liberals behind Juarez and Diaz return to Mexico City in

September 1867: universal desire for order President Juarez was already looking to tame

Liberalism: October 1867 Convocatoria (calling of ageneral election) included constitutional reforms forstrengthening the executive. These were rejected byCongress and by many states: presaging ten moreyears of conflict.


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The Restored Republic, 1867-1876

1867: Juarez appointed Gabino Barreda, student ofAuguste Comte (French high priest of Scientific Politics)as Director of new National Preparatory School: newpositivist/scientific curriculum for Republics high

schools and universities ...radical Liberal ideas (usefulin struggle against Church and Conservatives) begin tobe shelved

1867: Amnesty permitted return of Archbishop PelagioAntonio de Labastida y Davalos (Pueblas bishop whohad bee exiled in 1856) and proposed vote for theclergy....(rejected)but start of Liberal conciliation ofRC Church


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The Restored Republic, 1867-1876 Presidencies: Benito Juarez, 1867- 1872 (juaristas) Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada, 1872- 1876 (lerdistas) Diaz went into opposition harvesting support from :

Jacobin intellectuals such as Ignacio Altamirano andIgnacio Ramirez

popular liberal National Guard caudillos such asJuan N Mendez and caciques such as Juan FranciscoLucas of the Sierra de Puebla whom Juarez wasexcluding from power

after 1874 support from Catholic s opposed to Lerdoraising antic-clerical Reform Laws to Constitutionalstatus

Indian communities opposed to the desamortizacion


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Diazs revolts 1871 Plan de la Noria , Diaz takes up arms against

Juarezs re -election. Fails because of lack of supportfrom Sierra de Ixtlan in Oaxaca, although Sierra dePuebla under los tres juanes of Tetela de Ocampo(Juan Nepomuceno Mendez, Juan Crisostomo Bonillaand Juan Francisco Lucas) stoically supports the Revoltbecoming Diaz strongest allies in the South East

1876, Plan de Tuxtepec , Diaz takes up arms againstLerdos re -election. This time Sierra de Ixtlan andOaxaca joins Sierra de Puebla in supporting Diaz.


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Revolution of Tuxtepec, 1876

Gen. Manuel Gonzalezdefeats Gen Ignacio Alatorreat battle of Tecoac (inTlaxcala) in November

1876. Mexico City policed by Nahua soldiers fromSierra de Puebla underinterim President Juan NMendez:

Echoes of similar invasions

of Mexico city by chusmasindigenas behind VicenteGuerrero in 1828, JuanAlvarez in 1855 andEmiliano Zapata in 1914


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Diazs victory at Tecoac in November 1876 Indio de Xochiapulco, dress of

soldiers from Sierra de PueblaGen. Ignacio Alatorre, Juarez andLerdos chief commander, 1867 -76


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Diazs first administration , 1877-1880

Popular (Tuextepecano) demands conflicting withgovernment priorities:National Guard : armed citizenship and reward for

blood sacrificeWorkers : mutualist traditions, sought protection innew factoriesSecular schooling: to replace the Church (riskedfurther confrontation with Church)Land Reform and community control of land

privatisation.

Municipalities as Fourth Power (threatenedauthority of state congresses)Elected Jefes Politicos (threatened control throughgovernors)


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First administration , 1877-1880

Government priorities :Diplomatic recognition : Diaz an unknown. Foreign

powers wanted a stable neo-colony not a JacobinRepublic.

Finances : federal control over territory was needed,not 4 th Power of armed municipalitiesEconomy and foreign investment :further liberalisation not socialism was needed(Banking Law, Commercial Code, ColonisationLaw), potentially unpopularWinning elections (re-election was now forbidden)needed top- down control


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First administration, 1877-1880: tuxtepecanos rewarded

- Diazs solutions :- Populism : patronage of rural Liberal cacicazgos

(Sierra de Puebla, Thomson & Sierra de Ixtlan,

McNamara) and labour unions (David Walker,Porfirian Labor Politics) - Diaz selected cabinet, state governors and regional

military commanders from his Tuxtepecano

camarilla (political friends) men linked to Diaz byties of compadrazgo, freemasonry and shared militaryor political experience (Paul Garner, Porfirio Diaz,101)


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First administration, 1877-1880: tuxtepecanosrewarded

- Manuel Gonzalez, Diazs best general andvictor at Tecoac, was made Minister of War

- Tuxtepecano generals gain governorships :Juan Crisostomo Bonilla (one of the TresJuanes de la Sierra) in Puebla, Ramon Coronain Durango, Trinidad Garcia de la Cadena inZacatecas, Geronimo Trevino in Nuevo Leon,Luis Mier y Teran (Veracruz), etc.


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First administration, 1877-1880: intellectuals andoaxaqueos

Intellectuals : Puros (radical Liberals) gainedcabinet portfolios:

Ignacio Altamirano, Supreme Court;

Ignacio Ramirez, Min of Justice, Oaxaquenos : Justo Benitez (Diazs secretary and adviser since

1850s) chief of the Porfirista party in Congress; Matias Romero, Min of Finance (Benitez and Romero

are Oaxaqueos)


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1st Admin, 1876-1880

- Middle class opposition : early repression .- In 1877 conspiracy of Liberal supporters of former

president Sebastian Lerdo at Tlacotalpan

- Diaz telegraphed Veracruz governor Luis Mier yTern:

- "Mtalos en caliente!" ( Kill them on the spot )- Revealed true meaning of Diazs unsuccessful 1872

Plan de La Norias pledge that this will be the lastrevolution


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Elections of 1880

1877 constitutional amendment specified nopresidential re-election

Who would replace Diaz ? Diaz rejected entreaties from governor of

Oaxaca, Francisco Meixueiro, to stand: Diaz ...it is necessary to find another solution

which will provide a satisfactory outcome tofurther the cause of peace and theestablishment of institutions....


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Elections of 1880

Principle of no-reelection meant competition was particularlyintense from leading radical liberals and Tuxtepcanos: IgnacioVallarta, Vicente Riva Palacio, Generals Trinidad Garca de laCadena and Gernimo Trevio.

Just two candidates for Diaz : Justo Bentez, Diazs political adviser from Oaxaca

since 1850s offered principles of 1857 Manuel Gonzalez (Minister of War): Tuxtepecano

from Nuevo Leon but with no base in Liberal Party(had collaborated with Intervention !), 100%dependent therefore on Diaz.


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1884: 1 st of many re-elections

1883- 4 campaign...call for return of Daz as Saviourof the Nation.

Election uncontested..... Diaz chose his 2 nd cabinet from representatives of

different parties: Ignacio Mariscal, Foreign Minister (Lerdista) Matias Romero, Min in Washington (Juarista) Manuel Dublan, Finance (served Empire)

Joaquin Baranda, Minister of Justice (Positivist) Carlos Pacheco, Development (Tuxtepecano) Manuel Romero Rubio, Interior, (Lerdista)


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Forever Diaz.a constitutional President,not a dictator !

Constitutional amendments: 5 May 1887, proposed by State of Puebla,

permitted consecutive re-election 1890, proposed by State of Guerrero, removed all

restrictions upon re-election, legally endorsingDiazs re -elections in 1892, 1896, 1900, 1906,1910..

A Constitutional dictatorship ?: merit of being agradual process, (unlike Iturbide in 1821 andSanta Anna in 1853)


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1888 Re-election 1886-88 campaign: assass. in 1886 of Trinidad Garcia

de la Cadena on Celaya railway platform en route toconvene a congress of Tuxtepacano generals.

Generals Ramon Corona and Ignacio Martinez alsoassassinated in 1887.

Hamnett the exceptions, since the normal practice ofthe regime was seduction and incorporation

Yet, what a lesson !Remaining threat in SE from Sierra de Puebla: Juan

N Mendez promoted from governorshop of Pueblato Supreme Court of Military Justice, never to beallowed to return to Puebla Sierra.


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Popularity

Paradox of Porfirian politics: The more the personalthe authority of Diaz became undisputed, the morenecessary it became to seek alternative means ofendorsement and legitimisation (Paul Garner)

How ? : political clubs, conventions, newspapers,leaflets, parades....

In 1900 National Porfirian Circle organised plebiscitein 350,000 ballots distributed to state governors.


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Popularity: the cult of Juarez

Began in earnest in run up to 1888 re-election

1887 state preparations for commemoration ofJuarezs death on 18 July 1872

Bid for Radical support: commissioning of

paintings, busts and major memorial (completedin 1910)(see Charles Weeks, The Jurez Myth in Mexico ).


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Juarez Monument (1910), DF


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Juarez Monument Alameda Mexico


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Juarez Monument, Alameda, MexicoCity


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A painting lesson for PorfirioDiaz, Una Leccin dePintura, El Hijo del

Ahuizote, 24/7/87


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Una Leccion de Dibujo , 1887 El Hijo del Ahuizote, 17/7/87


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1906 Juarez CentenarySouvenir.


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Statue of Juarez, Tetelade Ocampo, home oflos tres juanes, Sierra

de Puebla

J Sh h d M t G l t (J


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Juarez: Shepherd Monument, Guelatao, (Juarezsbirthplace) Oaxaca


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Protesters gathering at Juarez statue, highway entrance to Oaxaca,September 2007


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Conciliation of Church 1876 Church state conflicts still unresolved: 1873

Lerdos elevation of Reform Laws to constitutionalstatus provoked widespread uprisings

Diaz avoids conceding on principles of laicisation whileturning blind eye to multiple violations of both thespirit and letter of the Constitution (Garner)

Diaz in letter to Archbishop of Oaxaca Eulogio Gillow:As Porfirio Diaz, in private and as head of a family, Iam a Roman and Apostolic Catholic: as Head of State Iprofess no religion, because the law does not permitme to do so.


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Conciliation of Church Diaz in letter to A/B Gillow:

With peace assured in the Republic, and

independence established between church andstate, there is no longer any motive for

precautions or hostility against the CatholicChurch, as long as it limits itself to thelegitimate objects of its ministry, withouttrying to meddle in political matters


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Conciliation of Church

Importance of A/B Gillow as go-between

Church became more conciliatory : no longercondemned those who took oath toConstitution

Acquiesced in Constitutional ban on holding

property

Schooling: ceased opposing secular schooling


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Conciliation of Church

pragmatic and regionally specific: Diaz turned a blind eye to non-application of anti-clerical ReformLaws in more Catholic areas ...see Karl Schmitt, TheDaz Conciliation Policy

New Pope : Leo XIII 1878, Rerum Novarum OfCapital and Labour encyclical of 1883: urgedChurch to compete with secular movements inSocial Action.

RC Church in Mexico regrouped: founded newdioceses (Hueyapan, Chilapa, Colima, etc), religiousorders, limited processions and clerical garb were

permitted..


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Diaz remarries December 1883: Diaz married 19 yr old Carmen Romero

Rubio (daughter of Finance Minister Manuel Romero Rubio) celebrated in Mexico City Cathedral by A/B Pelagio Labastida honeymoon in the US

Brian Hamnett comments on symbolic and practicalimportance of this act in laying the foundation of thelongevity of the regime.

Until 1883 Diaz had been identified as a Freemason, an anti-clerical, a radical, a mestizo and an anti-American.

This marriage brought Diaz into the Mexico City social and political elite and closer to the Church.


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Carmen Romero Rubio


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Civilising Diaz....

Dona Carmen is given credit for tutoring herhusband in the etiquette of politesociety...giving greater formality to his dress,speech and table manners...discouraging hishabits of shouting and spitting on the floor

(Garner, p.102)


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Continued areas of tension

Protestantism: Diaz courts Protestant sects as counterbalance to

RC Church Swiss historian Jean Pierre Bastian estimates that

in 1892 there were 469 Protestant congregationswith 100,000 members, especially railroad andtextile workers, school teachers and rancheros

Protestants become focus of opposition after1900 criticising Diazs conciliation of RC Churchand the regimes trampling on individual rights


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Military Demobilisation of National Guard in 1876 NG: 70,000, outnumbering regular army 3/1 ending of National Guard cacicazgos such as Lucas

in the Sierra de Puebla by 1880s

Professionalisation of regular army : Colegio Militar f.1841, reopened 1869, 1880s began in earnest under Gen Sostenes Rocha

(who had crushed Diaz Revolt of La Noria in 1871 !)Prussian influence

Education, training promotion by merit


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Military Reduction in number of officers (by 70%) and troops (by

25%) in service

Demilitarisation of politics: In 1889, 8 states governed by civilians, 21 by Generals

By 1903, only 8 states still governed by Generals

Result: end to the age of pronunciamiento (military backedrevolution of the 1821-1876 period) and Diaz seemingly

firmly in control Yet vulnerability in 1910 to peoples uprising

G bi B d d P iti i


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Gabino Barreda and Positivism

Influence of Gabino Barreda, teacher at National PreparatorySchool in 1860s, introduced Auguste Comtes ideas ofscientific politics to a new generation (known by 1890s asLos Cientificos) (See Charles Hale, The Transformation of

Liberalism explores Justo Sierra & La Libertad group) Duty of 19th C statesmen to pursue scientifically informed

politics rather than 18th C metaphysical formula such asLiberty, Fraternity , Popular Sovereignty, Equality.

Aim of government instead should be Order and Progress, pursued by scientifically an educated elite.

h ll d l


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Chapelle de l'Humanite in RuePayenne, Paris


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Gabino Barreda and Positivism

Societies passed through three phases: Religious,Metaphysical and Scientific.

In a speech in Guanajuato in 1867 Barreda arguedthat Liberals had emancipated Mexico from the

colonial order and freed Mexico from religion(passing from religious to metaphysical stage).Mexico ready now for Scientific stage.

Appealed to younger intellectuals: 1878 founding ofLa Libertad (Justo and Santiago Sierra, TelesforoGarcia and Francisco Cosmes) argued for a scientificand pragmatic approach to politics...the new erarequired a strong president, a centralised state andeconomic growth rather than individual liberties.


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Positivism

Francisco Cosmes, La Libertad 4 September 1878:Rights ! Society now rejects them. What it wantsis bread.....a little less of rights in exchange for alittle more of security, order, and peace. We havealready enacted innumerable rights, whichproduce only distress and malaise in society. Nowlet us try a little tyranny, but honourable tyranny,and see what results it brings

Charles Hale, The Transformation of Liberalsim ,p.34


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Next week

Economic and Social changes

We pick up political story again in Week 10

the peace of don porfirio 2011

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