Analysis of the Manifesto of the Persians
Manifesto of the Persians
Rating:
It is a primary source offering direct insight into reactionary, absolutist thinking during the crisis of the ancien regime in Spain. The text is a narrative of historical circumstances, authored by a group of deputies led by Porter’s Real and the Bishop of Orense. This public text had both national and international reach, given in Valencia in 1814.
Analysis:
The text is divided into two parts. The first (first two paragraphs) justifies absolute monarchy based on reason and utility. The second (last paragraph) summarizes the subservient deputies’ goals: repealing the Constitution of Cadiz and restoring absolutism under traditional cortes’ control.
To understand this document, it’s necessary to define the following terms:
- Absolutist monarchy: A government where the monarch holds absolute power without institutional constraints. There is no separation of powers. (“The state is me.”)
- Liberal: A system of thought promoting civil liberties, opposing despotism, and seeking republican principles.
- Constitution: The fundamental law of a state, establishing its governance and legislative power.
- Manifesto: A public declaration of policy principles and intentions.
- Cortes: Assemblies convened by the king for advisory purposes, bringing together members of the three estates.
- Sovereignty: Supreme power.
- Vassal: A subject of a sovereign, referencing feudalism.
Comment:
Historical Context:
This is the Manifesto of the Persians, where deputies of the Cortes of Cadiz (1812) requested Fernando VII’s return and the restoration of the old political regime, ending the newly established constitutional freedoms. This occurred after the War of Independence (1808-1813) when Napoleon restored Fernando VII to the throne (Treaty of Valençay, December 1813). In Spain, the aristocracy, nobility, and most of the population eagerly awaited the return of the legitimate monarch.
Fernando VII was meant to be the first constitutional monarch. The Cortes informed him that his reign was impossible without signing the 1812 Constitution, but he ignored this and contacted absolutism supporters (April 11). A day later, the Manifesto of the Persians was drafted. With the army and Church’s support, Fernando VII issued a decree abolishing the Cortes (May 4). Absolutism had returned.
Commentary Content:
The Manifesto of the Persians starts with a metaphor comparing the king’s former rule to death and describing the current situation as anarchy, implying that embracing Fernando VII’s absolutism was necessary.
The Cadiz Cortes had a conservative faction who desired traditional Spanish Cortes like those under the Habsburgs, with a pact with the monarch. Of the 69 signatories, Mozo Rosales, a future minister under Fernando VII, presented the document to the king. The deputies sought the king’s absolutist favor, with even Antonio Alcalá Galiano abandoning the Liberals. These deputies, labeled “servile” (in contrast to the Liberals), represented the high nobility, most of the Church, and even the masses. The Liberals were unable to counter their absolute momentum and had to resort to conspiracy and military takeover.
The Manifesto compares absolutism with the liberal alternative, identified with the Republic. Its subjectivity and intentions are clear: the Liberals desired a limited monarchy subject to a constitutional court.
The Manifesto aimed to sway the king towards the supposed benefits of absolute power. Fernando VII’s controversial nature favored absolutism over the complexities of a liberal state. Continental Europe hadn’t yet embraced liberalism.
The Manifesto’s proposal was clear: annul the Cadiz Constitution as it wasn’t approved by the monarch or the country. It expressed the desire to convene “Spanish Cortes legitimately assembled in freedom and under the old laws.” The monarch would have to engage with an estates-based assembly.
The goal was to restore the Habsburg monarchy’s authoritarian model, where privileged groups could reserve power within the Cortes. Fernando VII, however, restored full absolutism and wouldn’t voluntarily convene Cortes during his reign.
Although the king only partially adopted the Manifesto’s proposals, it had significant effects. From 1814 to 1820, Fernando VII’s reign was marked by absolutism. The king’s return created a political divide between liberals and serviles. The former faced repression, while the latter gained power and privileges. Certain figures switched sides opportunistically. The military’s role grew, foreshadowing its influence in 19th-century Spanish politics.
Members of Fernando VII’s entourage also benefited, forming a powerful clique. This included figures like the Duke of Alagón, Arellano, the merchant Antonio Ugarte, Pedro Collins, and Escoiquiz.
Conclusion and Scope:
After absolutism’s return, neither King Ferdinand’s appointees nor the post-war context were conducive to effective governance. Between 1814 and 1820, the country was plagued by absolutism, weak government, political tension, exiles, and concerns about the colonies in Central and South America. The incompetence of Fernando VII’s appointees was evident in figures like Pedro Gómez Labrador, the Spanish ambassador to the Congress of Vienna.
He was politically inept and had little understanding of Spain’s foreign interests. Although the Duke of Fernán Núñez slightly improved Spain’s position in 1817, nothing substantial was achieved. Fernando’s eagerness to regain his throne, as evidenced by the Treaty of Valençay, weighed heavily.
Conspiracies and military coups were frequent. In September 1814, Espoz y Mina revolted in Puente de la Reina (Navarra). The following year, the guerrilla leader Porlier proclaimed the validity of the Cadiz Constitution. In 1817, General Luis Francisco Milans del Bosch attempted an uprising in Catalonia. However, neither weapons nor Masonic support could defeat the absolute monarchy.
Only in early 1820 did Lieutenant Colonel Rafael de Riego succeed in imposing the 1812 Constitution through a coup. King Ferdinand accepted the constitution he had previously abolished. In 1823, after the Liberal Triennium, the Cadiz text was again suspended.
Bibliography:
- CARR, Raymond. History of Spain. Barcelona, Península, 2001.
- PÉREZ, Joseph. History of Spain. Barcelona, Crítica, 2003.
- VIDAL, Pierre. History of Spain. Barcelona, RBA, 2005.