REPUBLIC OF PARAGUAY. HISTORICAL NOTES. The invasion of Spain by the French, the abdication of CHARLES IV in favor of his son, FERDINAND VII, the captivity in France, of the latter King, and the accession of JOSEPH BONAPARTE to the throne of Spain, caused in Paraguay the same effect as in the rest of Spanish America, and paved the way to independence. On the 14th of May, 1811, Don PEDRO JUAN CABALLERO, accompanied by a few men, attacked the barracks at Asunción and took possession thereof without resistance of any kind on the part of the garrison. On the morning of the 15th he demanded of VELAZCO, the Spanish governor, not to make any opposition to his plans, and Governor VELAZCO finally yielded to his wishes. A condition imposed upon the governor, which he accepted, was that he should associate himself with two citizens and divide his authority with them. The people adhered to this movement, and the revolution for independence was thus consummated. The "Junta Gubernativa," or governing board, of Paraguay was organized as follows: Governor VELAZCO, chairman, and Don GASPAR RODRIGUEZ DE FRANCIA and Don JUAN VALERIANO ZEBALLOS, members. On the 9th of June, 1811, Governor VELAZCO was deposed by the troops, and RODRIGUEZ DE FRANCIA and ZEBALLOS remained, for the time being, in charge of the Government. An assembly of Paraguayan deputies, whose sessions were inaugurated two days afterwards, passed a resolution by which all allegiance to Spain was renounced, and a new "Junta Gubernativa," consisting of five members, namely: Don FRANCISCO YEGROS, Don GASPAR RODRIGUEZ DE FRANCIA, Don PEDRO JUAN CABALLERO, Don FRANCISCO JAVIER BOGARIN, and Don FERNANDO MORA, was created. YEGROS was made the chairman of this board and MORA the secretary. A subsequent Congress, whose first meeting was held on October 1, 1813, ratified the declaration of independence, resolved that Paraguay should thereafter be a Republic, devised and adopted for it a national flag, and vested the Government, or the executive branch thereof, in two consuls, to be elected annually. The first consuls, elected on October 12, 1813, were Dr. Don GASPAR RODRIGUEZ DE FRANCIA and Don FULGENCIO YEGROS. Difficulties having arisen between both functionaries, a new Congress decided (October, 1814) to make Doctor FRANCIA dictator for three years. Before the expiration of this term another Congress (1816) proclaimed, by a decree, that Doctor FRANCIA's dictatorship should be perpetual. Upon the death of Doctor FRANCIA, on September 20, 1840, a Provisional Government was created at Asunción, consisting of four military officers of high rank under the presidency of the mayor of Asunción, Don JOSÉ MANUEL ORTIZ; but shortly afterwards (January 23, 1841) this board, or junta, was superseded by a triumvirate, which in its turn was abolished by order of Congress (March 12, 1841) and replaced by the old consulate. The consuls chosen were Don CARLOS ANTONIO LOPEZ and Don MARIANO ROQUE ALONZO. The latter was a soldier of high rank. In 1844, at the expiration of the term of office of the two consuls, the form of government was modified by Congress and a law was passed vesting the executive authority in a chief magistrate under the title of "President of the Republic," who should serve for ten years. Don CARLOS ANTONIO LOPEZ, having been elected for this position, completed his term of office in 1854, was reelected for three years, and in 1857 for ten years more. Upon his death, on the 10th of September, 1862, the government fell into the hands of his son, Don FRANCISCO SOLANO LOPEZ, as acting president at first, and almost immediately afterwards (October 16, 1862), under an act of Congress, as President of the Republic for ten years. Upon the refusal by the Argentine Republic to permit the passage through her territory of certain Paraguayan troops, which were intended to operate against Brazil, the Paraguayan Congress issued (March 18, 1865) a declaration of war against the former country, and this brought about an alliance between Brazil, the Argentine Republic, and Uruguay, by whose action Paraguay was almost annihilated. LOPEZ was killed in a battle on the 1st of March, 1870. A committee of twenty-one prominent citizens then undertook the reorganization of the country. The administration of the Government was temporarily entrusted to a triumvirate, consisting of Don CIRILO ANTONIO RIVAROLA, Don CARLOS LOIZAGA, and Don JOSÉ DIAZ BEDOY. These gentlemen worked faithfully, and fulfilled their delicate mission to the satisfaction of all. The difficulties of their work were rendered graver by the fact that the enemy had not yet evacuated Paraguayan territory. The old electoral districts were reestablished so far as practicable, and a constitutional convention, consisting of fifty-six delegates elected by the people, was called to assemble. This convention met on the 15th of August, 1870, and the constitution it framed, which was promulgated on the 25th of the following November, is still in force. CONSTITUTION. (Promulgated November 25, 1870.) Nos, los representantes de la Nación paraguaya, reunidos en Convención Nacional Constituyente por la libre y espontánea voluntad del pueblo paraguayo, con el objeto de establecer la justicia, asegurar la tranquilidad interior, proveer á la defensa común, promover el bienestar general y hacer duraderos los beneficios de la libertad para nosotros, para nuestra posteridad y para todos los hombres del mundo que lleguen á habitar el suelo paraguayo, invocando á Dios Todopoderoso, supremo legislador del universo, ordenamos, decretamos y establecemos esta Constitución para la República del Paraguay. PRIMERA PARTE. CAPÍTULO I. Declaraciones generales. ARTÍCULO 1. El Paraguay es y será siempre libre é independiente; se constituye en República una é indivisible, y adopta para su Gobierno la forma democrática representativa. ART. 2. La soberanía reside esencialmente en la Nación, que delega su ejercicio en las autoridades que establece la presente Constitución. ART. 3. La religión del Estado es la Católica, Apostólica Romana, debiendo ser paraguayo el Jefe de la Iglesia; sin embargo, el Con We, the representatives of the Paraguayan Nation, by the free and spontaneous will of the Paraguayan people in national constitutional convention assembled, for the purpose of establishing justice, securing domestic peace, providing for the common defense, promoting the general welfare, and causing the benefits of liberty to be lasting for ourselves, our descendants, and in general all men who may come and inhabit the Paraguayan soil-after having invoked Almighty God, the Supreme Legislator of the Universe-do hereby ordain, decree, and establish this Constitution of the Republic of Paraguay. PART FIRST. CHAPTER I. General declarations, ARTICLE 1. Paraguay is and shall be forever free and independent, constitutes itself in a Republic one and indivisible, and adopts for its government the democratic representative form. ART. 2. The sovereignty is vested essentially in the Nation, and the Nation delegates it to the authorities established by the present Constitution. ART. 3. The religion of the State is the Roman Catholic Apostolic, it being necessary for the chief prelate of the Paraguayan greso no podrá prohibir el libre ejercicio de cualquiera otra religión en todo el territorio de la República. ART. 4. El Gobierno provee á los gastos de la Nación con los fondos del Tesoro nacional, formado del producto del derecho de exportación é importación, de la venta ó locación de tierras públicas, de la renta de correos, ferrocarriles, de los empréstitos y operaciones de crédito, y de los demás impuestos ó contribuciones que dicte el Congreso por leyes especiales. ART. 5. En el interior de la República es libre de derecho la circulación de los efectos de producción ó fabricación nacional, así como también la introducción de los artículos concernientes á la educación é instrucción pública, á la agricultura, las máquinas á vapor y las imprentas. ART. 6. El Gobierno fomentará la inmigración americana y europea, y no podrá restringir, limitar, ni gravar con impuesto alguno la entrada en el territorio paraguayo de los extranjeros que traigan por objeto mejorar las industrias, labrar la tierra é introducir y enseñar las ciencias y las artes. ART. 7. La navegación de los ríos interiores de la Nación es libre para todas las banderas, con sujeción únicamente á los reglamentos que dicte al respecto el Congreso. ART. 8. La educación primaria será obligatoria y de atención preferente del Gobierno, y el Congreso oirá anualmente los informes que á este respecto presente el Ministro del Ramo para promover por todos los medios posibles la instrucción de los ciudadanos. church to be a Paraguayan. Congress, however, shall not have power to forbid the free exercise of any other religion within the territory of the Republic. ART. 4. The Government shall provide for the expenses of the Nation out of the funds of the national treasury, which shall consist of the product of export and import duties, the sale or lease of public lands, the proceeds of the postal and railroad services, the loans and operations of credit which may be contracted or made, and the taxes of all kinds which Congress may levy by special laws. ART. 5. The circulation in the interior of the Republic of effects, the product or manufacture of the Nation, shall be free from duty. The same freedom shall be enjoyed by articles introduced from abroad, for educational and agricultural purposes, the steam engines, and presses and material for printing. ART. 6. The Government shall promote American and European immigration, and shall not restrict, limit, or burden with charges of any kind, the admission into the Paraguayan territory of foreigners coming into it with the intention of improving the Paraguayan industries, cultivating the soil, or introducing and teaching sciences or arts. ART. 7. The navigation of the interior rivers of the Nation is free to all flags; but the rules and regulations which Congress may make for the proper use of this freedom shall be observed. ART. 8. Primary instruction shall be compulsory, and the Government shall give to it preferent attention. A report on this subject shall be submitted to Congress every year by the head of the educational department of the Government, and Congress shall promote by all possible means the instruction of the citizens. ART. 9. En caso de conmoción interior ó ataque exterior que ponga en peligro el ejercicio de esta Constitución y de las autoridades creadas por ella, se declarará en estado de sitio una parte ó todo el territorio paraguayo por un término limitado. Durante este tiempo el poder del Presidente de la República se limitará á arrestar á las personas sospechosas ó trasladarlas de un punto á otro de la nación, si ellas no prefieren salir fuera del país. ART. 10. El Congreso promoverá la reforma de la legislación que existía anteriormente en todos sus ramos ART. 11. El derecho de ser juzgado por jurados en las causas criminales será asegurado á todos, y permanecerá para siempre in violable. ART. 12. Es deber del Gobierno afianzar sus relaciones de paz y comercio con las naciones extranjeras por medio de tratados que estén de conformidad con los principios de Derecho público establecidos en esta Constitución. ART. 13. El Congreso no podrá jamás conceder al Poder Ejecutivo facultades extraordinarias, ni la suma del poder público; ni otorgarle sumisiones ó supremacias por las que la vida, el honor y la propiedad de los habitantes de la República queden á merced del Gobierno ó persona alguna. La dictadura es nula é inadmisible en la República del Paraguay, y los que la formulen, consientan ó firmen se sujetarán á la responsabilidad y pena de los infames traidores á la patria. ART. 9. In case of internal disturbance, or foreign attack, of sufficient gravity to endanger the observance of the Constitution and the exercise of the power and duties vested in the authorities created by it, a part or the whole of the Paraguayan territory may be declared, for a limited time, to be in a state of siege. During such time the power of the President of the Republic shall not go beyond the arrest of the suspected persons, or their transfer from one place to another in the Republic, if they do not prefer to leave the country. ART. 10. Congress shall attend to the reform of the legislation hitherto in force. ART. 11. The right of trial by jury in criminal cases shall be guaranteed to all and shall be forever inviolable. ART. 12. It shall be the duty of the Government to affirm, by means of treaties concluded in conformity with the principles of public law established in this Constitution, the relations of peace and commerce of the Republic with foreign nations. ART. 13. In no case shall Congress have authority to grant extraordinary powers to the Executive, or vest in it the entire public power, nor shall it give the Executive any authority or supremacy which may cause the lives, the honor, or the property of the inhabitants of the Republic to be at the mercy of the Government, or of any individual person. Dictatorship is unlawful and inadmissible in the Republic of Paraguay, and whoever may propose to establish it or consents or subscribes to its establishment, shall be held to be an infamous traitor to the country, liable as such to the penalties and responsibility established by law. |