Feelings of the Nation

Page 3 of the document Sentences of the Nation (1813)

Plaque on the Oaxaca Flower Portal, which indicates that Morelos wrote them there Sentences of the Nation.

Sentiments of the Nation is a document that was dictated by José María Morelos y Pavón between November 26, 1812 and February 9, 1813 and written by Don Andrés Quintana Roo, to be read on September 14, 1813 during the opening of the Anahuac Congress in the city of Chilpancingo, then, within the Province of Tecpan. It is considered one of the most important Mexican political texts, the set of ideas expressed is based on the Constitution of Cádiz, the United States War of Independence, as well as the French Revolution.

Background

After the death of Miguel Hidalgo and Ignacio Allende, Ignacio López Rayón led the insurgent forces that were in Saltillo, took the Zacatecas plaza and went to Zitácuaro where he convened the Supreme Government Junta of America, which had the purpose of establishing a legal and political order for the insurgent groups in the country. The first members of the board were José María Liceaga, José Sixto Verduzco and López Rayón himself. While this was happening, Morelos carried out campaigns in the south of New Spain in the port of Acapulco and Cuautla. The junta was dispersed by the constant attacks of the royalist forces under the command of Félix María Calleja. With these ideas we are before what would give way to a democratic and liberal state or a rule of law.

The Constitutional Elements of López Rayón

Ignacio López Rayón circulated among all the insurgents a draft political constitution for what would be a new independent nation. On April 30, 1812, he summarized his ideology in thirty-eight points that were known as the Constitutional Elements , among the most important are:

• 1.— Mexico is free and independent of any other nation.
• 2.— The Catholic religion will be the only one without tolerance of another.
• 3.— May all their ministers be kept from all, and only the Tenth and firstfruits, and the People do not have to pay any more sins than those of their devotion and offering.
• 4.— That America is free and independent of Spain and any other nation.
• 5.— Sovereignty emanates immediately from the people, resides in the person of Mr.Don Fernando VII and his exercise in the Supreme American National Congress.
• 6.— It is declared that sovereignty emanates from the people, which deposits it in their representatives, dividing the powers of it into legislative and judicial.
• 7.— The Supreme Congress shall consist of five voices of the power they have, and fulfillment of the conventional covenant held by the nation on August 21, 1811.
• 8.— The functions of each vowel will last five years, the oldest will become president, and the most modern secretary of reserved acts, or who understand the whole nation.
• 9.— Just get the jobs from Americans.
• 10.— That foreigners are not admitted, if they are not artisans capable of instructing, and free of all suspicion.
• 24.— Slavery is entirely forbidden.
• 27.— Any person who has been perjures the nation without prejudice to the penalty applied to it, declares himself infamous and his property belonging to the nation.

Due to Calleja's attacks, the board moved to Sultepec, in that town Dr. José María Cos wrote several documents, among them the Plan for Peace and War, in point two of this document pointed out that: Spain and America are integral parts of the monarchy subject to the king; but equal to each other and without dependence or subordination of one with respect to the other".

José María Morelos y Pavón agreed with the thesis of equality of nations but differed regarding the common subjection to the king. When he read these postulates for the first time, he was in Acapulco, and to celebrate, he raised a glass and said: "Long live Spain, but Spain is a sister, not the dominator of America." documents next to López Rayón.

Under constant attack, the insurgents maintained communication by mail. In October, López Rayón, with the help of José María Cos, drafted a proposed constitution. When Morelos received said proposal, he sent his comments by means of a letter signed on November 2, 1812, shared some points and made observations to others, but without a doubt, the most relevant was the discrepancy of not recognizing the monarchical figure of Fernando VII.

Although it was still unknown that years later Fernando VII "el Deseado" would annul the Constitution of Cádiz and reintroduce the absolutist regime, Morelos did not accept the possibility of a republican monarchy and was more forceful. On November 7, he rejected Fernandismo despite the opposition of Rayón, who always considered that the coverage of Fernando VII would benefit the cause. Morelos declared himself in favor of the Republic: & # 34; it is lawful for a conquered kingdom to reconquer itself and it is lawful for an obedient kingdom not to obey a king, when he is burdensome in his laws & # 34; .

As to point 59 of our Constitution, in respect of the sovereignty of Mr. D. Fernando VII, since the fate of this great man is so public and notorious, it is necessary to exclude him to give the public the Constitution.

José María Morelos, 7 November 1812

Shortly thereafter, the Zitácuaro junta began to disintegrate due to personal disputes among the members. To no avail Rayón tried to restore their union, faced with such expectations Morelos decided to convene a new congress in Chilpancingo.

Proclamation of the Sentiments of the Nation

Anáhuac Congress

Twelve delegates representing provinces attended the Anahuac Congress, including: José María Cos, Andrés Quintana Roo, Carlos María Bustamante, Ignacio López Rayón, José Manuel de Herrera, José María Liceaga, José Sixto Verduzco and Morelos himself. September 14, 1813 was the day the first constituent parliament was installed, and Morelos delivered the Sentimientos de la Nación in his inaugural speech. Among the twenty-three points in the document, the most relevant content was the following:

1.- Declaring the independence and freedom of the Americas of Spain, of any other nation, government or monarchy.

2.- Reaffirm the Catholic religion as the only one accepted without tolerance from another.

5.- Establishing that sovereignty would emanate from the people and Supreme American National Congress composed of representatives of each province in equal numbers, eliminating the figure of the king of Spain.

6.- Once the sovereignty of the nation and a policy inspired by the French Revolution were recognized, the government would be divided into three branches: legislative, executive and judicial.

9.- In order to protect Americans, jobs would be reserved for them.

11.- The form of government would be changed, the monarchical system would be eliminated and a liberal government would be established.

12.- Socially, greater equality is sought, reducing the time of the daylights and better customs must be sought for marginalized classes. In this way Morelos called on Congress to draw laws to moderate opulence and poverty and thus achieve greater social equality

15.- Slavery and the distinction of castes are proscribed forever and it states that all are equal.

22.- The alcabalas, stalls and the tribute of the indigenous people disappear.

The following day, the new Congress decided to name Morelos with the position of general and title of "Most Excellent," but the caudillo did not accept such appointment and asked to be called "Servant of the Nation& #3. 4;. Being faithful to his ideology, he submitted to Congress, which was a strategic error since the members of the organization rarely agreed to military agreements and hindered the freedom of action and unity of command required by the insurgent forces.

Plaque commemorative of the 200 years of the "Senticiones de la Nación" in the Casa Natal de Morelos.

Repercussions

On November 6 of the same year, the Congress of Anahuac proclaimed the separation of New Spain through the Solemn Act of the Declaration of Independence of North America, which was largely based on the Feelings of the Nation expressed by Morelos.

One year later, on October 22, 1814, the Constitutional Decree for the Freedom of Mexican America was sanctioned, a document that is referred to as the Constitution of Apatzingán and considered the first constitution of independent Mexico. The document was inspired more by the French Constitution of 1791 than by the Constitution of Cádiz, but with the difference that it did not recognize any monarchical figure, as was indicated in the Sentimientos de la Nación. Due to the war situation, the Constitution of Apatzingán only entered into force in the territory dominated by the insurgents. Consummated the Independence of Mexico, the First Mexican Empire was established. Upon the establishment of the Republic, there was a constant struggle between liberals and conservatives until the 1860s.

Present Sentiments of the Nation

The local congress of the state of Guerrero awards, on September 13 of each year in the Church of Santa María de la Asunción, to commemorate the installation of the first Congress of Anahuac, the medal ''Feelings de la Nación'', a silver medal showing the effigy of José María Morelos y Pavón.^{[citation required]}