The Divine Charter: Constitutionalism and Liberalism in Nineteenth-Century Mexico (review)

This collection of essays traces the evolution of a unique Spanish-American liberal tradition in nineteenth-century Mexico. Each contribution builds onJaime Rodríguez O.'s introduction, which demonstrates that Spanish reformers contributed to enlightenment liberalism by establishing institutions and laws—expressed chiefly in the 1812 constitution—rooted in popular sovereignty. Despite its similar philosophical content, Spanish-American liberalism did not initially question the authority of the monarchy or the Catholic Church as virulently as in France or Britain. Instead, such attitudes evolved according to Mexican circumstances during the independence era and the remainder of the turbulent nineteenth century, often resulting in elites becoming increasingly suspicious of popular political participation.

The essays explore the various ways in which Mexican liberalism developed in four major categories: the military, the Church, the economy, and especially in politics. Ranging from close analyses of original documents to historiographical syntheses, the contributions demonstrate the wide-ranging methodological approaches current among Mexicanists and feature varied regional and topical studies. Of particular importance to readers interested in Texas is Andrés Reséndez's examination of Freemasonry and institutional development along Mexico's northern frontier. Reséndez cites the reluctance of scholars to abandon their Anglocentric viewpoint as a major shortcoming in the literature on early Texas, which he claims largely dismisses the Spanish-American liberal tradition in explaining independence. Preferring a teleology favoring U.S. expansion in the region, most authors assume that Texas, New Mexico, and California were isolated from the political discussions in central Mexico. Reséndez ably mines the literature to extrapolate a more balanced overview reminding scholars of the Mexican origins of the intense debates surrounding republicanism.

Despite an overemphasis on politics, the remaining essays provide several strong case studies demonstrating the complexity of reformism as it affected Mexican institutions and culture. Excellent essays include Christian Archer's treatment of the Mexican officer corps and Rodríguez O.'s discussion of federalism in Oaxaca. The editor wisely provided chapters giving overviews that link together ideas generated in the original works. Of particular interest is William Beezley's discussion of popular nationalism in the late nineteenth century. The master bibliography is also helpful. While the main points stressed in these essays are well known—that Mexican liberals eventually favored equality before the law and a strong national state, for example—the real strength of this collection lies in the authors' ability to emphasize the factors that distinguished Mexico's liberal tradition from its United States and Western European counterparts.

Perhaps surprisingly, little effort is made to analyze liberalism à la the rise of modernization and the foucaultian individual as has become prevalent in the recent historiography, most notably in Pamela Voekel's work on reform Catholicism in Bourbon Mexico. Moreover, the conclusion does not carry through the theme of liberalism and its evolution in Mexico as related specifically to constitutionalism; rather, it provides an odd moral that emphasizes reformers' mistakes during the period. On balance, considering its accessibility and the thematic variety of this book, it should be considered a solid course reader on liberalism for students at many levels.