E vorba de un "comentator" politic din familia deontologo-elitista  a realitatii cotidiene  : Pavel Lucescu.

Cand nu e la tv etalandu-si mandru pe sticla parul de pe piept ( chestie de manual de politete, dar de unde nu-i...cine sa ceara ? ) dom' Pavel scrie la ziar. Cam asa  :

"... În 1812, Elbridge Gerry, guvernator al statului american Massachusetts, punea la cale primul blat din istoria alegerilor libere. În calitatea pe care o avea a semnat un act prin care a redesenat harta colegiilor electorale de pe teritoriul statului în aşa fel încât Partidul Democrat, pe care-l reprezenta, să fie avantajat în faţa republicanilor. "

In afara infantilismului utilizarii cuvantului "blat" ii semnalam eminentului analist pulitic urmatoarele : Partidul Republican a fost fondat in Statele Unite in 1854. ( A se consulta orice sursa doriti ) Deci cam la 40 de ani dupa tampitul exemplu pe care-l aduce inteligentul analist.

Restul e tacere.

This home is located within the historical district in downtown Bolivar. You can reach it quite easily by turning beside Sonic and passing through a few stop signs.

McNeal Place was built due to the death of the only daughter of the original owner, Ezekiel K. Polk (a relative of James K. Polk). Mrs. (Ann) Polk was inconsolable at the death of Priscilla, who was in her teens in 1854. Polk built the home on the west side of his property near Polk Cemetery where Priscilla was buried. Ann visited the grave each day. During the Civil War she had to have a special pass to cross the Union Lines.

The local legend says that on the days when Mrs. Polk was not allowed to visit the cemetery, she would stand in the second story bedroom window and stare out at Polk Cemetery. Some say you can occasionally see her spirit in that same window simply staring across at her daughter's grave.

Even though I have never seen the ghost of Mrs. Polk, I still enjoy visiting this neighborhood. There are many other historic homes nearby, including one that is documented as being haunted. (The Wren's Nest, Uncle Dave's rocking chair) It is also right across the road from Polk Cemetery which is alleged to be haunted.

2.30 Observed the centre of Ovalau WNW. Hove to set spanker
4.0 Wore hove to. Centre of Ovalau NW by W
5.45 Filled
6.50 Wore
8.0 Bore up for entrance of reef, set courses and topgallant sails
9.30 Furled courses in topgallant sails standing through the Southern entrance to Levuka 10.0 Shortened sail and came to in 14 f. Moored ship with 5 shackles on each cable
Noon 30.01 78°

PM
Bearings at anchor
right arrow xeme N 30° W
Centre of Village S 56° W
Southern Entrance S 67° E
Furled sails
Out pinnace
Down royal yards
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight

 29th September 1854, Levuka Harbour

AM
Employed watering and as requisite
Carpenters repairing ladder
Noon 30.00 - 79°

PM
Employed as before noon
Sunset up boats
Midnight 30.00 - 77°

Remarks Saturday 30th

AM
Employed watering and cleaning ship
Artificers as requisite
Noon 30.00 79°

PM Employed as before noon
Loosed small sails to dry
4.0 Unbent small sails
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight

Remarks Sunday 1st October

AM
10.0 Mustered by divisions
Noon 30.00 74°

PM
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.00 - 77°

Remarks Monday 2nd

AM
Employed watering
Blacking down rigging &c.
Carpenters making cases for plants
Noon 29.95 78°

PM
Employed as before noon
Sunset up boats
Midnight

Remarks Moored off Levuka Ovalau Tuesday 3rd October 1854

AM
8.0 Loosed sails
Employed watering blacking down rigging
Carpenters making cases for plants
Noon 29.97 - 77°

PM Employed as before noon
Completed water to 67 tons
Furled sails
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.05 - 77°

Wednesday 4th

AM
Gave one watch liberty
Employed as most requisite
Noon 30.00 - 79°

PM
Sunset up and moored boats
Liberty men returned
S
Midnight 30.05 - 75°

Thursday 5th

AM
One watch ashore on liberty
Carpenter making specimen box and repairing skylights
Noon 30.07 80°

PM
One watch on shore
Sunset liberty men returned up and moored boats
Midnight 30.30 - 77°

Friday 6th

AM
Boats away surveying
Carpenter making specimen box
Noon

Boats away surveying
Sunset moored boats
Midnight

Remarks Moored in Levuka Harbour Saturday 7th October 1854

AM
Employed cleaning ship
Boats away surveying
Noon

PM Boats away surveying
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight

Sunday 8th

AM
10.0 Mustered by divisions and Per open list
Performed Divine Service
Noon

PM
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight

Monday 9th

AM
Scrubbed hammocks and washed clothes
Carpenters repairing ladders
Noon

PM
Employed as requisite
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.10 - 77°

Tuesday 10th

AM
Boats away surveying
Employed making spun yarn
Sailmaker making canvas shoes for boats crews
Noon 30.00 80

PM Swing ship for deviation
Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.02 - 78°

Remarks Moored in Levuka Harbour Wednesday 11th October 1854

AM
Boats away surveying
Employed repairing ratlines
Noon 30.00 81°

PM
Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.00 - 79°

Thursday 12th

AM Boats away surveying
Employed making spunyarn, fitting topsail yards &c.
Sailmaker making canvas shoes for boats crews &c.
Noon 30.05 82°

PM
Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.00 - 80°

Friday 13th

AM Boats away surveying
Scrubbed hammocks and washed clothes
Employed making mats fitting topgallant rigging &c.
Sailmaker making canvas shoes for boats crews
Noon 30.07 - 80°

PM Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.10 - 77°

Saturday 14th

AM
Boats away surveying
Employed cleaning ship
Noon 30.08 - 80°

PM
Employed making and mending clothes
Midnight 30.13 - 80°

Remarks Moored in Levuka Harbour Ovalau Sunday 15th October 1854

AM
10.0 Mustered by divisions and read articles of war to ships company
Noon 30.10 - 81°

PM
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight

Monday 16th

AM
Down topgallant yards and lowered topgallant masts. unbent jibs. Secured foremast with [indecipherable] and tackles in jib and flying booms, unclothed bowsprit
Carpenter making saddle for dolphin striker. Sailmaker repairing sails
Noon 30.06 - 79°

PM Employed refitting ship
Artificers as before noon
Unbent fore topsail
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.05 - 79°

Tuesday 17th

Unbent mainsail down main yard
Employed refitting ship
Artificers as yesterday
Noon 30.02 - 77°

PM Employed as before noon
Setting the bobstays &c.
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.00 - 70°

Wednesday 18th

AM Employed staying foremast setting up fore rigging and refitting
Carpenter making saddle for dolphin striker
Sailmaker repairing sails
Noon

Employed as before noon
Out jib boom up main yard
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight

Remarks Moored in Levuka Harbour - Ovalau Thursday 19th October 1854

AM
Down fore yard – unbent sails
Employed refitting &c.
Sailmaker repairing sails
Boats away surveying
Noon 30.03 - 79°

PM
Employed as before noon
Sunset up boats
Midnight 30.07 - 78°

Friday 21st

AM Employed rattling down rigging and refitting
Carpenters making clothes rack
Sailmaker repairing sails
Noon 30.04 - 81°

PM
Employed as fore noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.05 - 78°

Saturday 21st

AM Employed cleaning ship
Boats away surveying
Carpenters making Log rack
Sailmaker repairing sails
Noon 30.05 - 79°

PM
Employed as before noon
Up fore yard
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.03 - 78°

Sunday 22nd

AM
10.0 Mustered by divisions and Performed Divine Service
Noon 30.03 - 84°

PM
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.03 - 78°

Remarks Moored in Levuka Harbour Ovalau Monday 23rd October 1854

AM
Boats away surveying
Employed watering and as requisite
Sailmaker repairing sails
Carpenters repairing Log Rack
Noon 30.03 - 80°

PM Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight

Tuesday 24th

AM Boats away surveying
Employed rattling and blacking down rigging
Noon 30.10 - 75°

PM
Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 29.95 - 77°

Wednesday 25th

AM Employed rattling and blacking down
Carpenters making clothes rack
Sailmaker repairing sails
Noon 29.92 - 79°

PM Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 29.85 - 76°

Thursday 26th

AM Boats away surveying
Fidded topgallant masts
Employed staying topgallant masts and fitting topgallant backstays
Artificers as yesterday
Noon 29.95 - 77°

PM Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 29.95 - 74°

Remarks Moored in Levuka Harbour Friday 27th

AM
Employed making mats &c.
Ropemaker making spun yarn
Artificers as yesterday
Noon 30.05 - 77°

PM
Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight

Saturday 28th

AM
9.0 Arrived the American barque Seagou from Sydney 10 days
Employed cleaning ship
Noon 30.04.77

PM. Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Mr Nugent (Mid.) and 2 men proceeded in the schooner Glide (Niece Master) to V’antavu in search of 2 men supposed to be runaway convicts

Sunday 29th

AM
10.0 Mustered per open list
Noon 30.05 - 80°

PM
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.05 - 77°

Monday 30th

AM
Employed watering ship and as requisite
Carpenters making clothes rack
Noon 30.05 78°

PM
Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.02 - 78°

Remarks Moored in Levuka Harbour Tuesday 31st October 1854

AM
Employed watering
Carpenters making clothes rack
Noon 30.00 - 77°

PM
Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.01 - 76°

Wednesday 1st November

AM
Employed watering and as req.
Carpenters making clothes rack
Noon :

PM Completed water to 67 tons
Bent sails
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.00 - 76°

Thursday 2nd

AM
Employed as most requisite
Carpenters making clothes rack
Noon 29.95 81°

PM Boats away surveying
Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 29.97 - 79°

Friday 3rd

AM
9.0 Cleaned hawse and unmoored ship
Bent small sails courses topgallant and royal yards and loosed sails
Employed preparing for sea
Noon 30.06 80°

PM Employed as before noon
Furled sails in pinnace
Midnight

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Remarks Anchored in Levuka Harbour Saturday 4th November

AM
Employed cleaning ship
Loosed sails
Noon 29.96 - 83°

PM
Employed as before noon
Furled sails
Sunset up boats
Midnight 29.97 - 79°

Sunday 5th

AM
10.0 Mustered by divisions and per open list
Noon 29.95 82°

PM
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight

Monday 6th

AM
Loosed sails
Employed as most requisite
Noon 29.88 78°

PM
1.0 Furled sails
Boats away surveying
Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 29.84 - 79°

Tuesday 7th

AM
Loosed sails
Employed as most requisite
11.30 Furled sails
Noon 29.85 78°

PM Employed cleaning pump wells
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 29.90 - 79°

View image | View single page

Remarks At Single Anchor in Levuka Harbour Wednesday 8th November 1854

AM
Cleaned sail bins
Aired spare small sails and awnings
Employed making mats&c
Noon. 29.91 80

PM
Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight

Thursday 9th

AM
8.0 Dressed ship in honour of the Anniversary of the Birthday of His Highness the Prince of Wales
Noon Fired a general salote of 21 guns

PM
1.30 “Thacamban” Chief of Ambau came on board saloted ditto with 10 guns
Sunset moored boats
Midnight 30-00 80°

Friday 10th

AM
Boats away surveying
Employed making mats
Noon 29.95 83

PM
Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 29.92 78°

Saturday 11th

AM
Boats away surveying
Employed cleaning ship
Noon 29.85 78°

PM
Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight

Remarks At Single Anchor in Levuka Harbour Sunday 12th November 1854

AM
10.0 Mustered by divisions
Noon 29.80 - 82

PM
sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 29.81 - 79°

Monday 13th

AM
8.0 Loosed sails
Employed cleaning sail room and airing spare sails
Noon 29.85 85°

PM Employed as before noon
3.0 Furled sails
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 29.90 79°

Remarks Tuesday 14th November 1854

AM
6.30 Shortened in cable to 2 shackles Up boats loosed sails
7.45 Weighed and made all plain sail on starboard tack
Tacked as requisite working out
9.30 Shaped course SSE set P. log
Up [indecipherable] trimmed as requisite to light airs up courses – very heavy rain
Noon

PM 1.0 Tacked
4.0 Wore Sounded in 217 ooze
6.0 Tacked right arrow xeme Ovalau N21° W
left arrow xeme Batiki – N 71.40 W
Midnight 30.00 78°

Remarks Wednesday 15th November

AM
Aired bedding
7.0 Set port topgallant studsails
9.0 Altered course to SW. trimmed
11.40 Obs. a schooner on starboard beam
11.0 In studsails, wore, altered course to North set starboard topg’t studsails
Noon

PM 1.15 Trimmed, bent and set staysails, spanker and main trysail
3.0 Fired 2 muskets to bring schooner to, which having no effect fired a shotted 9 pr. In studsails up mainsail wore and hove to on port tack – boarded schooner and found her to be from [indecipherable]. Mr [indecipherable] on board having left Mr Nugent 12 days previous, [indecipherable] [indecipherable] Viti Levu in search of the two men who had escaped from V’antavu , and supposed to have gone [indecipherable] [indecipherable] Filled, tacked and stood for Ovalau. 5.0 Braced round on port tack. Trimmed as requisite
6 Shortened sail to topsails topgallant sails jib and spanker. Braced up on starboard tack. 8.0 Levuka entrance of reef W by N ½ N [indecipherable] view of Nalau W by N [indecipherable] WSW.

Remarks Thursday 16th November

AM 12.30 Braced round on port tack
3.30 Tacked and hove to down jib.
4.0 Xmes of Ovalau NW by N [indecipherable] W ½ S
Trimmed as requisite standing for Levuka Harbour.
7.0 Shortened sail and let go S. B. in 15 fath. Moored with 5 shackles on each cable.
Loosed small sails to dry.
Noon 30.00 82°

PM
Furled sails
Employed as most requisite
Sunset up and moored boats
North Xme N33 W
South Xme S 8 E
Centre of Levuka West
Passage S 73° E
Midnight 29.99 - 80°

View image | View single page

Remarks Moored in Levuka Harbour Friday 17th November 1854.

AM
Boats away surveying
Sailmaker repairing pinnace cover.
Noon

PM.
Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight

Remarks Saturday 10th Nov.

AM
Mr Nugent arrived in the schooner ‘Glide’ having captured the two convicts and a whaleboat they had stolen at [indecipherable]
Boats away surveying
Employed cleaning ship
Noon 30.00 79

PM
Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.00 80°

Remarks Sunday 19th

AM
Mustered by divisions
Noon 30.00 - 78°
PM
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 30.04 - 78°

Remarks Monday 20th

AM
Employed as most requisite
Boats away surveying
Noon 30.05 - 79°

PM
Employed as before noon
3.0 Cleaned hawse

Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight

View image | View single page

Remarks Moored in Levuka Harbour Ovalau Tuesday 21st November 1854

AM
8.0 Loosed sails
Emloyed as most requisite
11.0 Furled sails
Noon 29.90 78°

PM
Issued soap and [indecipherable] to ships company
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 29.87 - 77°

Remarks Wednesday 22nd

AM
Issued slops to ships company
Employed as most requisite
Noon 29.84 75°

PM
Employed as before noon
Sunset up and moored boats
Midnight 29.87 - 75°

Remarks Thursday 23rd

AM
8.0 Loosed sails
Employed as most requisite
Carpenters repairing ladder
Sailmaker fitting quarter deck awning
Noon 29.91 79°

PM
Employed as before noon
3.0 Furled sails
4.30 Unmoored
Sunset up boats
Midnight 29.95 - 76°

Remarks Friday 24th November 1854

AM 6.0 Weighed and made all plain sail standing out of Levuka Harbour
6.40 Hove to and discharged pilot
8.0 Tacked set middle staysails and main topsail
Employed stowing anchors cleaning cables &c
Noon 29.95 - 79°

From Indianz:

The Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is telling tribal members not to pay property taxes in Sawyer County, Wisconsin.

Chairman Louis Taylor said tribal members are exempt under the 1854 Treaty of LaPointe.. He cited a recent decision from the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals that applied to the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community in Michigan. In that case, the court said tribal land that was opened to allotment by treaty did not fall out of Indian status. Only Congress can change the nature of Indian land, the court said. The state says four reservations -- Bad River, Red Cliff, Lac du Flambeau and Lac Courte Oreilles -- fall under the 1854 treaty and properties should be examined to determine whether they are exempt.

Get the Story:
LCO members exempt from property taxes (The Sawyer County Record 2/14)

Relevant Links:
Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa - http://www.lco-nsn.gov

6th Circuit Decision:
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community v. Michigan (June 26, 2005)

Lower Court Decision:
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community v. Michigan (June 1, 2005)

Supreme Court Decision:
Cass County v. Leech Lake (June 8, 1998)

Related Stories:
Michigan tribe wins another ruling in state taxation battle (06/30)

Selon une courte recherche sur internet, Sophie Masson serait l'épouse de Joseph Masson, dernier seigneur de Terrebonne. Elle fit construire, alors qu'elle était veuve, un manoir, dont les travaux se sont échelonnés de 1848 à 1854. Ce manoir est aujourd'hui la partie historique de l'école secondaire Saint-Sacrement, dans le vieux Terrebonne.

Voici l'intersection de la montée Masson et du boulevard des Mille-Îles, à Laval, où se situe la jetée sud du nouveau pont.

Les gens étaient bien avisés que le vieux pont de Terrebonne était fermé,...

...et afin d'être bien certain que personne n'allait l'utiliser, on a démoli les travées reliées aux rives!

Tout n'est pas terminé; un passage pour piétons fut "emprunté" à la chaussée principale.

Le bureau de chantier, du côté de Terrebonne.

Le panneau du passage pour piétons est vissé directement à l'arbre. De quoi provoquer quelques crises d'urticaire à certains environnementalistes.

Le nouveau mur de soutènement, sur lequel il reste du travail à faire.

L'excavation nécessaire à la construction du mur de soutènement.

Le chemin d'accès au chantier du mur de soutènement, et au dessous du pont.

La jetée du côté de Terrebonne, qui donne sur la rue Chapleau. Il reste encore beaucoup de besogne à accomplir.

Toujours du côté de Terrebonne, on voit bien qu'une section du vieux pont a déjà été démolie.

Depuis le parc Majeau, à Terrebonne, le section manquante du côté lavallois.

Cette fois, les deux sections restantes du vieux pont de Terrebonne, sises au beau milieu de la rivière des Mille-Îles, qui attendent les démolisseurs.

Comme on peut le constater, il reste encore beaucoup de travail à faire, mais l'essentiel, c'est qu'il est ouvert à la circulation, ce qui permet aux gens vivant de part et d'autre d'éviter d'avoir à faire un détour par l'A-25. Au cours de l'année 2008, certaines fermetures complètes seront nécessaires pour achever les travaux, dont les deux approches du pont.

J'ai profité de mon passage à Terrebonne pour vous montrer une autre belle merde du MTQ, et j'ai nommé le viaduc de l'A-25, qui surplombe le boulevard Moody.

Les échafaudages "temporaires", qui supportent le viaduc en son centre, sont à cet endroit depuis quelque chose comme un an et demi! Comme quoi le MTQ se veut rassurant, en ce qui concerne la sécurité du public. Aucune date n'est annoncée pour la rénovation de ce viaduc. Ça tient pour l'instant, alors pourquoi se presser?

Weber is the most remarkable man in the early history of Samoa. According to Robert Louis Stevenson, and indeed many others, his methods were a sort of skilful admixture of the tactics of Machiavelli and a caveman, but however that may be they seem at least to have gained him, as Stevenson freely admits, the respect of the whole community, white and native. By the end of 1869, that is in little upward of five years, he had as Trood says, "established a net-work of trading stations from New Britain on the north to Tongatabu on the south, including the Line Islands.”

Rules for traders: In the choice of his traders he took no account of nationality. For those seeking employment he had, it is said, but three questions, and all required affirmative answers: "Can you speak the language?" “Can you live among natives without quarrelling with them?” "Can you keep your mouth shut?"

Two points of advice were given: “Have a woman of your own, no matter what island you take her from; for a trader without a wife is in eternal hot water;" and "Give no assistance to missionaries either by word or deed, beyond what is demanded of you by common humanity" - for the missionary taught the native that cloth or coin were better payment for produce than beads and tobacco".

History of Samoa - R.M. Watson

"About the year 1854 there arrived in Apia, from Valparaiso, Chili, one August Unshelm, representing the great Hamburg house of Johann Cesar Godeffroy und Sohn. Unshelm, a man of ability and tact, commenced trading in Matafele, Apia in 1855, and in a few years he had instituted there a successful business in trade and oil, and had also established small substations at Vavau in Tonga and at Fiji".

History of Samoa - R.M. Watson

De Miguel Hidalgo a Porfirio Díaz el siglo XIX mexicano es la historia de sus caudillos y héroes que, con más o menos suerte, guiaron los pasos de la nación americana. En la tradicional pugna de los grandes personajes con el devenir histórico, Enrique Krauze nos presenta Siglo de caudillos. Con este recorrido por la Historia decimonónica de México pretende, sin caer en los extremos que considera erróneos -el culto a la personalidad y la negación de la intencionalidad individual-, aportar su pequeño granito de arena a la polémica. La nación de los antiguos aztecas es resultado de numerosos factores, no sólo la acción de sus élites. Sin embargo, la actuación de estas personas pesó en su configuración final. Esa es la línea argumental que sigue esta investigación con apariencia de novela.

Enrique Krauze se sirve de una celebración -el centenario del “Grito de Dolores”, hito fundamental en el proceso de independencia mexicano-, para iniciar su repaso histórico. Desde esa atalaya de repasa cien años de Historia marcados por dos visiones bien diferenciadas, la liberal y la conservadora. No obstante, ambas coinciden en un punto: tratar a sus padres ideológicos como héroes y a los contrarios como traidores.

La obra parte de la historiografía liberal de la época de Porfirio -personificada en los discursos, monumentos, fiestas y avenidas de la capital- con el fin de criticar su excesivo partidismo. A continuación el autor plantea una reflexión histórica más imparcial -alejada de esa Historia de dioses y demonios- que recupere para México esos protagonistas que la historiografía oficial de principios del XX dejaba a un lado.

A continuación la obra nos muestra con detalle la vida de los principales caudillos de México que, a modo de guías, nos permiten también repasar la Historia de esa nación. Es más, no faltan en la obra capítulos que, sin tener como protagonista a ninguno de estos personajes, tratan de situarnos en los acontecimientos mexicanos del momento. Por tanto, estos epígrafes son, al mismo tiempo, nexos de unión entre la vida de los diferentes líderes y perspectivas generales de la situación del país. Además, Krauze nos ofrece también la visión que, en las sucesivas épocas, se ha tenido de estas grandes figuras. Las dos primeras nos muestran lo cerca que se movieron en la década de 1810 la revolución y el sentimiento religioso. No obstante, son muchas las diferencias que se aprecian entre el cura Hidalgo y José María Morelos. El primero se nos presenta en esta obra como un loco, un visionario que desató una orgía de saqueo y muerte sin más finalidad que la propia atrocidad vengativa. Por el contrario, Morelos si parecía tener un proyecto que poner en práctica tras la guerra. Fue un personaje más equilibrado, ordenado y pragmático; un hombre capaz de legislar con más respaldo que el mero providencialismo de Hidalgo. El de Valladolid de Michoacán demostró una vez más ser superior a su antecesor al no retractarse ante el tribunal que lo juzgaba. José María Morelos murió sin traicionar a sus ideas y a sus compañeros de revolución.

Agustín de Iturbide es la siguiente figura que nos presenta Enrique Krauze. Destaca su magistral actuación en Iguala y su lucha incansable contra la anarquía desatada por los “curas revolucionarios”. Sin embargo, a juicio de numerosos contemporáneos –Simón Bolívar entre ellos- su gran error fue aceptar la corona imperial en 1822. Esta, a la postre, resultó ser una trampa que lo arrojó sin remedio al infierno de la historiografía mexicana. A juicio del autor, Agustín I abdicó sin ofrecer resistencia por su temor a la anarquía que, inevitablemente, una guerra civil tendría que desatar. Su vida se movería entre ese miedo y su ansia de poder. Ambos elementos lo llevaron a coordinar la concordia Trigarante, pero también al exilio en Europa tras la rebelión de Santa Anna. Es precisamente esta figura, cuya vida corrió paralela a la de la nación desde Casamata hasta Ayutla, la siguiente en salir al escenario de caudillos fabricado por Enrique Krauze. Este militar, a pesar de su intermitencia en el poder, fue el alma de México entre 1822 y 1854; el líder sediento de gloria al que el país siempre pudo recurrir en los momentos de dificultad. Santa Anna fue un hombre al que le aburría la tarea de gobierno, de ahí su confianza en la labor del vicepresidente Gómez Farias y sus habituales retiradas de la vida pública. Como el México de su tiempo, parecía encontrarse cómodo en la anarquía, en el rol de salvador. Sin duda este personaje nació para esa época de la Historia mexicana; en periodos de estabilidad hubiera pasado –nos dice el autor- totalmente desapercibido.

Antes de adentrarse en el México de Benito Juárez y Porfirio Díaz, Krauze dedica un amplio capítulo a lo que llama “Biografía del saber”. En él aborda la cuestión ideológica de liberales y conservadores acudiendo a las figuras de sus padres intelectuales: José María Mora –“el futuro como un proceso de liberación”- y Lucas Alamán –“el futuro como un proceso de preservación”-. Estos personajes guiaron las ideas de ambos partidos hasta el periodo comprendido entre los años de la derrota contra los EE.UU. (1848) y el posterior final del general Santa Anna (1854). Después de esos hechos fueron otros los ideólogos que, manteniendo las líneas fundamentales de los planteamientos de Mora y Alamán, azuzaron el debate político de la nación.

La crisis de 1848 marcó el inició de un cambio que culminó en México seis años después. Toda una generación de estadistas, teóricos y militares desapareció del panorama político para dejar paso a una nueva hornada de caudillos. El fracaso de los primeros cincuenta años de independencia era fruto de la inoperancia de los líderes recién retirados del gran teatro del poder, pero también el de una clase social: los criollos. El relevo no fue, como destaca Enrique Krauze, únicamente de tipo generacional; el gobierno pasó a manos de mestizos e indios como Melchor Ocampo, Ignacio Ramírez, Ignacio Comonfort y, sobre todo, Benito Juárez y Porfirio Díaz. Estos hombres que trataron de reformar México en medio de dificultades, guerras civiles, invasiones extranjeras e imperios fabricados desde el Viejo Continente –Krauze dedica también un epígrafe a Maximiliano I-, iban a guiar a su país hasta el centenario de su independencia. Como hemos indicado, se trataba de una nueva generación no perteneciente al criollismo. Sin embargo, también se produjo un relevo en el ámbito profesional: ya no eran religiosos y militares los que acaudillaban México, estos personajes surgidos a mediados del XIX eran abogados, ingenieros, médicos... las profesiones liberales iban a gobernar la nación desde ese momento.

Siglo de caudillos termina con la revolución que llevó a Porfirio Díaz al exilio en 1911. Con este personaje comenzaba Krauze su obra, y con él da por finalizado un ameno repaso al siglo XIX mexicano. Nos encontramos, al fin y al cabo, ante un trabajo que, a pesar de sus numerosas lagunas –fruto del modelo prosopográfico escogido por el autor- sabe despertar en el lector el interés por la cuestión mexicana. Enrique Krauze no nos ofrece un repaso exhaustivo de la Historia de México. Sin embargo, todo aquel que tenga una mínima base sobre los asuntos planteados, valorará esta obra como un tesoro y, por qué no, como fuente de conocimientos.

Bibliografía:

[1] Siglo de caudillos; Enrique Krauze - Barcelona - Tusquest - 1994.

[2] Historia Universal Contemporánea I; Javier Paredes (Coord.) - Barcelona - Ariel - 2004.

[3] La emancipación de Hispanoamérica; Jaime Delgado Martín.

[4] Las revoluciones hispanoamericanas 1808-1826; John Lynch - Barcelona - Ariel- 2008.

Patrick Murphy tours the Campbell House located at Locust and 15th in downtown. Named for Robert Campbell who moved to St. Louis in 1854, the house has undergone a $5 Million renovation—maintaining most of its original furniture and décor.