9-th, 2004 - 21: 2   (Posted By: Webmaster)
Bernardino Rivadavia

Bernardino Rivadavia
FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC (1780-1845)

BERNARDINO RIVADAVIA was one of South America's greatest and noblest statesmen. A native of Buenos Aires, he was one of the leaders in repelling the English when they tried to seize that country in I8o6 and again in 1807. He distinguished himself in several engagements and received the high commendation of the Spanish viceroy, Liniers.
He was also one of the leaders for Argentine independence. As a member of a secret committee working toward that end, he saw his opportunity when Napoleon invaded Spain and so weakened her that she would not be able to send an expedition to faraway Argentina. Taking advantage of this, the Argentines ousted the Spanish viceroy when Napoleon captured Cadiz in 1811 and established their own local government. They did not cut themselves off from Spain, however, due to English and French designs on their country.

Rivadavia was made secretary of war and was later sent to England to try to encourage an understanding between her and Spain about Argentina. England at that time was fighting Napoleon in Spain. Soon after Rivadavia's arrival, however, the French were beaten in Spain and the Spanish king, Ferdinand VII, came back to his throne. Rivadavia was now left to deal with Ferdinand himself, but could not come to an agreement with him. The king demanded submission; Rivadavia wanted independence.

One of his missions in leaving Argentina was to seek a prince of one of the royal houses of Europe to be King of Argentina. Ferdinand refused to let one of his family go. Rivadavia next tried the House of Orléans but Louis XVIII of France also objected; and so did the Braganzas of Portugal. His mission to Europe was not entirely unsuccessful, however. He induced the King of Spain not to send an expedition against Argentina.

In 1820, after an absence of six years, he returned to Argentina, which had, in the meantime declared its independence. He was made secretary of state. This task was very difficult, external troubles and, even more, acute internal ones making it so. The native-born Spaniards, who lived chiefly in Buenos Aires, the capital, center of wealth and of such culture as then existed in the republic, wished to be dominant and to have Buenos Aires practically rule over the rest of the nation. Their party was called Unitarios. Opposed to them were the Federalists, who were chiefly in the provinces and wanted an equal voice in the government, or something like states' rights in the United States. Feeling ran high between the two parties and there were several armed clashes. At the same time relations between Argentina and Brazil were so disturbed that war threatened.

In 1826, however, the Unitarios were able to form a central government and Rivadavia was elected the first president.
Thanks largely to the years he had spent in Europe, he was then the most cultured man in Argentina. To this was added great integrity and a spirit of broad humanity. With great visions for his country's future he set about with greater zeal than ever to work for its progress. He decreed freedom of speech and of the press; abolished the slave trade; instituted commercial freedom; encouraged immigration; organized the archives; set the finances of the country and the banking system in order; and established the representative system on a more

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