The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 20, July 1916 - April, 1917 Page: 26
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26 The Southwestern Historical Quarterly
the first to recognize the independence of Mexico. Under the
nom de plume of Chinchilla he contributed articles to El Sol
during the year 1823 dealing with local politics, and ridiculed
the ceremonies in connection with the Court of Augustin I.27
However, the Centralist faction met with defeat in the constitu-
ent assembly in 1824, and, inasmuch as they were the exponents
of the Colombian system of government, it appears reasonable
to conclude that such French influence as entered into the for-
mation of the Acta Constitutiva came indirectly through the
influence of France in the formation of the Spanish constitution
of 1812.
The influence of Dr. Miguel Ramos Arizpe, chief draftsman
of the Acta Constitutiva and of the constitution of 1824, has,
hitherto, been almost entirely neglected. Arizpe was chairman
of the committee on the constitution and the moving spirit in
the adoption of the Acta Constitutiva. He had previously been
the most active of the Mexican delegates in the adoption of the
Spanish constitution of 1812. Inasmuch as so little has been
written in English about this interesting character, a brief re-
view of his life may not be out of place.
Arizpe was a native of Coahuila and was born February 15,
1775. He was educated at the seminary in Monterey and later
received the degree of Doctor of Canon Laws at the seminary in
Guadalajara. He then became the parish priest of the villa of
Borb6n in Nueva Santander. He was elected as a deputy from
Coahuila to the Spanish cortes, September 1, 1810, and entered
upon his duties March 22, 1811. Because of his ardent support
of the constitution of 1812 he was imprisoned in Madrid for
twenty months and was subsequently banished for four years to
Cartuja de Arachrista in Valencia when Ferdinand VII re-
turned to power. With the return to power of the constitution-
alists in 1820, he was released and became a diputado suplente
in the new cortes. In the same year he became precentor of the
cathedral of Mexico City and returned to his native land. By
reason of his political experience he was appointed president of
"La Gran Commission" following upon the abdication of Itur-
bide, and presented the Acta Constitutiva to the assembled dele-"AlamAn, Lucas, Historia de Mejico, V, 764.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 20, July 1916 - April, 1917, periodical, 1917; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101070/m1/32/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.