Page:The republics of Latin America (IA republicsoflatin00jame).djvu/14

PREFACE prehensive treatment of the colonial period is largely confined to a discussion of the organs of colonial government, a survey of the economic and religious policies of the Spanish and Portuguese motherlands, and an analysis of social conditions, with particular attention to the relations of the colonists to the Indians. The wars of independence are taken up in a single short chapter. The subjects here stressed are the causes and preliminaries of the struggle, the significant military campaigns, the accomplishments of the two protagonists of the Revolution, Bolivar and San Martin, and the results of the contest. In connection with this last topic an attempt is made to indicate the obstacles confronting the new states on the threshold of their independent career.

Chapters IV to XII constituting the major portion of the text, are devoted to the history and institutions of the individual countries since the achievement of independence. The writers are aware that this method of presentation is not without its disadvantages. It is undeniable, for instance, that those countries whose language and traditions are derived from Spain have substantially the same type of civilization and that their history and development frequently reveal close parallels. With the method adopted occasional repetitions are therefore difficult to avoid. On the other hand, the majority of these countries, at least, have attained such a degree of separateness and have acquired such a strongly marked national individuality as to lend justification, in the judgment of the writers, to the plan followed in the present text. As far as possible the narrative has been kept unencumbered by the recital of minor events or by the introduction of personages of little consequence. Of the numerous civil wars and revolutions so characteristic of the earlier years of the nationalistic period only those have been stressed which left their impress on the political evolution of the countries concerned. Something over half of each of these chapters is given over to a detailed discussion of the constitutions, governments, political parties, and political conditions of the various republics. The existing constitutions are carefully analyzed and comparisons are made between the constitution under discussion and the constitutions of other viii