El primer proyecto constitucional del México independiente y su propuesta de comunidad hispanoamericana de naciones:Congreso Nacional de Talamantes

Abstract:This article provides, as discussed in his Presentation, an approach to the National Congress of Fray Melchor de Talamantes, as the first draft constitution for the Independent Mexico, which proposes the articulation of a kind of Commonwealth of the Hispanic Kingdoms. For such purpose, under the section The Man (Melchor de Talamantes) and his circumstance (New Spain, 1808) a brief biography of Talamantes is included, since its formation in Lima, through his stay in New Spain, as well as the political situation in which he lived.Thereafter, in the section Intellectual radiography of the ideologue the main features and influences of the political and legal thought of Talamantes is presented, highlighting the ascendancy of rationalist natural law, the Enlightenment and the second Spanish scholastic and in particular of Francisco Suarez. Finally, in the section called The National Congress of the Kingdom of New Spain a summary of said document is offered, also exposing his main contributions to the Mexican and Ibero-American constitutionalism. This articleis the result of an extensive research, which took into account the existing literature around Talamantes and his work, but specially the direct sources consisting on his manuscripts and papers of the process instructed against him for infidelity to the King, which were consulted both in its current edition and directly in the General Archive of the Nation of Mexico. The main conclusion of this article is that Talamantes’ National Congress is the first constitutional project for the Independent Mexico, despite being barely known and despite its limited influence among his contemporaries, given the untimely and decisive way in which the movement of 1808 was conjured.Notwithstanding, the document is of particular interest to students of the history of law and specifically to students of the History of Mexican and Ibero-American Constitutional Law. It also concludes that Melchor de Talamantes was undoubtedly the most learned and erudite ideologue of the emancipation of New Spain, with and special interest for understanding the cultural milieu of the time, since the intellectual biography that can be offered of his person, thanks to the fortune conservation of the list of the books that were in his personallibrary, as well as other documented information on his interests andreadings.Resumen:Este artículo ofrece, como se expone en su Presentación, una aproximación al Congreso Nacional de fray Melchor de Talamantes, como el primer proyecto constitucional para el México Independiente, que además propone la articulación de una especie de comunidad de Reinos Hispanoamericanos. Para ello, bajo el epígrafe El hombre (Melchor de Talamantes) y su circunstancia (Nueva España, 1808) se hace en primer lugar un breve recuento de la biografía de Talamantes,desde su formación en Lima, pasando por su estancia en Nueva España, así como de la situación política que le tocó vivir. Seguidamente, en el apartado La radiografía intelectual del ideólogo se exponen los principales rasgos e influencias del pensamiento político-jurídico de Talamantes, que subyace detrás de sus planteamientos concretos. Dentro del mismo, se identifica la ascendencia del iusnaturalismo racionalista, del pensamiento ilustrado y de la segunda escolástica española y en particular del pactismo de Francisco Suárez. Finalmente, en la sección denominada El Congreso Nacional del Reino de Nueva España se realiza una síntesis de dicho documento, exponiendo también sus principales aportaciones al constitucionalismo mexicano e iberoamericano. El presente artículo es el resultado de una investigación exhaustiva, donde se tomaron en cuenta las principales indirectas sobre Talamantes y su obra, así como, especialmente, las fuentes directas consistentes en sus manuscritos y en los papeles de la causa que se instruyó en su contra por infidelidad al Rey, mismos que fueron consultados tanto en su edición corriente, como directamente en el Archivo General de la nación de México. La conclusión general que se desprende del artículo es que el Congreso Nacional es el primer proyecto constitucional del México Independiente, que a pesar de ser poco conocido y de haber tenido una limitada influencia entre sus contemporáneos, dada la manera intempestiva y determinante en que fue conjurado el movimiento de 1808, reviste un especial interés para los estudiosos de la historia del derecho y, específicamente, para los estudiosos de la historia del derecho constitucional mexicano e iberoamericano. Asimismo, se concluye que Melchor de Talamantes fue sin duda el más ilustrado y erudito ideólogo de la emancipación de Nueva España, revistiendo un especial interés para la comprensión del ambiente cultural de su época, la biografía intelectual que puede ofrecerse de su persona, en virtud de la fortuna de la conservación de la relación de libros que obraban en su biblioteca personal, así como de las demás noticias que tenemos de sus intereses y lecturas. Abstract:This article provides, as discussed in his Presentation, an approach to the National Congress of Fray Melchor de Talamantes, as the first draft constitution for the Independent Mexico, which proposes the articulation of a kind of Commonwealth of the Hispanic Kingdoms. For such purpose, under the section The Man (Melchor de Talamantes) and his circumstance (New Spain, 1808) a brief biography of Talamantes is included, since its formation in Lima, through his stay in New Spain, as well as the political situation in which he lived.Thereafter, in the section Intellectual radiography of the ideologue the main features and influences of the political and legal thought of Talamantes is presented, highlighting the ascendancy of rationalist natural law, the Enlightenment and the second Spanish scholastic and in particular of Francisco Suarez. Finally, in the section called The National Congress of the Kingdom of New Spain a summary of said document is offered, also exposing his main contributions to the Mexican and Ibero-American constitutionalism. This articleis the result of an extensive research, which took into account the existing literature around Talamantes and his work, but specially the direct sources consisting on his manuscripts and papers of the process instructed against him for infidelity to the King, which were consulted both in its current edition and directly in the General Archive of the Nation of Mexico. The main conclusion of this article is that Talamantes’ National Congress is the first constitutional project for the Independent Mexico, despite being barely known and despite its limited influence among his contemporaries, given the untimely and decisive way in which the movement of 1808 was conjured.Notwithstanding, the document is of particular interest to students of the history of law and specifically to students of the History of Mexican and Ibero-American Constitutional Law. It also concludes that Melchor de Talamantes was undoubtedly the most learned and erudite ideologue of the emancipation of New Spain, with and special interest for understanding the cultural milieu of the time, since the intellectual biography that can be offered of his person, thanks to the fortune conservation of the list of the books that were in his personallibrary, as well as other documented information on his interests andreadings.Title:The first constitutional project for independent Mexico and its proposalof a Hispanic American Commonwealth: the Congreso Nacionalof TalamantesSummary:I. PRESENTATION. II. THE MAN (MELCHOR DE TALAMANTES) AND HIS CIRCUMSTANCES (NEW SPAIN, 1808). III. THE INTELLECTUAL RADIOGRAPHY OF THE IDEOLOGIST. IV. THE CONGRESO NACIONAL OF THE KINGDOMOF THE NEW SPAIN