Evening star., 1916-07-15
HUNDREDTHY YEAR
OF INDEPENDENCE
Argentina Celebrating theI
Severance of La Plata Vice
Royalty From Spain.
PROGRAM BEING OBSERVED
IN THE CITY OF TUCUMAN
Text of Formal Declaration Signed
by Delegates Of Provincial Con-
gress July 8, 1915.

An extensive program commemorat-
ing the centenary anniversary Of the
declaration Of independence of the re-
public of Argentina has been going on
in the city of Tucuman, Argentina,
during the past week, and considera-
BILE attention has been directed to the
series Of events which led up to the
severance of the provinces of the La
Pata vice royalty from Spain and the
Spanish crown. The celebration has
taken the form of a manifestation Of
the position attained by Argentina in
intellectual and material development
since it's declaration of independence
Foreign participation in the celebra-
ton has been extensively encouraged.
A large official commission. headed by
the minister of public instruction, DR..
W. E. Saavedra, and thousands of pri-
vate citizens have gone to Tucuman,
where the house still stands in which
independence of Spain was proclaimed.
vited by the governor of Tucuman to
attend. was unable to go, his pres
ence being indispensable in Buenos
Aires. in order to meet the foreign
representatives, who were officially re-
ceived in the following order: Mgr.
Frederick ]. Stimson, American am
bassador; Senior Ruy Barbosa Of Bra
zil. Senior Don Figueroa Larrain OF
Chile, Senior Don Coler Guardiola of
Senior Amezaga of Uruguay Each rep
resentatiye was accompanied by sew
eral delegates.
Picturesque City and Province.
The city and province of Tucuman is
one of the most interesting and per-
haps the most picturesque of all the
Argentine provinces. The city. to give
it its full title. San Miguel de Tucu-
man. lies on the right bank Of the Sail
or Dulce river, 7So miles northwest Of
Buenos Aires. 1t has an estimated pop
ulation of about $4,000. Like most
Spanish american cities, it Is laid out
on the checkerboard fashion. the same
plan that has been adopted in most of
the newer cities of the United States.
1t was founded in 1865 by Diego villa
ruel at the confluence of the Sail and
Monteros rivers. but frequent inunda-
tions led to its removal to its present
site in 1885. In 1880 1t succeeded San
tiage del Estero as the capital Of the
province of Tucuman; at that time un-
der the rule of the viceroy OF Lima.
In 1875 the viceroyalty of La Plata was
L
jurisdiction. The state OF Tucuman Is
one of the smaller of the Argentine
states. but is the most thickly popu-
lated of them all. Its character is
generally tropical. It is the center Of
the sugar producing industry and lies
at the foot of the Andes In the north
west of Argentina and includes on Its
western rim some of the high peaks Of
the great Cordilleras.
Tucuman, at the beginning Of the
nineteenth century city of some 10000
or 10000 population. was chosen as
the meeting place of the delegates to
the National Congress of the United
Provinces Of the Rio de Ia Plata. The
tions on March "a, 1915. On April rs
they elected as the supreme director
Juan Martin de Pueyoredon. but the
significant act of this congress was the
PRONUNCIATION Of the declaration of In
dependence which was signed on the
closing day of the congress-. July 8.
1915. This proclamation was In re-
sponse to the demand for independence
which was making itself heard as an
irresistible force In all the Spanish
American colonies from Mexico to
Argentina and Chile.
Declaration Proclaimed With Ardor.
Unlike the Declaration Of 1ndepend-
ence of the United States, the Tucuman
declaration was short. but 1t was pro-
claimed with the utmost ardor by the
assembled delegates. When the presi-
dent of the congress. Don Francisco
Narciso de Laprida. deputy for San
Juan. put the question: Shall the
United Privinces become a nation, free
and Independent of Spain and its
kingsT the response was unanimous
and enthusiastically in the affirmative.
and Immediately thereafter all the rep
resentatives attached their signatures
to the declaration, as follows:
We. the representatives of the United
Provinces of South America, assembled
In general congress. invoking the Eter-
nal, who presides over the universe, in
the name and by the authority of the
nennle we renrexent. prOtesttnR TO