South American Independence 229
Ingegnieros1 explained the independence as a result of eco-
nomic factors only. According to this author, independence
was the logical consequence of the political and economic
decadence of Spain, and the wish of the Americans to free
themselves from the hateful monopolies of the mother
country. The documentary proof of this interpretation
may be found in the famous “Representation of the farm-
ers of the La Plata River addressed to the Vice-Royal
Cisneros, in the inquiries which followed to get funds for
the treasury by means of free commerce with England.”
Professor Paxon is inclined to give, also, very important
influence to the economic factor in the War of Indepen-
dence. He says: “The materials are not yet collected to
show how far Spanish American independence was due
to the Liverpool and Manchester merchants, but such as are
available seem to show that commercial pressure was the
great influence in keeping the patriots patriotic. Particu-
larly was this true in the chief port of entry for the south-
ern provinces, Buenos Aires.”
Against this narrow and materialistic interpretation we
have the idealistic or romantic theory, which explains the
movement for the new ideals of liberty proclaimed by the
North American and the French Revolutions. This in-
terpretation also presents some documentary proofs, the
principal one of which is the publication by Narino of the
“Declaration of Human Rights.” The determining factor
of the revolution is not to be found in the obscure economic
causes in favor of free commerce, but in the enthusiasm
aroused by the new ideals spread by the pamphlet of
Narino.
Eclectic authors with broader comprehension of the so-
cial factors accept the intellectual as well as the economic
influence in the revolution. Garcia Calderon says that in