José Núñez de Cáceres y Albor (March 14, 1772 – September 11, 1846) was a Dominican revolutionary and writer. Known for being the leader of the first Dominican independence movement against Spain in 1821, his actions preceded the Dominican War of Independence.
Before its independence, while Spain exercised a perfunctory rule over the east side of Hispaniola, Núñez de Cáceres pioneered the use of literature as a weapon for social protest and anti-colonial politics. He was also the first Dominican fabulist and one of the first criollo storytellers in Spanish America. Many of his works appeared in his own satirical newspaper, El Duende, the second newspaper created in Santo Domingo. He was only president of the short-lived Republic of Spanish Haiti, which existed from December 1, 1821, to February 9, 1822. This period was known as the ephemeral independence because it quickly ended with the Haitian Military Occupation of Santo Domingo.
Early years José Núñez de Cáceres Albor was born on March 14, 1772, in the capital city of Santo Domingo. He was the son of 2nd Lt. Francisco Núñez de Cáceres and María Albor Polanco. His mother died a few days after his birth. He had two older brothers: Pedro and Gerónimo. He was raised by his aunt María Núñez de Cáceres. A pious woman, she transmitted the moral values of Catholicism and interest in culture. She, in the very least, ensured that he attended one of the few schools that operated with a subsidy from the City Council. From an early age he developed a desire for knowledge, despite the poverty in which the colony of Santo Domingo was mired. This love of culture was not to the liking of his father, who wanted his son to accompany him in manual labor in the fields, and although he had the means to support him in his studies, he was hostile to his son's aspiration, which forced him to lead a poor life and to have to find resources for survival, finding himself at the extreme of selling pigeons on the streets.
As a result of this situation, at one point Núñez de Cáceres had to accept the pressures of his father and abandon his training in order to integrate into the routine of agricultural work. This experience inspired in him an aversion towards anything that involved life outside the urban environment and He confirmed his vocation for study. Historian José Gabriel García narrates that, while he remained with his father, he took advantage of every moment that came his way to dedicate himself to reading and analyzing scientific treatises. In the dull debate between one and the other, the character of someone who had set out as a life goal to become a man of letters ended up winning. Finally the young man returned to the home of his aunt, who continued to serve as adoptive mother. She arranged for him to be admitted to the University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, of the Dominican Order, where he studied law. On campus he stood out as an exceptional student, to the extent that the teachers gave him the most difficult cases to solve. In particular, he showed signs of eloquence that attracted attention and put him above some of his teachers. García characterized his gifts: “Eloquent without affectation, quick in his conceptions, precise in the choice of terms, strong in argument and impetuous in attack, his speeches brought together the pomp that enchanted, the logic that persuades and the brilliance that fascinates.” This ability in oratory was not unrelated to his interest in literature, although it is not known that in those years he wrote poetic compositions.
España Boba His performance was so fruitful that shortly after graduating with a law degree he was incorporated into the University's teaching staff, possibly being the youngest professor at that time. His activities focused on the practice of law, a field in which he also began to shine. He showed scrupulous honesty and a vocation for service that led him not to accept fees from his clients of poor condition. His ability was recognized by the Royal Court, which proposed him the position of rapporteur. But at that time the Treaty of Basel took place, which ceded the country to France, and the governing body paralyzed its initiatives in order to prepare its transfer to Cuba, which occurred in 1799. Together with other Dominican lawyers, Núñez de Cáceres marched towards Puerto Príncipe (current Camagüey), city where the Royal Court was temporarily reorganized. When a competition was called for the position of rapporteur, he obtained it without difficulty, in recognition of his legal training. In addition to efficient performance in the exercise of office and in the profession of lawyer, Núñez de Cáceres was recognized for his marked spirit of probity, earning him the esteem of the city's residents. Apparently he made a certain amount of money through his professional work. More than anything, he took advantage of his years in Cuba to deepen his cultural training, and became one of the most prestigious men in the environment that welcomed him. It was there, in August 1800, that Núñez de Cáceres was appointed to the office of Rapporteur, although he was able to continue practicing law.
Núñez de Cáceres had a career as a Spanish civil servant in Cuba assured, but he decided to do without that rosy future as soon as he learned that Santo Domingo had been reincorporated into Spain in 1808. Like so many other emigrants, he returned to his city. He arrived surrounded by the aura of a competent lawyer, with almost 10 years of experience in the administration in Cuba. He was also favored by the royal commissioner, Francisco Javier Caro, in charge of the institutional reorganization of the country, with whom he was united by an old friendship. Thanks to personal relationships and his ability, he obtained the position of War auditor, the second most important position within the colonial administration.
From very early on in his new role, he became an essential part of the administrative train. Without a doubt, he was the most competent official and, to a large extent, many of the guidelines that the Spanish administration applied in those difficult times were the product of his initiatives. This is explained because he managed to establish cordial relations with Juan Sánchez Ramírez, appointed governor after directing the War of Reconquista in 1808 and 1809. (During his administration, Sánchez Ramírez appointed him to the position of Lieutenant Governor, General Counsel and Government Service Judge Advocate General's Corps of the province of Santo Domingo). The environment was frankly conservative, but Núñez de Cáceres, as far as possible, tried to give liberal orientations to his executions. Although he never lost the trust of Sánchez Ramírez, he gained the animosity of Caro, who had established himself as the representative of the colony's depleted social elite. Sensing the intentions of Núñez de Cáceres, Caro tried to ruin his career, but was unsuccessful because his former protégé was an impossible replacement piece in the administrative apparatus.
After the death of Sánchez Ramírez in 1811, several governors succeeded one another, but Núñez de Cáceres remained the main factor of continuity. Although this did not mean that what he would have aspired to be done, he discreetly tried to limit the excesses of the autocratic environment and protect the country's interests against metropolitan exclusivism. For example, he achieved a change in the customs tariff imposed from the Peninsula that harmed producers and the consuming public. He had the good sense to find solutions to some of the difficulties in which the country was struggling, such as the almost non-existence of currency due to the non-reception of currency that was previously sent from Mexico and the weak amounts of exports, reduced to sporadic items. of tobacco and mahogany. Contrary to the position of Núñez de Cáceres, it was decided to issue paper money, a solution that turned out to be inadequate, so his advice to issue a metallic copper coin was followed. Unlike paper money, copper money did not suffer public repudiation and contributed to boosting internal exchanges and easing the economic depression.. Consulted on September 12, 2010, at 14:30.
In those years, an unfavorable state of opinion regarding Spain emerged, due to absolutism and the lack of metropolitan attention to the fate of the colony. The Creoles felt left out in the face of the favoritism enjoyed by officials coming from the metropolis and the possessions of the Caribbean. The privilege that was granted to high-born families, who had been in solidarity with French domination, also caused resentment among the former combatants of the Reconquista. Núñez de Cáceres was influenced by this current of opinion and, from his bureaucratic position, he began to operate as a representative of local interests, a supporter of liberal orientations. Historian José Gabriel García collects the version that, shortly after returning, the calamitous state of the colony led him to consider the relevance of the break with Spain, to the point of having dared to suggest to the leader of the Reconquista that he join that position. This may not prove that Núñez de Cáceres, a cautious official, took such a risky step, but it seems certain that his liberal spirit led him to a progressive distance from the metropolis.
The struggle for independence As War Auditor, he was responsible for ensuring the security of the State, which is why he followed up on the processes initiated against various conspirators, among which those of the Italian Revolution stood out. Tradition relates that he interceded with Governor Sánchez Ramírez so that the penalties were moderate, but his advice was ignored. The truth is that at the time he had to prepare the files, he advocated for severe punishments, which in the case of the four arrested ringleaders were capital punishment. It is certain that Núñez de Cáceres did not share such a terrible decision, but he was forced to accept it as part of his obligations. Tradition also relates that he had frequent disagreements on other matters with the governor, although they did not tarnish the cordiality of their relations.
As part of the assumption of Creole interests, Núñez de Cáceres established links with some of the leaders of the anti-French war and with intellectual figures. Its predominance in the intellectual order moved to the political aspect. At home, during the nights, a gathering was regularly held, in which the need for independence crept in. Núñez de Cáceres was a carrier of this position, although he apparently expressed it carefully. The cultural protagonism that he exercised had its first manifestation in the reopening of the university in 1815. As this provision was a product of his initiative, the faculty elected him rector. Although it did not return to its existing level until 1795, the entity played an important cultural role in the development of a libertarian spirit. From its midst came proposals aimed at the establishment of a liberal regime. The incipient modern intellectuality began to express itself from the professorship, a movement in which, in addition to Núñez de Cáceres, figures such as Andrés López de Medrano and Bernardo Correa y Cidrón took part.
Shift in political ideology