Paragraph 0 IN DEFENCE OF THE CONSTITUTION

Spain is living at the mercy of an absolute and arbitrary power (...) The king, who owes his throne
to those who fought in the War of Independence, has not pledged allegiance to the Constitution
of 1812. For Spain's salvation, it is necessary for the king to swear allegiance to and respect the
Constitution (...) of the Spanish people.

The Proclamation (pronouncing) of Riego, 1820.

This paragraph is an excerpt from a speech originally delivered in Andalucía in 1820 by

Lieutenant Colonel Rafael del Riego of the Spanish Armed Forces. With this speech, Riego began an
uprising against the absolutist king of Spain, Ferdinand VII, which was briefly successful and
inaugurated the liberal triennium (a three-year period during which the king adhered to the liberal
principles embodied by the Constitution of 1812).

The excerpt above demonstrates an allegiance to liberal principles with its pejorative
reference to an “absolutist and arbitrary power.” It even suggests that the king is not grateful to
those of his subjects who allow him to continue to rule. The speech’s program is clear from its
multiple references to the Constitution of 1812, which Ferdinand VII was forced to embrace to quell
the uprising.

This text revolves around the principles of liberalism and absolutism. The liberal model,
which Riego espouses, emphasizes the responsibilities that kings have to respect and value their
subjects. Kings who did not uphold those expectations did not, according to Riego, deserve to rule.
In the short term, this speech, and the accompanying revolution, changed much, since the king
promised to abide by the Constitution of 1812. In the long term, however, the king reestablished
absolutism with help from other monarchs throughout Europe. The uprising did have lasting
consequences in the Americas, where it solidified the creole preference for political independence
from Spain.

This document matters because it provides a window into the rancorous conflict between
liberals and absolutists during the early part of the 19 th Century. The fact that this speech led to
major political change in the short term, but only minor change in the long term, shows how little
political consensus existed at this time. Riego’s speech is also important because it describes the
mindset that led Spain’s American colonists to distance themselves from the crown and ultimately
declare independence. In this way, a fiery and propagandistic speech sheds significant light on the
attitudes of 19th Century Spaniards and their colonists.