The legacy of José Cecilio del Valle

Valle's legacy was captured in a series of articles, speeches and projects in which he identified the
evils that plunged the nation into backwardness, while proposing a series of solutions to get out of
that situation. He was optimistic about the potential of Central America, but he knew that to realize
that potential a large investment would have to be made in education and infrastructure, involving
all the inhabitants of the region in the national project he had in mind. Unfortunately, his ideas
were not implemented, since in the first years of independent life the country had serious political
and economic difficulties that, ultimately, led to the disintegration of Central America.

In addition to his cultural contribution to our country and Latin America, it is incomparable and
among which we can mention.
 He drafted the Act of Independence of Central America .
 He founded the newspaper “El Amigo de la Patria”.
 He was a precursor of Latin Americanism.
 I hold countless public positions
 Advisor to the Courts of the 1st Instance of the Artillery and Consulate
 Internal Prosecutor of the Royal Court.
 Elected mayor of Guatemala City in 1820
 Internal War Auditor of the Captaincy General of Guatemala, 1821.
 Gazette Censor.
 Director of the 1830 Economic Society
 Professor at the University of San Carlos de Borromeo, Guatemala
 Deputy to Congress 1829, 1831
 Vice-president of the Republic of Central America, 1833
Valle helped the region become part of a confederation with the newly created Mexican Empire of
Agustín de Iturbide. Valle represented the province of Tegucigalpa in the Mexican Congress (1822),
and became Secretary of Foreign Affairs in the Iturbide government. The Empire was dissolved in
1823, after which Valle returned to Guatemala, and in 1824 he ran as a candidate for the
presidency of the United provinces of Central America (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras,
Nicaragua and El Salvador). Although he lacked only one vote to obtain an absolute majority,
Congress denied him the position. He won the presidential election in 1834, but died before taking
office.

His last days

Hacienda La Concepción
“Valle used to spend time with his entire family every year on his hacienda called “La Concepción,”
18 leagues from Guatemala. Since the end of December 1833 he remained on this hacienda,
enjoying complete health,” however, on February 1, 1834, Valle began “to experience various
physical ailments, although not of an alarming nature. This continued for a few days, until the 22nd
of the same month, when, at 5 in the afternoon, he was suddenly attacked by severe fatigue with
boiling of the chest, an illness from which he had never suffered, and which was of a very serious
nature. because it almost prevented him from breathing and could cause suffocation. Due to the
family's caring care, Valle had some relief, but the illness continued."
On March 1, “the family left the farm, taking the sick man on an arranged stretcher towards the
capital. In the morning of the same day the sick man felt a slight relief, but at night the sick man's
illness unexpectedly worsened, manifesting itself in in particular, its severity due to prolonged
delirium. The delirium passed and a slight calm came; But later, in the early morning, a new attack
of fatigue overtook the patient: Valle was suffocating. The family, with redoubled efforts, managed
to calm him down, and they continued their march to the “Corral de Piedra” hacienda, 12 leagues
from the capital of Guatemala. But halfway through the day, and around 10 in the morning on
Sunday, March 2, in the middle of one of the plains along the way, the stretcher stopped: Valle was
dying; the disease dealt him its last blow.”

Repercussions
The death of Valle, “the greatest thinker and scholar to date born in Central America” was a
political event, since “he was elected President of Central America…he obtained the majority of the
votes; but fate had decided that he would never be Head of the nation. Death closed its eyes
before the sheets were opened.”
Marure consecrates the following paragraph of the anniversary to Valle: “Central America lost, with
the death of Mr. José del Valle, one of its most distinguished sons. Known since the time of the
Spanish Government for his great talents and extraordinary knowledge; After Independence was
proclaimed, he was elevated to the first positions of the nascent Republic...the following year he
attended the Cortes of Mexico, where he victoriously supported the rights of his country and stood
out for his eloquence and industriousness.
Jeremy Bentham and other illustrious writers of Europe honored him with their friendship, and the
Paris Academy of Sciences enrolled him in the catalog of its members. The memory of this
distinguished Central American was justly honored by his compatriots: the Assembly of Guatemala
agreed, on March 13 of the same year of 34. that his portrait be placed in the session hall, and that
in demonstration of feeling for his death, all public officials would wear mourning for three days. On
the following April 9, the Assembly of Salvador decreed the same funeral honors in memory of
Valle.”
Antonio R. Vallejo and the founding
historiography in Honduras

Considered by José Reina Valenzuela as “the first Honduran who delved into historical
studies,” he was a teacher, a philologist, a historian, “guide of souls, defender of the poor and
tireless fighter for the inalienable rights of the nation over the territory with who saw
independent life…” (Reina Valenzuela), José. Biography of Antonio R. Valel, or, 1965).

When he practiced law in Guatemala he had the opportunity to carry out some historical
research projects at the service of the sovereignty of Honduras. He also investigated the
National Archive of El Salvador, shortly before this institution disappeared due to the action of
a mysterious and raging fire (Martínez, José Francisco. Generational literature in Honduras,
1987: 122).

For Vallejo, the purpose of the study of history is to build a favorable discourse for the
integration of the people and the creation of conditions to form a national state in Honduras,
with one of the elements of the National State being the existence of a discourse and identity
common history.

Until 1882, Honduras lacked a historiographic tradition. The study of history was practically
non-existent and there was not a book written by a Honduran on national history. Practically
the only known book about the country was that of E. g. Squier. Notes on Central America,
published in English and translated by a Honduran in 1856, printed in Paris; then there was the
work of William and Wells. Explorations and Adventures in Honduras, published in 1857 by
Harpers and Brothers of New York. These books were practically unknown in Honduras, as
was also the first historical-geographical description of the Province of Honduras, by Bishop D.
Cristóbal de Pedraza, dating from 1544.

According to José Reina Valenzuela, until this date the teaching of history was taught
anecdotally or using Central American history texts, which contained many errors with
Manichean perspectives and said very little about Honduras (Reina, J. 197.101).

It is in this context that Vallejo emerges as the founding historian when he publishes his book:
Compendium of the social and political history of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, 1882, which is the
first history of Honduras written by a Honduran and at the initiative of the State of Honduras.
Under the mandate of Soto y Rosa, he takes on the task of writing a history of Honduras. For
this, the Executive issued the following Agreement of September 15, 1878:

“1° Commission the licensed priest Mr. Antonio R. Vallejo to write a compendium of social
and political history of Honduras, comprehensive of the events that occurred from 1821 to
1878, with the aim of his work serving as a text in all primary schools and,
2° Authorize the Secretary General of Government Offices to provide Mr. Vallejo with all the
means to facilitate the fulfillment of the important commission entrusted to him and to register”
(cited by Reina Valenzuela, work cited: 102).

In this way, Vallejo presents the key to his research method, since he intends to make an
objective study of the events, censoring those who judge them according to an assessment
different from that in which they took place: “A history that does not study – he says -, that he
has not wanted to study the events in their true point of view, that he alters them, that he
disfigures them, that he omits them, or that he cites only those that are appropriate and as
appropriate, I hardly believe that he can bear the name of such... ”. Without a doubt, it is a pity
that Vallejo could not further develop this idea of studying knowledge from its true point of
view, that is, trying to interpret it according to the circumstances in which it took place, as we
currently aspire to form historical knowledge. .

The subject of history in this work by Vallejo focuses mainly on the political figures and events
of the Republic of Honduras. During the colonial era, it highlights the indisputable importance
of Comayagua and the late emergence of Tegucigalpa; in the period of independence, it very
clearly exposes the special ideology of that province, which was strongly in favor of annexation
to Mexico; and from then on, until the revolutions in Central America, he studies the character
and ideals of illustrious Hondurans such as Valle and Morazán, to mention only those best
known outside the borders of the Central American isthmus (Chinchilla, Ernesto. Work cited).

Thus, what is unique about this work is that it goes beyond the common story to build a
historical discourse about Honduras and structures it on a documentary basis and
historiographical criticism. The publication of this book was followed by the 1883 edition of
the text: Appendix. Documents supporting the first volume of the social and political history of
Honduras, which contains 61 documents that support and complement the text of the work
published on August 27, 1882.
For all these reasons, Vallejo's historical work is the result of his patriotism, since that has been
the requirement that has led him to his investigations of the past; but sometimes it overflows
into frank Central American, and even continental, doctrine, and in this way achieves an
overcoming of the goods that result from patriotism over the evils that nationalist exacerbations
can bring.

In another perspective, Antonio R. Vallejo published Necrology of the Presbítero Miguel Ángel
Bustillo, Typography National, 1892, this being, perhaps, his best written work and of utmost
importance to know the life of one of the most active figures of the Honduran clergy in the
political field of the second half of the XIX century. This “Obituary” is necessary to understand
the conflict known as the “war of the fathers” between the Vicar Miguel Del Cid and President
Santos Guardiola in 1861. In this text Vallejo highlighted the contradictory nature of Honduran
history, expressing that Honduras is “the country of contradictions,” alluding to the fact that
one of the long-standing trends in the history of Honduras is instability.

One of the works for which Vallejo has had enduring academic recognition is: First Statistical
Yearbook of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, 1892, which, although it is a statistical text about the
country, has a historical and documentary perspective, since it contains the first census. raised
for the collection of Chamber Penalties in the year 1864; the census prepared by Bishop Fray
Fernando de Cadiñanos in 1798; that of Ramón de Anguiano, governor-intendant of the
province of Honduras in 1801 and the first census carried out in independent life prepared by
the general director of statistics Francisco Cruz in 1881.

As a founding historian, Vallejo also took charge of some of the themes of Central American
historiography at the end of the 19th century, such as border problems. He wrote along these
lines at the request of the Head of State, General Domingo Vásquez. Documented history of the
limits of the State of Honduras with Nicaragua (1893); also published. Border issue with
Guatemala (1894) and which was complemented with the documented history of the limits
between Honduras and El Salvador (1926), its editor being Professor Gustavo Castañeda. This
book includes another of Vallejo's important texts: a reply to Dr. Santiago I. Barbarena, in
which he debates with the Salvadoran about the evidence that the Fonseca Bay archipelago
belongs to El Salvador.

Vallejo, too, together with Ramón Rosa, formed a generation of historians in a positive line,
who made a large collection of documentary data to give the Honduran past a fundamentally
political vision (Yankeñevich, Pablo. Honduras, 1988:168), as can be seen in the work of those
who succeeded him: Rómulo E. Durón, Esteban Guardiola, among others.
There is no doubt that Vallejo, as José Francisco Martínez has said, “founds our historical
consciousness and reconstitutes the fundamental habeas of our history, in its geographical,
social and political interpretation, from a documentation plotted live and reconstituted from
almost the historical fact. It is vital, for example, its documentary contribution to the
geographical history of Honduras. Its legal studies constitute the backbone of the sovereignty of
Honduras. His legal studies constitute the backbone of the sovereignty of Honduras, in his
documentary exposition on its territoriality, limits and legal support (Martínez, J. F., work
cited: 120-121).

Rómulo Ernesto Durón

Journalism

 Founder of the weekly magazine “El Trabajo”, a publication from the city of Santa Rosa de
Copán .
 Director of the “University Magazine”, UNAH editions.
 Director of the newspaper “Paz y Unión”, with up-to-date political opinions and liberalism.
 Director of the cultural magazine “La Revista” of Tegucigalpa.

Founder of the “Teatro Cervantes” (today the Manuel Bonilla National Theater ) in the city of
Tegucigalpa; Durón was one of the most prominent historians of Honduras, in his biographical
investigations of characters such as Mr. Juan Lindo and Doctor Marco Aurelio Soto, rulers of
the nascent Honduras of the 19th century, as can also be seen his incalculable work in the
translation from English to Spanish of the works of Moore, Edgar Allan Poe and Lord Byron , of
whom he completely translated the dramatic work “ Manfred ” in 1893 and exhibited it in
theater, as he would also exhibit some of the “ Pastorelas ” of our Priest José Trinidad Reyes.

Published works [ edit ]

 1887. “Poetic Essays”
 1893. “Twilights”
 1896. “Honduras Literary, Collection of writings in verse and prose”, National Typography,
Tegucigalpa, DC Honduras. (1896)
 1904. “The Province of Tegucigalpa under the government of Mallol” ( Narciso Mallol )
Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
 1905. “Shepherds of the Priest José Trinidad Reyes ” Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
 1906. “Literary sheets” Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
 1908. “The Clock Bell” San José, Costa Rica.
 1915. Biography of the Priest Francisco Antonio Márquez . Tegucigalpa, Honduras 4 5
 1902. “Rulers of Honduras” Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
 Biography of Bishop “José Nicolás Irías” José Nicolás Irías Midence , Tegucigalpa,
Honduras. 6
 Biography of Gonzalo Guardiola, Tegucigalpa, Honduras. 7

 1932. Biography of Mr. Juan Lindo . Tegucigalpa, Honduras. (Juan Nepomuceno

Fernández Lindo y Zelaya.
 Biography of General José Justo Milla Pineda, Tegucigalpa, Honduras 8 (José Justo Milla.
Magazine edition of the Society of Geography and History of Honduras. (1940).
 Biography of Doctor Marco Aurelio Soto , Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Published in 1965.
 Biography of Mr. José Cecilio del Valle , Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Published in 1914.
 1917. Translations of works by: Lord Byron, Moore and Allan Poe.
 1917. “Floriana” Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
 1927. “Historical Sketch of Honduras” published by the Society of Geography and History
of Honduras , San Pedro Sula, Cortés, Honduras.
 1932. “Limits of Nicaragua” (historical research) Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
 1938. “Nicaragua before the Award of the King of Spain” (historical research) Tegucigalpa,
Honduras.
 "National Anthem of Central America"
 Anthem “La Granadera” (Previous national anthem of the Republic of Honduras)

Decorations [ edit ]
 1906. He won the Prize for poetry at the Floral Games in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Memberships [ edit ]
 Member of the Honduran Bar Association
 Member of the Society of Geography and History of Honduras .
 Member of the Honduran Academy of Language.