Melchor Ocampo He was a Mexican politician and lawyer born in 1814. During his political career, he became one of the most important liberal ideologues in the country and, as such, he was a member of the Constituent Congress that wrote and approved the Constitution of that year. His support for liberalism cost him his life at the hands of conservatives.
In a context of civil confrontation between liberals and conservatives, Ocampo participated in the rebellion that ended the Santa Anna government. Later, he was co-author of the so-called Reform Laws, which sought to end the great power accumulated by the Catholic Church and modernize the country's administration.
In 1848, after Mexico's defeat in the war against the United States, Ocampo became an opponent of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, which granted Americans half of Mexican territory. However, years later he had to make some concessions to the Americans in the Mclane-Ocampo Treaty.
Ocampo's liberal ideology included his defense of democracy, respect for different religious beliefs, tolerance, and equality before the law. Part of his intellectual baggage was acquired in Europe, where he traveled while still very young and where he came into contact with the ideas of the French Enlightenment..
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The data on the birth of José Telésforo Juan Nepomuceno Melchor de la Santísima Trinidad Ocampo Tapia, full name of the politician, are quite scarce. Most sources affirm that he was born in the Pateo farm, in Maravatío (Michoacán), on January 5, 1814.
His family origin is also unknown. It is thought that he was picked up by the owner of the hacienda, Francisca Javiera Tapia y Balbuena, who enjoyed a very good economic position, which allowed the young man to receive a very high-level education. Ocampo was in his care until he was 17 years old and inherited some of his properties.
Some historians point out that his father could have been Ignacio Alas, who had fought during the War of Independence alongside José María Morelos, or Antonio María Uraga, another insurgent who had been a priest of Maravatío for some years..
Ocampo carried out the first stage of his studies in Maravatío. Later, he entered the Tridentine Seminary of Valladolid to study the baccalaureate in civil law and canon law. The young man completed these studies in 1830, with brilliant results.
To complete his training, Ocampo enrolled at the University of Mexico, where he specialized in law. In addition, he also received teachings in physics, chemistry, natural sciences and botany.
Melchor Ocampo's first job was as a lawyer at the law firm of José Ignacio Espinosa. He began to work in 1833, but soon decided that the field of law did not convince him and he left the position. In his own words, in that profession "tricks and intrigues were more valuable than knowledge and justice".
After leaving the firm, Ocampo began to dedicate himself to agriculture on the farm he had inherited, where he introduced some scientific innovations.
Already at that time, he began to analyze some matters related to the Church, such as the tithe or parish observations. The result of these analyzes were the articles he published in El Filgrapher, a liberal newspaper.
In these collaborations, Ocampo defended the principles that he would later try to incorporate into the laws. Thus, he wrote against the death penalty and in favor of democracy and freedom of the press. In addition, he denounced the privileges enjoyed by the Church and the military.
Ocampo also attached great importance to education. In his writings he affirmed that "education is the first basis for the prosperity of a people, as well as the surest means of making abuses of power impossible".
In 1840, Ocampo made a trip to Europe in which he visited France, Italy and Spain. During his journey, which lasted for a year and a half, he came into contact with the liberal and anticlerical ideas of the French Enlightenment..
From that continent, he sent to Mexico writings with his impressions and, in addition, took the opportunity to make botanical observations.
When he returned to Mexico in 1842, he spent time dedicating himself to both law and scientific agriculture. In addition, he also studied Indian languages and made a cataloging of flora and fauna. His interest in all branches of knowledge led him to establish one of the best libraries in the country.
Ocampo began his political career after returning from Europe. In 1842, he was elected deputy for Michoacán to the Constituent Congress convened by Antonio López de Santa Anna for that year.
In that Congress, Ocampo was in favor of federalism, in opposition to the centralism defended by the Santa Anna government. This, finally, dissolved the organism and Ocampo returned to his farm.
During the following years, Melchor Ocampo continued with his scientific work. Thus, he became a member of the Sociedad Filoiátrica de México, in 1843; invented a remedy for rabies; and he studied a comet that crossed the skies of the country that year. His scientific articles, published in various magazines, gave him great prestige.
In 1845, he presented a project to build a penitentiary center and, that same year, he investigated the origin of earthquakes in an area of Michoacán..
Ocampo returned to politics in 1846, when he was appointed governor of Michoacán, first on an interim basis and later in elections. During his tenure, he opened and secularized the Colegio Primitivo y Nacional de San Nicolás de Hidalgo..
The following year, in the middle of the war against the United States, Ocampo dedicated himself to gathering troops from his state to try to fight the invading army..
His ideology contrary to the privileges of the Church was increased after a dispute with the clergy of Michoacán. The reason for the confrontation was the refusal of a local clergyman to bury a laborer whose family could not pay the sacramental fees.
The Mexican army, lacking in resources, was unable to continue fighting the United States. Faced with this, Ocampo proposed to organize a guerrilla system that would continue to stand up to the invaders and opposed the conditions for peace that appeared in the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo..
The lack of an internal agreement in Mexico caused his proposal to be considered unfeasible and the Treaty was signed. As a result, the country lost more than half of its territory, which was annexed by the United States..
Ocampo presented his resignation as governor of Michoacán as a protest against the agreement. The politician reflected in his writings his opinion about what happened: "Once we have shown that we are worth nothing, what is the guarantee of what the magnanimity and munificence of the winner leaves us?"
Despite his disappointment with the signing of the peace agreement, Ocampo did not abandon politics. His next post was that of Senator of the Republic, a chamber that he came to preside over.
President José Joaquín Herrera asked him to join his government and Ocampo accepted. On March 1, 1850, he was appointed Secretary of the Treasury, but he only lasted two months in office. The reason for his resignation was the president's refusal to accept his proposal to suspend payments of the foreign debt.
Facing the presidential succession of 1851, the most radical liberals proposed that Ocampo take over the post. The moderate liberals, for their part, opted for Mariano Arista, who was finally appointed president by a few votes difference..
Ocampo wrote a bill in 1851 for the Congress of Michoacán. His proposal, a clear antecedent of the Reform Laws, was called “Representation for the reform of the Parish Obligations Tariff".
The purpose of the law drafted by Ocampo was to end abuse by clergy when it comes to charging for religious services, from baptisms to burials. The Church reacted angrily and its relations with the Liberals deteriorated further..
The politician returned to present his law to the governorship of Michoacán in 1852. In addition, he requested that its approval be submitted to a direct vote by the population. However, a conservative rebellion in 1853 caused the law to never be voted on..
The conservatives offered the presidency to Antonio López de Santa Anna, whom Ocampo called "the hero of the sainete".
His Serene Highness, as Santa Anna called himself at this stage, ordered the arrest of Ocampo. He was first confined in Tulancingo and, later, in San Juan de Ulúa. From there he went into exile in Cuba and finally to New Orleans, in the United States..
In that American city, Ocampo met with other liberal politicians in exile, among whom were Benito Juárez, Ponciano Arriaga and José María Mata..
Those encounters were the germ of the Ayutla Plan, which called for rebellion to overthrow Santa Anna. Ocampo moved to Brownsville, Texas, and organized the Revolutionary Board.
Although the Mexican press, dominated by Santa Anna, spoke ill of them, the rebellion began in 1854 and achieved its purpose of overthrowing the dictatorial government..
Juan Álvarez was appointed President and Benito Juárez and Melchor Ocampo, back from exile, became Minister of Justice and Foreign Relations, respectively..
Again, Ocampo only served as a minister for a few weeks. On this occasion, the reason for his resignation was his disagreements with Ignacio Comonfort.
The new Mexican government convened a Constituent Congress in order to approve a new Magna Carta. Ocampo was part of it as a deputy for the State of Mexico, Michoacán and the Federal District.
The politician was elected president of Congress, although he only spent 10 days in office. In addition, he was one of the members of the commission that had to draft the constitutional text. His ideas, according to historians, were reflected in part of the articles.
The result was the Constitution of 1857, markedly liberal in character. In it, among other aspects, religious intolerance was eliminated and the government was given power to legislate on religious matters. The Church, in retaliation, excommunicated all those who participated in the elaboration.
Ocampo was also one of the authors of the so-called Reform Laws, which were later incorporated into the constitution. This legislation had as its main purpose the real separation of the State and the Church.
The main laws were known as the Juárez Law and the Lerdo Law. With them, ecclesiastical fueros were abolished and the intervention of the Church in political and social affairs was put to an end.
Another of the laws in which Ocampo left his mark was the Civil Marriage Law. This was approved later, during the War of the Reform, when Benito Juárez had to transfer the government to Veracruz..
Article 15 of the law constitutes one of the most remembered contributions of Ocampo, his well-known epistle, which used to be read in many civil marriages in the country..
In it, the politician wrote that marriage was "the only moral means of founding the family, of preserving the species, and of making up for the imperfections of the individual who cannot be self-sufficient to reach the perfection of the human race.".
Ignacio Comonfort, who had assumed the presidency, ended up allying with conservative sectors to carry out a coup against his own government. With this rebellion began the three years of the Reform War.
According to the Constitution of 1857, in the absence of a legitimate president, the position passed to the president of the Supreme Court of Justice, in this case Benito Juárez.
Despite the conservatives establishing their own government, on January 28, 1858, Juárez assumed the presidency, although he had to move his cabinet to Guanajuato. Ocampo was appointed Minister of the Interior, responsible for Relations, War and Finance.
The itinerant government of Juárez later moved to Veracruz, the city where the Reform Laws were passed. Ocampo actively participated in its elaboration, especially in the Law of Confiscation of Ecclesiastical Assets
Before the development of the war, Juárez sent Ocampo as plenipotentiary minister to the United States. Their objective was to try to obtain recognition and military aid from that country..
Although Ocampo was no longer as hostile to the United States as in previous times, at the beginning of the negotiations he feared that that country would try to take advantage of the situation of civil war that Mexico was experiencing..
Ocampo rejected the US proposal to buy more Mexican territory. However, he had to make concessions in the face of the threat of a new military intervention and to obtain the recognition of the government of Juárez and military support..
On December 1, 1859, through the McLane-Ocampo Treaty, Mexico granted the United States the right of transit through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (along with the construction of a canal), along a strip between Guaymas and Nogales (Arizona) and on the other between Mazatlán to Heroica Matamoros.
Mexico maintained sovereignty over the three steps and, despite the fact that the term “in perpetuity” appeared in the Treaty, it reserved the right to modify the agreement.
Finally, the Treaty did not get approved by the US Senate, although the country did lift the arms embargo on the liberals and supported them militarily..
With its triumph over the conservatives, the government of Benito Juárez returned to Mexico City in 1861. There, Ocampo resigned from the Ministry of Finance due to some disagreements with Miguel Lerdo de Tejada..
Ocampo retired to his farm to dedicate himself to agriculture. After a few months, he was alerted to the intention of a conservative group to arrest him because of his signing in the McLane-Ocampo Treaty, which they considered a treason to the fatherland..
The politician, however, did not take the warning very seriously. From his point of view, the agreement was nothing more than a ratification of the Sale of the Mesilla, carried out by Santa Anna, which included almost the same free commercial transit zones for Americans.
A group of conservatives, led by the Spaniard Lindoro Cajiga, stormed the Ocampo hacienda on May 30, 1861..
Melchor Ocampo was apprehended and transferred to Tepeji del Río (Hidalgo), where Leonardo Márquez and Félix Zuloaga were, who were still trying to present battle to the government of Juárez.
At that time, Ocampo already knew that he was going to be shot. For this reason, he requested permission to draw up his will, in which he recognized his daughters and adopted yet another. In that document he wrote that "I die believing that I have done for the service of the country what I have conscientiously believed to be good.".
The conservatives shot Melchor Ocampo on June 3, 1861, in the same town of Tepeji del Río. After his death, Leonardo Márquez ordered that the body be hung from a tree.
The residents of the town took the body to the capital, where it was buried on June 5. Years later, in 1897, his remains were transferred to the Rotunda of Illustrious Persons.
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