THE AUSTIN PAPERS. 601 de Bastrop p• desempeiio de la comicion q• sobre el asunto le he con- ferido y pa constancia lo firme con testigos de nsistencia a falta de escrivano en el termino q. el derecho previene, alos 16 dins del mes de Julio·de 1823 LucrANO GARCIA [Rubric]
de assn. ·JosE ANTo. SAUCEDO [Rubric] de assn. Yuruo DELA GARZA [Rubric]
.PROJECT OF A CoNSTITUTION FOR THE REPUBLIC OF MEXICO
FORl!ED BY STEPHEN F. AUSTIN OF TEXAS
City of Mexico March 29, 1823 1 We, the People of the Mexican Nation, having assumed those natural and imprescriptable rights which appertain to us as members of the great human family, an[d] in virtue thereof declared our- selves an independent nation, free from the dominion of old Spain ond all other powers whatever; and being desirous of establishing 11nd consolidating a system of Government founded on the solid basis of Natural justice, equal rights, and common good, in order to insure union, strength, safety, harmony, equity, and the blessings of liberty to ourselves and posterity; do ordain, decree, and estab- lish, this Constitution, for the Government of the Mexican Nation-
CH.&.PTEB I
CONSTITUTIONAL A.NI> FUNI>AlJ:ENTAL ll.&..:n:us
Article 1. The People of the Mexican Nation are independent of Spain and all other powers whatever, and have the sole, absolute, and exclusive right of governing themselves as a free, Sovereign, and independent Nation. Article 2. All men as individuals, have certain natural, essential and inherent rights; among which are the enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring possessing and protecting property, and in a word of seeking and obtaining happiness. Art. 3. When men enter into a State of Society they surrender up some of their natural rights to that Society, in order to insure the protection of others; and without such an equivalent the surrender is void. • • Besides this somewhat complete dratt ot a Constitution, there are a Spanish traoala• tlon ot the general provisions, Artlclea 1-29, and another, appnrently earlier, form of Article& 110--225. Austin bas preserved the order ot the Spanh1b Constitution ot 1812 and as much ot it• substance u could be adapted to the republican torm ot government. The Constitution of the United States was, of course, bla model tor moat ot the varia- tions and adaptations trom the Spanlab document. As yet no attempt bas been made to determine what, it any, lniluence Austin may have had on the Mexican Co11stitutlon; but see below, May -, 1828, " Copy ot a Plu," etc:. 25067°-24-VOL 2, PT 1--89
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