MITRE, BARTOLOME (1821-1906), Argentine states man, soldier, author, journalist and president of the republic, was born in Buenos Aires on July 26, 1821, the son of an Argentine army officer. While still a youth his political views caused him to seek refuge in Montevideo, and he spent the next 15 years in exile, serving in the sieges of Montevideo in 1838 and 1843-46 as captain and lieutenant-colonel, commanding the government artillery in Bolivia, 1847-48, and editing El Mercurio in Valparaiso, Chile, 1848-49, until his opposition to the government compelled him to leave that country. In 1852 he returned to Argentina and commanded the Uruguayan artillery in the battle of Monte Caseros (Feb. 3, 1852) where Gen. Urquiza overthrew the dic tator Rosas. Elected deputy to the provincial legislature of Buenos Aires, he led the opposition to Urquiza's Federal plan of Government, was appointed provincial minister of war in 1853 and in 186o governor of the province. In 1859 the estrangement between Buenos Aires and the Confederation resulted in war. Mitre, commanding the provincial forces, was beaten in the battle of Cepeda (Oct. 22, 1859) and Buenos Aires was incorporated into the confederation, but in 1861 he defeated Urquiza in the battle of Pavon (Sept. 17), definitively establishing the hegemony of Buenos Aires; and after a short period as president ad interim, he became constitutional president on Oct 7, 1862. Under his leadership Argentina made great progress. He impressed the authority of the national government upon the provincial caudil los, reorganized the finances, improved international relations and fostered public works, means of communication, immigra tion and industries. When, in 1865, Argentina joined Brazil and
Uruguay in the War of the Triple Alliance against Paraguay (1865-7o), Mitre, now a general, was for a time in command of the allied troops. Soon after the conclusion of his presidential term in 1868, he was elected to the senate, and in 1872-73 filled a special diplomatic mission to Brazil and Paraguay. A candi date for the presidency in 1874, upon his defeat he headed an unsuccessful revolt, but he continued to have great political influ ence and in 1891 was a third time candidate for the presidency; he withdrew his name, however, and not long afterwards retired from political life. He died in Buenos Aires on Jan. 18, 1906. Mitre's activities were never restricted to those of soldier and statesman. Aside from his journalistic career, which included the ownership of La Nacion, one of the most important newspapers in Spanish-America, his contributions to philology and history proved him one of the outstanding intellectual men of the con tinent. His works include: Rimas (Paris, Historic de Belgrano (Buenos Aires, 1887) ; Historia de San Martin (Buenos Aires, 189o) ; Lenguas americanas (La Plata, 1894). His private library, at the time the finest in Spanish-America, he presented as a gift to the State.
See J. Victorica, Urquiza y Mitre (B.A., 1906) ; Enciclopedia Universal Ilustrada (Barcelona, 1917?) ; R. Bazar' de Camara, Estudio sobre la personalidad del general Mitre (B.A., 1921) ; R. Rivarola, Mitre . . . 1852-62 (B.A., 1921) ; R. Rojas, Bartolome Mitre (Inter America, Eng. ed. Dec. 1921, Feb. 1922). (W. B. P.)