Constitution Week

Photos by J.D. Pleasant, L to R: Roger Jolley and Scott Raimondo R: Charles Dickinson, Bottom Left: Suvo burning his city citations, Lower Right: Kate Merrick and grandchildren

Our U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 213 years ago. City Commissioner Erroll Jones spoke yesterday to the women of the D.A.R. He referenced the Spanish Constitutional Monument of 1812 in our Plaza named after the Spanish Constitution. With a little more research Mr. Jones would not have stated that Generalissimo Franco ordered the monuments to that 1812 document destroyed. The dictator General had not reached power in Spain until 1939 making him long unborn in 1814 when Ferdinand VII ordered the Constitution as void and all monuments torn down.(Thank you very much, Catholic Church) Apparently here in St. Augustine they felt slighted as an insignificant outpost and they had put in a lot of work on their monument."Al Diablo Con Esso" (The devil with that!) they might have said and left the monument here in the Plaza. It may be the only remaining monument to the Spanish 1812 Constitution. Of course they have had six Constitutions since that time. Things change.

Come on Commissioner, you were in Cadiz two weeks ago on the taxpayer's dollar where the history of that 1812.Constitution is most important to the Spanish. Were you listening to your private tour guides! Take notes the next time (Will that be your third or fourth trip?)