Eduardo Martínez Celis (29 October 1890,

Zamora, Michoacán Zamora de Hidalgo () is a city in the States of Mexico, Mexican state of Michoacán. The 2010 census population was 141,627. making it the third largest city in the state. The city is the municipal seat of Zamora Municipality, Michoacán, Zamora M ...

– 5 November 1943,

Monterrey, Nuevo León Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...

) was a Mexican journalist, author and politician. Pseudonym: ''Abbé Sieyès''

Early life

His parents were Josefa Celis Arceo, a native of

Jiquilpan, Michoacán Jiquilpan (; also spelled Xiuquilpan, Xiquilpan, Xiquilpa, based on a Náhuatl word for "place of tint plants") is a municipality in the Mexican state of Michoacán. Its municipal seat is Jiquilpan de Juárez. Jiquilpan is the birthplace of two p ...

, and Lt. Col. Domingo Martínez Barrón, a native of

Santiago de Querétaro Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, ...

—a veteran of the

War of Reform The Reform War (17 December 185711 January 1861) or War of Reform (), also known as the Three Years' War (), and the Mexican Civil War, was a complex civil war, civil conflict in Mexico fought between Mexican liberals and conservatives with re ...

, French Intervention and

Second Mexican Empire The Second Mexican Empire (; ), officially known as the Mexican Empire (), was a constitutional monarchy established in Mexico by Mexican monarchists with the support of the Second French Empire. This period is often referred to as the Second ...

. Due to his father’s military duties, the Martínez-Celis family moved from

Morelia, Michoacán Morelia (; from 1545 to 1828 known as Valladolid; Otomi: ) is a city and municipal seat of the municipality of Morelia in the north-central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. It is both the most populous and most densely populated ...

and, later on, to

Guadalajara, Jalisco Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...

, where Eduardo began his studies. In 1901 the family took up residence in

, where he completed his higher education at the Colegio Civil. Years later, when this school became the Escuela de Bachilleres, he became a professor of Literature and History of Literature at said institution.

Professional life

Rafael "Rip Rip" Martínez began him on his journalistic career. In 1909, Martínez Celis was a reporter for the newspaper ''El Renacimiento''; he continued with directive positions in ''El Noticiero'' (1911), ''El Combate'' (1912) and ''Nueva Patria''—all in Monterrey. Following this period, he lived in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

from 1914 to 1916, where he collaborated in ''El Heraldo'', ''El Demócrata'' and ''El Pueblo'', the latter owned by Heriberto Frías. Upon returning to Monterrey, he joined ''El Progreso'' as editor-in-chief from 1917 to 1918. On January 31, 1919 he co-founded '' El Porvenir'' alongside Jesús Cantú Leal, Ricardo Arenales and Federico Gómez, occupying the newly-founded newspaper's chief editorial position during the next 17 years. Afterwards, he would assume the direction of ''El Tiempo'', when this newspaper was founded in August 1936.

Literature

An elegant and acute writer, Martínez Celis was truly masterful in certain brief essays that he published in ''El Porvenir'' under the pseudonym ''El Abate Sieyés''—in reference to

Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès (3 May 174820 June 1836), usually known as the Abbé Sieyès (; ), was a French Catholic priest, ''abbé'', and political writer who was a leading political theorist of the French Revolution (1789–1799); he also held off ...

, ''Abbé Sieyès''—in a section that he first called ''Tópico del día'' and later ''Un tópico cualquiera''. In 1933 he completed a book of verses that he titled ''Rima íntima'', of which only a few copies were printed for his wife, Josefina López García, and their six offspring. He also authored two historical essays: ''El Cuarto Poder a través de los siglos. - Reseña histórica del periodismo en Nuevo León desde 1824 hasta 1936'', published in a special edition of ''El Tiempo'' on August 5, 1937, with copies on the front pages of the principal newspapers, weeklies and magazines of Mexico; and ''El teatro en Monterrey a través de 75 años'', published in ''El Porvenir'' on January 31, 1941. Martínez Celis was also a playwright; the works that he co-authored with David Alberto Cossío include ''La rebelde'', ''Deuda de gloria'', ''El abismo'', ''El diablo romántico'', ''Mujeres de acción'' and ''Los amigos del señor gobernador''. As a literary point of interest, Eduardo's younger brother, Colone
Guillermo Martínez Celis
��who was in charge, alongside lieutenant colonel Ismael Flores del Valle, of the Deposit for Generals, Chiefs and Officials of the ex Federal Army, created in 1919 by general Pablo González Garza with the objective of recruiting the top brass of the extinct Federal Army, during the Mexican Revolution
—
plays a part in the autobiographical novel ''The Rebel'', based on the memoirs of Leonor Villegas de Magnón. Guillermo resumes his role in ''The Rebels'', Mónica Lavín's 2011 novel recounting Villegas de Magnón's story.

Political activities

Martínez Celis took an active interest in politics, presiding as vice-president of the Partido Constitucional Progresista (''Progressive Constitutionalist Party'') of Nuevo León, which nominated

Francisco I. Madero Francisco Ignacio Madero González (; 30 October 1873 – 22 February 1913) was a Mexican businessman, revolutionary, writer and statesman, who served as the 37th president of Mexico from 1911 until he was deposed in a coup d'état in Februa ...

and

José María Pino Suárez José María Pino Suárez (; 8 September 1869 – 22 February 1913) was a Mexican politician, lawyer, journalist, and newspaper proprietor. He served as the seventh and last Vice President of Mexico from 1911 until his assassination in 1913, ...

as its candidates for president and vice-president of Mexico in October 1911. Martínez Celis was also director of ''El Combate'', the semi-official newspaper of the Partido Constitucional Progresista. From 1920 to 1922, he occupied the office of congressman in the

Nuevo León Nuevo León, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nuevo León, is a Administrative divisions of Mexico, state in northeastern Mexico. The state borders the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí, San Luis ...

Legislature representing the Partido Constitucional Independiente (''Independent Constitutionalist Party''); however, his political activities were overshadowed by his prominent journalistic career. Martínez Celis passed away due to cardiac arrest on November 5, 1943 in Monterrey.

Selected works by Eduardo Martínez Celis

Poetry: *''Rima íntima'' - (1933) Essays: *''Un tópico cualquiera'' *''El Cuarto Poder a través de los siglos. - Reseña histórica del periodismo en Nuevo León desde 1824 hasta 1936'' - (1937) *''El teatro en Monterrey a través de 75 años'' - (1941) Theater: *''La rebelde'' - (1913) *''Deuda de gloria'' - (1915) *''El abismo'' - (1916) *''El diablo romántico'' - (1932) *''Mujeres de acción'' - (1933) *''Los amigos del señor gobernador'' - (1934)

Early life

Professional life

Literature

Political activities

Selected works by Eduardo Martínez Celis

References

Further reading