_Colombians! All your beauteous Fatherland is now free.... From the banks of the Orinoco River to the Peruvian Andes, the Army of Liberation, marching triumphantly, has covered all the territory of Colombia with its protecting arms._ ... _Colombians of the South! the blood of your brothers has redeemed you from the horrors of War!_ BOLIVAR BOLIVAR _Build up a Column to Bolivar! Build it under a tropic star! Build it high as his mounting fame! Crown its head with his noble name! Let the letters tell like a light afar, “This is the Column of Bolivar!”_ _Raise the Column to Bolivar! Firm in peace, and fierce in war! Shout forth his noble, noble name! Shout till his enemies die in shame! Shout till Colombia’s woods awaken, Like seas by a mighty tempest shaken,-- Till pity, and praise, and great disdain Sound like an Indian hurricane! Shout as ye shout in conquering war, While ye build the Column to Bolivar!_ BARRY CORNWALL (_Condensed_) BOLIVAR was born in Venezuela, July 24, 1783 Formed the Republic of Great Colombia, 1819 He died in exile, December 17, 1830 His full name was Simon Jose Antonio de la Santisima Trinidad de Bolivar y Palacios. But he was known as the citizen, Simon Bolivar Bolivar’s name is pronounced, Seemon Boleevar The old-fashioned English way was to pronounce it Bollevaar, as in the poem above. THE PRECIOUS JEWEL Two boys were playing a royal game of tennis in the royal tennis court at Madrid in Spain. The rich American boy, Simon de Bolivar, from Venezuela, was serving swift ball after swift ball to Ferdinand, Prince of the Asturias and heir to the Spanish throne. The Queen-mother was looking on. The Prince saw that he was losing, and grew angry. Bolivar, small, alert, with dark eyes flashing, played on, still winning until the Prince refused to play any longer. But the Queen-mother sternly bade her son finish the game. So the Prince had to play on, and he lost. “Some day,” exclaimed Bolivar in triumph, “I will deprive Prince Ferdinand of the most precious jewel in his Crown!” * * * * * Years before this tennis-game, a great thing had happened in Venezuela. On July 24, 1783, a baby boy was born to a rich, noble citizen of the city of Caracas--a baby destined to deprive Prince Ferdinand of the most precious jewel in his Crown. He was christened Simon Jose Antonio de la Santisima Trinidad de Bolivar, and with his mother’s name added as they do in Spanish America, y Palacios. A long name for a baby. Little Bolivar had everything money could buy, and slaves to wait upon him whenever he called. Before he was ten years old, his father and mother died and he was left heir to several large fortunes. He owned many hundreds of slaves and a rich plantation called San Mateo.