Latin America: Its Rise and ProgressGarcía Calderón, Francisco
History
Latin America: Its Rise and Progress
García Calderón, Francisco
Latin America
Carabobo and Junin were his great military triumphs; the letter from
Jamaica (1815), the constitutional project of Angostura (1819), the
statute of Bolivia (1825), and the Congress of Panama (1826) were his
most admirable political creations. To unite the American nations in
a permanent assembly; to oppose Anglo-Saxon power by Latin force, the
necessary factor of Continental equilibrium; to labour in favour of
unity and synthesis: such was the aim of the abortive Assembly of
Panama. The letter from Jamaica was a prophecy which the docile
reality was to accomplish during the century. "From the nature of
the different regions of the country, from the wealth, population,
and character of the Mexicans," said the Liberator, "I imagine that
they will attempt in the beginning to establish a representative
Republic in which the Executive will have very wide attributes and
will be concentred in a single person, who, if he governs with wisdom
and justice, will attain almost naturally to irremovable authority."
"If the preponderant party is military or aristocratic, it will be in
favour of a monarchy, which {77} will probably be limited and
constitutional in the first place, but will very soon become
absolute." The presidency of Porfirio Diaz, the empire of Iturbide
and Maximilian, supported by the monarchist party, and even the
dictatorship of Juarez, and the powers which the Mexican
constitutions have conferred on the head of the State, all confirmed
the predictions of Bolivar. "The States of the Isthmus of Panama as
far as Guatemala will form a federation." This federation existed
until 1842, and to-day the Central American republics are slowly
returning to it. Panama was for the Liberator the emporium of the
world. "Its canals will shorten the distances of the world, will
strengthen the ordinary ties between Europe, America, and Asia, and
will bring to this happy region the tribute of the four quarters of
the globe. There alone, perhaps, the capital of the world might be
set, as Constantine pretended to make of Byzantium the capital of the
ancient world."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account