Simón Bolívar (The Liberator): Patriot, Warrior, Statesman, Father of Five Nations, a Sketch of His Life and His WorkSherwell, Guillermo A. (Guillermo Antonio)
History
Simón Bolívar (The Liberator): Patriot, Warrior, Statesman, Father of Five Nations, a Sketch of His Life and His Work
Sherwell, Guillermo A. (Guillermo Antonio)
Bolívar, Simón, 1783-1830; South America -- History -- Wars of Independence, 1806-1830
Passing from national interests to his great idea of American union, he
issued a circular to all the governments of the continent to carry into
practice the assembly of plenipotentiaries of Latin America.
"It is now time," he wrote, "that the common interests uniting the
American republics had a fundamental basis to make permanent the
duration of their governments, if possible. The task of establishing
this system and affirming the power of this great political body must
rest upon that lofty authority which may direct the policies of our
governments and keep their principles of conduct uniform, an authority
whose name alone will calm our storms. So respectable an authority can
exist only in an assembly of plenipotentiaries, designated by each one
of our republics and united under the auspices of the victory obtained
by our armies against the Spanish government.... The day when our
plenipotentiaries exchange their powers will start an immortal epoch in
the diplomatic history of America. When, after one hundred centuries,
posterity seeks the beginning of our international law, it will
remember the agreements which affirmed its destiny and will gaze with
respect upon the conventions of the Isthmus. And then it will find the
plan of the first alliances showing the course of our relations with
the world. What will the Isthmus of Corinth then be, compared with the
Isthmus of Panamá?"
Bolívar now sent his resignation to Colombia, stating that since he had
fulfilled his mission and there were no more enemies in America, it was
time to carry out his promise. At this very time he was beginning to be
attacked by his enemies as an ambitious man who desired monarchial power!
These attacks, it was clear to him, would become more numerous, and even
foreigners would take part in the abuses. But there does not now exist one
document which warrants a single accusation against Bolívar for immoderate
aspirations.
When the War of Independence had practically come to a close Rodil was
holding Callao, and Upper Perú was still in the hands of the Spanish. Sucre
undertook to remedy this situation while Bolívar attended to the convening
of the constitutional congress in Perú. The Liberator remarked how
dangerous it was "to put into the hands of any one man a monstrous
authority which could not be placed without danger into the hands of Apollo
himself." Speaking to the delegates he said he desired:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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