sympathy was entertained at Bogota for the ejected members of the council. And it is to be hoped that Bolivar is too wise to bring the indignation of the whole civilized world upon him by an act so outrageous as the invasion of Peru.* * The materials of this chapter are found in the files of La Estrella de Chile, of El Republicano, of El Cometa, and La Cola del Cometa, of El Conductor, and of Gaceta de Colombia, newspapers of Colombia, Peru, and Chile; in El Amigo del Puablo sobre lo Acaecido en Lima, &c., the Cronica de Lima, Discurso del Deputado Vidaurre sobre Imprentas, and other publications printed at Lima. CHAPTER XI. Scanty accounts of Upper Peru-Sucre reappointed by congress-Colom bian troops-Sucre's address on his election-Bolivian code sworn to— Movement of Fuente on Puno-Sucre stands neutral as to Peru-His address to the Colombian army-Conspiracy in Bolivia-Acquisition of Arica--Bolivia not recognised by Buenos Ayres-Sucre intends to resign. THE remoteness of BOLIVIA Co-ed to draw the attention of the rest operates with its retired position, of South America to this quarter, in the centre, as it were, of South has made Bolivia an object of some America, to render the accounts of jealousy among the patriots of Coits condition, which reach the Uni- lombia and Chili. Yet the country ted States, extremely scanty and is interesting and important, as well imperfect. As it possesses no sea. for the extraordinary richness of ports, the penetrating spirit of our its mines, as because it has been commerce has not yet lifted the veil the theatre of the famous insurrec. from the rich cities of La Paz, La tion of Tupac Amaru, who attemptPlata, and Potosi. Our informa. ed to restore the empire of the In. tion of this region, therefore, comes cas, and of some of the fiercest batto us through channels which can. tles and most remarkable scenes of not be trusted implicitly in all the revolution. cases; because their separate in. terests are apt to give an improper colouring to facts. Buenos Ayres on the one side, and Peru on the other, would each gladly swallow up, or at least form a union with the new republic of Bolivia. And the celebrated Bolivian code, drawn up by Bolivar for the nation which his arms created, while it has serv. The few authentic facts in its history, which come within the scope of this chapter, may be briefly despatched.. We concluded our notice of Bolivia the last year, with a short account of the constitution prepared for this republic by Bolivar. The address to the constituent congress, which accompanies that code, we perceive is dated, May 25th, 1826; and appears to have been written by Bolivar at Lima, where he then resided. On the same day the constituent congress had assembled at Chuquisaca, the capital of Upper Peru; and general Sucre, who bears the title of grand marshal of Ayacucho, resigned the discretionary command, which had been committed to him, into the hands of congress; requesting that body to place a native of the country at the head of the government. He alleged, that he himself was a Colombian, and therefore, in strict ness, a foreigner, however closely united to them by the ties of association in victory, and of common suffering in the cause of indepen. dence. He urged upon them the danger of committing the liberties of the nation into the charge of a victorious general, whose very successes in war might render him unsafe as chief magistrate of the republic. But either dazzled by the splendour of his name, or overawed by their fears of him who possessed all the military forces of the country, they insisted upon his retaining his power; lest by his withdrawing from the administration of the government, affairs should relapse into confusion and anarchy. At length, he consented to exercise the executive authority, until a constitutional president should be elected. But repelling with all the generous pride of a soldier, he said, the idea that the lustre of triumphs should have any influence over the august act of giving a chief to Bolivia, he solicited and obtained a decree, submitting the appointment of president to the free choice of the people. This was precisely the course adopted by Bolivar, it will be remembered, in order to obtain the perpetual dictatorship of Peru. Whether Sucre, whilst imitating the conduct of his general, was actuated by the same motives which influenced the latter, we have not sufficient means to judge. There remained in Upper Peru, at this time, a body of three thousand and three hundred Colombian troops, a division of the auxiliary liberating army. On Sucre's becoming charged with the executive authority of Bolivia, the troops stationed within the limits of this republic, were placed under the command of José Maria Córdova. The exact resemblance of these circumstances to what we have seen of the contemporary condition of Peru, produced the like result in both cases. Antonio Jose Sucre was presented as candidate for the office of president for life, by the nearly unanimous votes of the electoral assemblies; and the constituent congress accordingly pronounced him to be in fact president of the republic. It may be, that this was a perfectly free vote; and if the presidency had been for a term of years, instead of being for life, we should entertain no doubt on the subject. However this may be, Sucre continued to make the strongest professions of his disinterestedness, and love of liberty; in evidence of which, on the 28th of October, 1826, he addressed the following communication to the constituent congress. ment, when it was already time they should withdraw themselves from the authority of a general, who was upheld by victory, and was a foreigner likewise. My conscience prompted me to resist these declarations, drawn forth by gratitude from a nation, which potsponed all its interests to the "To the sovereign constituent great cause of independence, its congress of Bolivia. "The people of Bolivia sighed to attain that freedom, which they were the first in South America to proclaim; and independence to constitute themselves a nation, was the great object of their ambition. Fortune decreed, that the liberating army, at whose head I was, should be the instrument for breaking their chains on the field of Ayacucho; and rare circumstances, which inspired me with a presentiment of the interest I was to feel in this country, conduced to draw from me the decree of February 9th, which placed the Bolivians in the enjoyment of their rights, and gave them free control over their own destinies, "The people of Bolivia, overcome by gratitude, have lavished upon me considerations and respects, which might compromise their own condition, and even their liberty itself. At one period they surrendered their direction to me, in the shape of discretionary command; at another, their representatives forced me to accept the govern only dearest object. Feeling myself touched in the tenderest point, the noble pride of a sol dier, and unwilling that the splendour of triumphs should have influence in the august act of giving a chief to Bolivia, I ventured to solicit the national representa tion to pass the law of July 3d; which finally left it to the discretion of the people to nominate the president of the republic. "The people, judging indulgently' of my administration, or penetrated, it may be, with transports of enthusiasm towards him who led the conquerors of Ayacucho, have desired to place me among the candidates for the constitutional presidency. But I should be false to my duties, and to my love for the land which is distinguished by the name of the most illustrious mortal, if I did not hasten humbly to implore the fathers of the country, to strike me out from among those who are called to the perilous charge of directing the nation. Permit me also here, that, in the exercise of my rights as a ci. |