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les collections aristophil
S’il arrive à Caracas, il arrivera au port qu’il cherche depuis huit ans.
Et il sait où il ira par la suite. («
Si llego a Caracas llego al puerto que
ando buscando ocho años ha; y de allí quién sabe para dónde me
voy.
») Cette résolution est confirmée par ce que Zea dit à propos
de Vergara, ce qu’il voit dans le bas peuple, et la haine pour les
libérateurs de leur patrie de la vile canaille des égoïstes qui se disent
le peuple (« lo que yo veo en el bajo pueblo, y el odio que se profesa
a los libertadores de su patria por la vil canalla de los egoístas que
se dice pueblo »). SANTANDER, par exemple, qui a admirablement
servi sa patrie, est le plus détesté de tous, par ceux qui pratiquent
l’indifférence la plus absolue du bien-être national.
Rien, pas même la perspective la plus flatteuse offerte aujourd’hui,
n’apaise l’horreur qu’il ressent pour le service public ; seuls les
ambitieux ou les méchants peuvent tolérer les peines attachées à
une grande autorité ; ou seuls les anges et les Dieux sont capable
de conduire à la perfection le navire de l’État. Et comme il n’est ni
l’un ni l’autre il n’osera pas s’embarquer sur ce navire comme pilote.
(«
solos los ángeles y Dioses son capaces de conducir con perfección
la nave del Estado. Y no siendo yo ni uno ni otro no me atrevo a
embarcarme en tal navio como piloto
»). De plus, il est malade,
ennuyé et extrêmement fatigué. Au bout de onze années de service,
il a épuisé sa patience, et son impatience première est revenue au
galop pour que le proverbe se réalise : Caractère et figure jusqu’à
la tombe («
Carácter y figura hasta la sepultura
»).
BOLIVAR SIMON
(1783-1830). « El Libertador »,
South American revolutionary leader and statesman.
Signed letter, signed « Bolivar », Guanare [Venezuela],
May 25, 1821 to Alejandro Osorio, three pages, in-4 format,
in Spanish. Red half-morocco folder.
2 500 / 3 000 €
7
Bolivar reports on news of preparations for the important Battle
of Carabobo, which took place a month later, on June 24th, 1821.
South American patriots, led by Bolivar, defeated Spanish royalists
on the plains near Caracas, virtually freeing Venezuela from Spanish
control.
The struggle for Latin American Independence began in 1807. For
several years, Bolivar’s victories were short-lived, with royalist forces
constantly regaining control for Spain. Finally, in 1817, with the support
of Haitian President Alexander Petion, Bolivar managed to capture
and hold onto the town of Angostura (present-day Ciudad Bolivar) in
Venezuela. Two years later (1819), a Congress assembled in Angosture
and proclaimed the Republic of Colombia, which then consisted of
present day Venezuela, New Grenada (present day Colombia and
Panama) and Quito (present day Ecuador). Despite the proclamation,
virtually the entire “Republic” (with the exception of Angosture) was
still held by royalist forces. In August 1819, Bolivar set about turning
the “Republic” into a reality, and ousting the Spanish. First he and his
troops surprised the Spanish and successfully took over New Granada.
Shortly afterwards he returned to Angosture where he prepared to seize
control of the rest of Venezuela. This led to the Battle of Carabobo (the
subject of this letter). Following his victory at Carabobo, the only part of
the Republic of Colombia still under Spanish control was Quito, which
was successfully taken by General Antonio Jose de Sucre on May 24th,
1822. Bolivar was the Republic’s first President and military dictator.
Regarding the constitution for the Republic of Colombia to which
refers in his statement, Bolivar favored a republic with a strong
executive, subject to frequent elections and an independent judiciary.
He suggested a hereditary senate, an elected lower house, and a
fourth branch of government, an Areopagus (a body of censors to
supervise the country’s education and morality). He also favored the
abolition of slavery.
Archivo del Libertador
, doc. 5675.