1822 April 30

Rid Yourselves

Part II

Letter 3 Appeals unendurable

As it is with the inhabitants in Ultramaria, so is it with the

government in Europe: against the governor in Ultramaria - the Governor who if there

be any limitation to his power might as well have none, both are equally powerless

destitute of all effectual remedy: unsuppressed, unrestrained, by any local

legislature, every Governor so situated is either a cypher or a tyrant: distance,

even without the help of Articles from 314 to 337, would suffice to reduce him to

this alternative, the fault would be his, if of the written documents capable of

testifying against him any remained [...?] and undestroyed; of witnesses any that

reached Europe; any that were not either destroyed in a dungeon, deterred in a

dungeon, or rendered such as favourable to him by corruptive influence

While the pen is moving a paragraph in the Morning Chronicle lies

before me: date of the paper 30 April 1822: date of the latest intelligence from the

army of Bolivar at Rosario de Cucuta in New Granada, 18 October 1821. On that same

day Suppose oppression at that same Rosario de Cucuta by what time were New Granada

still loyal - by what time, through Secretario del despacho para Ultramaria, and

Gobernacion and Gobierno and King and Cortes and King and Council of State and

Gobernacion again and Gobierno again and Secretario del despacho again and Secretario

del despacho de Marina, and captain of the Government vessel if there be any such

thing that is far for some, when shall relief attach upon it?

Think of evil in all its forms - think of evil in all its sources - physical and

political: earthquakes, inundations, fire, hostility within, hostility from without:

hostility from neighbouring Colonies, hostility from distant Mother Countries: evil

from inaptitude in the legislative system: evil from the non-existence of a local

legislative authority, evil from inaptitude in the administrative departments, evil

from inaptitude in the judicial department think of the slowest pace of evil in all

these shapes, from all these sources; think if it is from Spain they are to come -

think of the quickest pace of relief or remedy. If death is to come to me, from Spain

may it come to me prayed somebody to whom Death would not it seems have been a

welcome visitor: O yes: and Death being the looked for

visitor, not without reason. But had it been Relief from

Spain of all countries from Spain would it have been waited for