Beschreibung:

BOLIVAR, SIMON, " El Libertador ." Autograph letter signed ("Bolivar") to José Rafael Arboleda, Bogotá, 22 January 1830. Two pages, 4to, integral blank leaf, one tiny marginal tear, a bit creased, some very minor spotting , in Spanish. Bolivar writes to a friend and loyal supporter, a wealthy landowner of the Cauca valley, two days after he announced to the Constituent Congress his resignation from the office of chief magistrate, a position that he had reassumed by decree in August 1828 and had since maintained through military rule. In his speech he defended himself against accusations of dictatorship, and expressed in a famous remark his bitterness at the results of the revolution: "I am ashamed to say it, but independence is the sole benefit we have gained, at the sacrifice of all others." A month earlier, the province of Venezuela had seceded from the Republic of Colombia under the direction of General José Antonio Paez, who was soon to assume dictatorial powers. "...I arrived here on the 15th. The deputies were waiting for me to open the Congress, which was done the day before yesterday. You will see my message and my proclamation that we are very republican. Naturally, these statements have been well received by the public. "I have changed the ministry: General [Domingo] Caicedo has replaced Sr. [Estanislao] Vergara [as Minister of Foreign Relations]; Dr. [Alejandro] Osorio has replaced [José Manuel] Restrepo [as Minister of the Interior]; and General Herrán has replaced General [Rafael] Urdaneta. The new secretaries are fairly popular. The entire country is at peace, and in spite of the confusion in Venezuela, no one here wishes for separation. Fortunately excellent spirits reign in the Congress and its members truly wish to promote the prosperity of Colombia. "General Paez continues to write me very friendly letters. I believe that we will have a meeting soon, which will perhaps result in peace." Published in Bolivar, Obras completas (Havana, 1947), II, no. 2204.