CHAPTER XV
Bombona and Pichincha. The Birth of Ecuador. Bolívar and San Martin Face lo Face (1822)
In january, 1822, Bolívar was in Cali, assembling bis army to invade Quito by land. Tbis carnpaign proved to be the most difficult he had undertaken with respect to natural obstacles. Between Quito and bis army, the Andes forrn a nucleus of mountains called the Nudo de Pasto. All the difficulties with which he had had to contend in te campaigns of Venezuela and Nueva Granada,—such as the flooded plains, te deep ravines between Venezuela and te Colornbian valleys, te narrow and rugged passages, te wild beasts,—sink hito nothingness as compared with the almost unconquerable obstacles which he was to face on bis way to te South. In no other part of te confinent do the Andes present such an appalling combinadon of ravines, torrents, precipitous paths and giganfic peaks. Furthermore, nowhere on te continent was te populadon so hosifie to freedorn as were te pastusos @nhabitants of te Pastos. Men, women and children cordially hated te cause of te Republic, and stopped at no crime to destroy te armies of Bolívar. Despite all this opposition, Bolívar made ready to throw te glories he had earned in Boyaca and Carabobo into dic balance, risking everything to obtain te freedom of te peoples of te south, and te union of Quito and Colombia. This campaign presented difficulties greater tan Napoleon himself ever found in bis
123 pat. The Alps do not compare with these American mountains,—which rank with the Himalayas. Qn the 8th of March, Bolívar began bis advance to the South, being forced to leave a thousand men in te hospitais on the way. Scarcely two tousand men formed the army when it approached the formidable Nudo de Pasto. Sucre, who had been stationed in Guayaquil, moved so as to distract the attention of te Spaniards, thus helping Bolívar, and tis was the only favorable circumstance. Two thousand men were awaiting Bolívar in te city of Pasto, men who knew te country and who had te support of the inhabitants in their war against te independents. The commander of Pasto was a Spanish colonel named D. Basilio García. The two armies metin a place called Bombona, where all te advantages were on the side of te royalists. Bolívar found himself about to attack an army made almost invulnerable by nature; forests, roads, ravines—all protected it. In such a position, Bolívar merely said tese words: 'We must conquer and we will conquer!" Qn te 7t of April te batde of Bomboná occurred. It lasted te entire afternoon and part of te night. The independent army rose to te occasion, and accomplished what it had never before realized. The light of te moon witnessed te retreat of te royalist army, defeated and destroyed, seeking shelter in te city of Pasto; and te narne of Bomboná was written in history beside tose of Boyacá and Carabobo as among te most momentous, the most signihcant battles fought for te cause of independence)
1. Before tbe barde, General Pedro León Torres misunderstood an order from Bolívar. The latter instructed him to surrender bis command to a colonel. Torres took a rifle and answered: "Libertador, if 1 am not good enough to serve my country as a general, 1 shall serve ber as a grenadiet" Bolívar gaye him back bis command; Torres ordered tbe advance of his men and threw himself against the enemy, failing fataily wounded.
124 The city of Pasto was unanimous against die Liberator, who now asked García to surrender. García at first refused, but finaily accepted capitulation. He was a brave man and a creditable representative of Spanish heroism. Bolívar entered Pasto. He was in such grave danger from the hostility of the inhabitints that he had to be escorted by Spanish soldiers, who, jo this way, displayed their loyalty to their word and their high sense of honor. This occurred on the 8th of june, 1822. The batde of Bombona had taken place two months before, and in the interval another great event occurred in favor of the independent army. General Sucre, who had come to help Bolívar jo the movement, had taken several cities as he advanced towards Quito. Qn the 24± of May he fought a decisive battle on the volcanic mountain of Pichincha, by which the independence of Quito was secured. The battle of Pichincha m.ade Sucre the greatest general in the Repúblican army, afrer Bolívar. He captured 1,200 prisoners, several pieces of fleid arfillery, guns and implements of war, and even made prisoner the Spanish commander, Aymerich. Qn the 25± of May, Sucre entered the city of Quito, two hundred and eightyyears after the Spaniards arrived in that city for the first time. With Sucre in Quito and Bolívar jo Pasto, many bodies of royalist troops surrendered. In the United States, the question of recognizing the independence of the South American countries finaily carne before Congress. Qn March 8, 1822, with James Monroe as President and John Quincy Adams as Secretary of State, the ideas expressed by Henry Clay in 1820 were carried to fuil fruition. The press had been working in favor of independence, and the message of Monroe in favor of recognition was an interpretation of public opinion at that time. Jo the report presented to Congress was the following expression:
125 "To deny to te peopies of Spanish America their right to independence would be in fact to renounce out own independence."
The independence of te South American countries was recognized by a congressional vote of 159 out of 160. It is better to forget the name of te man who opposed it. Spain fought against this measure but still it heid. Colombia, Mexico and Buenos Aires entered into the concert of free nations. Bolívar proceeded to organize te province of Los Pastos, and, with the help of te Bishop of Popayan,—a former foe to te cause of independence, who had wanted to return to Spain when te insurgents took possession of te city, but who was persuaded to remain by te noble words of Bolívar—finaily obtained the consolidation of te republic in tat section. A few days later Bolívar left Los Pastos for Quito, where he was received in triumph. The authorities of te oid kingdom of Quito declared te city's desire to be reunited wit te Republic of Colombia,—to become a part of te lattet Upon receiving te minutes of te assembly in which this decision was taken, Bolívar decided that tis resoiution should be placed before te proper representadves of te people, so that it might be given greater emphasis by teir approval. In te organizaflon of te country, Bolívar formed te department of Ecuador of three old provinces. Sucre, promoted to te rank of major general, was appointed governor of this department. Then Bolívar addressed a letter to San Martin, at tat time Protector of Perú, telling him thai te war in Colombia had come to an end and that his men were ready to go wherever teir brothers wouid cali thern, "especially to te country of out neighbors to te South." There was a serious problem it be solved in the South, and it had to be worked out in Guayaquil. Two great men were going it come face it face. It is necessary to study, even briefly, te personality of te other noted man of te Sout, General San Martín.
126 D. José de San Martín was born on the 25th of February, 1778, of Spanish parents, in the little village of Yapeyú, in dic missions established among the Indians in dic northeast part of what is now the Argentine Republic. His father was lieutenant governor of the department. José was educated in Spain among youths of noble birth. At eleven years of age he entered the army. He fought lii Africa, against the French, and in Portugal. In the campaign in Portugal he was a brother-in-artns of don Mariano Montilla, dic hero of Cartagena. He rose to the position of lieutenant colonel. in 1811 he met Miranda in London, and then decided to come to Buenos Aires. He arrived there in 1812, and placed himself at the disposal of the revolutionary government, which gaye him the grade of lieutenant colonel of cavalry. He irnmediately showed his talent as an organizer of men; he instructed bis officers and disciplined bis soldiers. At the beginning of the Argentine revolution, the idea of independence was vague, and it was San Martín who first suggested that the revoluflonists should cali themselves "independents," so as to have a cause, a flag and principles by which they might be known. It is necessary to remember that the revolution in this section of America was always of a monarchical tendency, and San Martín was always an ardent supporter of monarchical ideas. The only battle in which he took part in Argentina was one in which he, with 120 men, defeated 250 foes. The independence of the viceroyalty of the River Plata caused very little bloodshed, except in the northern part, which is now the republic of Bolivia. San Martin was sent to fight the Spaniards in this section, but he well knew the futility of attacking by land, because the greatest stronghold of the Spariiards on dic entire continent—the viceroyalty of Perú—was on dic other side. He then feigned ilUness, and was sent as governor to the province of Cuyo, at dic foot of dic Andes, where he worked constandy and efficiendy to organie a large army. He succeeded, not with the brilliancy of Bolivar's genius, but through dic constancy of bis own methodical soul.
127 San Martín was reserved. It was very difíicult it know bis thoughts and bis feelings. He was successful in battle as well as in bis deception of the enerny. In many respects he was the opposite of Bolívar. In 1817 San Martín had 4,000 soldiers in Mendoza ready it invade Chile, where the insurgent armies had been defeated in Rancagua by a Spanish army sent frorn Perú. The remnants of te Chilean patriots dispersed, and sorne of them crossed the Andes asid presented thernselves to San Martín in the city of Mendoza. He received sorne and rejected others. Among te forrner was D. Bernardo O'Higgins, upon whose ioyalty San Martín was certain he could depend. San Martín crossed the Andes, and defeated te Spaniards at Chacabuco. Later, he fought te decisive battle of Maipó, passing ten it Santiago, where he was proclairned director of te state, from which position he irnmediately resigned, using aH bis influence to have O'Higgins appointed in bis stead, which was done. O'Higgins was an honest rnan asid an excellent administrator. He immediately appointed San Martín general-in-chief of te arrny, and together they plarmed te invasion of Perú by sea. With te help of Admiral Cochrane, San Martín reached te shores of Perú, where he landed. After sorne delay, due to te desire to enlist public opinion in te cause of independence, he took te city of Lima onjuly 8, 1821, and was appointed Protector of Perú. He wished it unite Guayaquil and Perú, in which plan he was opposed by Bolívar. Guayaquil had declared itself independent of Spain in October, 1820. Wc have seen tat Sucre was sent therc by Bolívar because tat section had not been included in te armistice agreed to with Morillo in Santa Ana. In Guayaquil there were three parties, one on te side of Perú, one on te side of Colombia, and a third which desired te independence of tat section. There wete several movernents in favor of and against tese conflicting views, when Bolívar sent messages to Sucre, O'Higgins, San Martín, and other prominent men, in an endeavor to forrn a combination to bring about an early and successful end to te war for independence.
128 In all the difficulties of Guayaquil, Sucre displayed exceptional prudence and tact, but when he was obliged to leave thc city in order to draw to himself the attention of te Spaniards and thus facilitate the movement of Bolívar against Pasto, the intrigues increased, and Bolívar had to intervene, sending a message to the Junta of Guayaquil, asking them to recognize the union of Guayaquil md Colombia. San Martín was on the point of declaring war on Colombia, a fatal step which was prevented by the pressure of other more urgent matters, and perhaps because te victories of Bomboná and Pichincha were too recent to encourage any disregard of the conquerors. As soon as Bolívar anived in Quito, he decided to go to Guayaquil to take te situadon in hand. He arrived on July 11, and was received in triumph, bis presence producing a decided effect in favor of te union with Colombia. He published a proclamation inviting expressions of popular opinion as to union, and was waiting for the day on which te representatives of te province were to meet, when General San Martín appeared in te city, surprising everybody, for, altough he had sent Bolívar a letter noflfying him of bis intended visit, Bolívar had not received it. He was most cordially received by te Liberator, who, in a previous conimunication, had declared bis friendsbip for te Protector of Perú. San Martín landed on te 26th of July, and tat night had a long personal conference with Bolívar, concerning which opinions varied. There were no witnesses of that interview. It is certain tat te men discussed te union of Guayaquil, and te confficting ideas of bot leaders. Again te intelectual superiority of Bolívar was evident. One tbing, however, is known: forty hours afrer landing in Guayaquil, te Protector left te city and went to Perú, where he resigned bis position and ten sailed for Chile, whence he went to te Argentine Republic. Later, he proceeded to Europe, where he died in te middle of the century, a great man, te victim of te ingratitude of bis fellow cibzens, always modest and reserved, and, in many respects, an unsolved mystery. He harbored no
129 resentment towards Bolívar. When he arrived in Callao afrer the interview, the papers published the following words over bis name:
"The 26th of lastJuly, when 1 had the satisfaction of embracing tite Hero of the South, was one of the happiest days of my Efe. The Liberator of Colombia is not onlly helping tbis state with three of bis brave battalions, united to the valiant division of Perú under the command of General Santa Cruz, to put an end to the war lii America, but he is also sending a considerable number of arms for the same purpose. Let us all pay die homage of our eternal grafitude it the itnmortal Bolívar."
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