Argentina 141 



any land has produced, and who as the years go by 

 grows more and more in the esteem of men. Although 

 in his old age he was treated with gross ingratitude and 

 suffered exile and penury, his noble example, like that 

 of Washington, has become an inspiration to the people 

 of his country. Bolivar has been called 'the Liber- 

 ator,' but the impartial student of South American 

 history realizes that the exalted character of San Martin 

 exceeds in rugged grandeur that of Bolivar as the sun 

 outshines the moon. He it was who freed the southern 

 half of South America from the yoke of Spain. The 

 Argentine Republic also owes a great debt of gratitude 

 to a man whom many now living recall as a friend and 

 acquaintance, Sarmiento, 'the Schoolmaster Presi- 

 dent, "as he has been called. He realized that the 

 greatness of a people depends not merely upon material 

 resources and wealth, but upon the quality of its man- 

 hood; and he it was who set about founding schools 

 for the common people and reorganizing the colleges and 

 universities throughout the land. The work which he 

 planned and began is now just beginning to bear rich 

 fruitage. 



Without attempting to outline the long story of the 

 evolution of existing governmental institutions in 

 Argentina, it may be said that underlying all the various 

 movements was an impulse toward the establishment of 

 a national life and consciousness. There were unfor- 

 tunate episodes ; many mistakes were made ; unscrupu- 

 lous and incompetent men at times essayed leadership 

 and grasped the reins of power with attendant misfor- 

 tune to the state; but through the maze of conflicting 

 policies and varying experiments there emerged clearly 

 and ever more clearly the purpose of a free people to 

 secure for themselves the rights which belong to men 



