64 



INTRODUCTION. 



" toms, your situation, and your wishes. You will be your own 

 " legislators, and, consequently, you will constitute a nation as free 

 " and as independent as ourselves." 



In another of a later date, he says — 



" Peruvians, — These are the compacts and conditions on which 

 " Chile will affront death and toil to save you, contracted in the 

 " presence of the Supreme Being, and calling on all nations to bear 

 " witness, and to avenge their violation. You shall be free and 

 " independent ; your laws and your government shall be constituted 

 " by the sole spontaneous will of your representatives. No in- 

 " fluence, civil or military, direct or indirect, shall be exercised by 

 " these your brothers, over your social institutions. You shall send 

 " away the armed force that is now going to pi-otect you the moment 

 " you will ; and no pretext of your danger or your security shall serve 

 " to keep it with you, against your consent. No military division shall 

 " ever occupy a free town, unless invited by the lawful magistrates ; 

 " and the peninsular parties and opinions that preceded the times of 

 " your independence shall not be punished by us, or by. our help." 



A long proclamation* of San Martin, dated March, 1819, speaks 

 the same language. After declaring that he is justly empowered by 

 the Independent States of the United Provinces of South America 

 and of Chile, to enter Peru, in order to defend the cause of freedom ; 

 he laments, at large, over the slavery of that kingdom, and rejoices 

 that deliverance is at hand. " My address," he says, " is not that of 

 " a conqueror, who treats of systematizing a new slavery. The force 

 " of things has prepared this great day of your political emancipation, 

 " and I can be only the accidental instrument of justice, and the 

 " agent of destiny." He then goes on exulting in the certainty of 

 victory over the oppressors, saying, " The result of the victory must 

 " be, that the capital of Peru will see, for the first time, its sons 

 " united, and freely electing a government, and appearing in the face 

 " of the world in the rank of nations." Such were the views held 



* See Appendix. 



