VALPARAISO. 281 



It is dark and fine, but restless ; it never seemed to fix for above a 

 moment, but that moment expressed every thing. His countenance 

 is decidedly handsome, sparkling, and intelligent ; but not open. His 

 manner of speaking quick, but often obscure, with a few tricks and 

 by-words ; but a great flow of language, and a readiness to talk on 

 all subjects. 



I am not fond of recording even the topics of private conversation, 

 which I think ought always to be sacred. But San Martin is not a 

 private man ; and besides, the subjects were general, not personal. 

 We spoke of government ; and there I think his ideas are far from 

 being either clear or decisive. There seems a timidity of intellect, 

 which prevents the daring to give freedom and the daring to be des- 

 potic alike. The wish to enjoy the reputation of a liberator and the 

 will to be a tyrant are strangely contrasted in his discourse. He has 

 not read much, nor is his genius of that stamp that can go alone. 

 Accordingly, he continually quoted authors whom he evidently knew 

 but by halves, and of the half he knew he appeared to me to mistake 

 the spirit. When we spoke of religion, and Zenteno joined in the 

 discourse, he talked much of philosophy ; and both those gentlemen 

 seemed to think that philosophy consisted in leaving religion to the 

 priests and to the vulgar, as a state-machine, while the wise man 

 would laugh alike at the monk, the protestant, and the deist. Well 

 does Bacon say, " None deny there is a God but those for whom it 

 maketh that there were no God;" and truly, when I consider his actions, 

 I feel that he should be an atheist if he would avoid despair. But 

 I am probably too severe on San Martin. His natural shrewd sense 

 must have led him to perceive the absurdity of the Roman Catholic 

 superstitions, which here are naked in their ugliness, not glossed 

 over with the pomp and elegance of Italy ; and which from state 

 policy he has often joined in with all outward demonstrations of 

 respect : and it has been observed, that " The Roman Catholic 

 system is shaken off with much greater difficulty than those which 

 are taught in the reformed churches ; but when it loses its hold of 

 the mind, it much more frequently prepares the way for unlimited 



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