DECREE OF SAN MARTIN. 271 



the ill-timed convocation of congresses, while an 

 enemy still maintains a footing in the country. 

 The first point is to make sure of independence ; 

 and afterwards to think of establishing solid liber- 

 ty. The religiovis scrupulousness with which I 

 have kept my word in the course of my public life, 

 gives me a right to be believed ; and I again 

 pledge it to the people of Peru, by solemnly pro- 

 mising, that the very instant their territory is free, 

 I shall resign the command, in order to make 

 room for the government which they may be 

 pleased to elect. The frankness with which I 

 speak ought to serve as a new guarantee of the 

 sincerity of my intentions. 



I might have settled things in such a manner 

 that' electors, named by the citizens of the free de- 

 partment, should point out the person who was to 

 govern until the representatives of the Peruvian 

 nation might be assembled : but as, on the one 

 hand, the repeated and simultaneous invitations of 

 a great number of persons of high character and 

 decided influence in this capital, make me certain 

 of a popular election to the administration of the 

 state ; and as, on the other hand, I have already 



