92 



PERU. 



view their offer in this light, wrote to entreat him 

 to take the actual command of the armies ; quot- 

 ing, in their letter, his own expression in his ad- 

 dress to them on their meeting, where he says ; 

 " The voice of the sovereign authority of the na- 

 tion shall always be listened to with respect by 

 San Martin, as a citizen of Peru, and be obeyed 

 by him, as the first soldier of liberty.*" 



This appeal, however, did not change the re- 

 solution which San Martin had formed on the oc- 

 casion ; and having issued the following procla- 

 mation, he went to Callao, embarked in his yacht, 

 and immediately sailed for Chili ; leaving the Pe- 

 ruvians, as they had wished, to the management 

 of the congress they had themselves elected. 



" PROCLAMATION. 



I have witnessed the declaration of the inde- 

 pendence of Chili and Peru : I hold in my hand 

 the standard which Pizarro brought over to en- 

 slave the empire of the Incas : I have ceased to 

 be a public man : and thus are repaid to me, with 

 usury, (con usura,) ten years spent in revolution 

 and war. 



8 



