148 



COLOMBIA. 



of the surrounding states, and declaring them- 

 selves independent. They were not, however, 

 quite so extravagant as to constitute themselves 

 into a free and separate state, like the town of 

 Guayaquil ; but chose, more wisely, to place 

 themselves under one of their powerful neigh- 

 bours, Mexico or Colombia. After considerable 

 debating on this point, it was decided by the in- 

 habitants to claim the protection of Bolivar, to 

 whose country, Colombia, they were nearer, and 

 with which they were likely to hold more useful 

 intercourse than with Mexico. 



No place, perhaps, in all the Spanish Transat- 

 lantic possessions suffered so little from the erro- 

 neous systems of the mother country as Panama ; 

 partly in consequence of the constant intercourse 

 which it maintained with the West India islands, 

 and partly from its being the port through which 

 European goods were formerly made to pass across 

 the isthmus to Peru, and to the south coast of 

 Mexico. This degree of intercourse and busi- 

 ness gave it an importance, and afforded it the 

 means of acquiring wealth, which the rigorous 

 nature of the colonial system allowed to no other 



