The times., 1899-09-03
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rest in the capital of the country which he
freed; and it is there.
Bolivar, disheartened and weary from
the contentious and ingratitude of the peo-
pie who owed their liberty TO him, died,
mainly of grief and disappointment at the
age of forty seven. 1t would seem that
whether the presence of fortunate gen
eral in the country which he has conquered
is bad for the country or not it is bad for
the general himself. Perhaps, after all,
San Martin was wise in his decision.
The history of the emancipators of
South America is singularly full of tragic
events. General Mitre recapitulates 1t
briefly as follows:
The first reyolutioniss Of La Paz and Of Quito
died on the scaffoId. Miranda the apostle OF lib
erty, betrayed by his Own people 10 his enemies,
died alone and naked, in dungeon Moreno,
the priest Of the Argentine revolution, and the
teacher Of the democratic idea, died at sea, ana
found grave in the ocean Hidalgo, the first
popular leader OF Mexico, was executed as 4
criminal. Belgrano, the first champion of Ar
gentine independence, who saved the revolution
at Tucuman and Salta, died obscurely, while
civil ragged round him. o'Higgins, the hero
OF Chile died in exile, as Carrera, his rival, had
done before him. lt1rrbide. the real hberator of
Mexico, fell 4 victim to his own ambition, Mon
tufar, the leader Of the revolution in Quito, and
his comrade, Nillavicencio the promoter of that
Of Cartagena, strangled. The first presi-
dents Of New Grenada, Lozano and Torres, fell
sacrifices TO the restoration of colonial terror
ism. Piar, who found the true base for the in
surrection in Colombia was shot by Bolivar, TO
whom he had shown the way 10 victory. Riva-
davia, the civil genius of South America, who
gave form TO her representative institutions,
died in exile. Sucre, the conoueror OF Ayacucho,
was murdered by his own men on lonely road.
Bolivar and San Martin died in banishment.
1t looks as if one cause of this underly-
ing tragedy in the history of the Spanish
American peoples were the fact that as
a race there is little loyalty in them. Until
nation learns 10 stand by its leaders in
season and out of season, from conviction
not impulse, the fate of pure and high
minded patriots, to say nothing of mere
adventurers, will be likely TO be tragic.
One chapter of this work deals with the
Venezuelan boundary question, another
with the Monroe doctrine and another
with the American mechanics, who, drift
ing into South American countries, have
developed natural resources by their en-
ergy and determination. The most con-
spicuous of these was William Wheel
wright a lumberman, from CatskilI n.
Y, who figured in the early history of Cal
ifornia. and in 1858, at the age of forty
seven, was 10 be found building bridges
and railroads in Chile. His career is like
that OF many other Americans, who may
during the next fifty years, go fortune
seeking in South America.
But South American leaders have not all
been patriots. The tyrants in these lands
have been numerous and violent. Lopez
of Paraguay, from the description here
given Of him, seems TO merit the title of
the American Nero. 1t is refreshing to
turn from the story of this brute TO that
Of Sarmiento, who founded the public
school system in Argentina, and devoted
his entire life TO the cause of education.
The book ends with a brief sketch of the
struggle for liberty in the West Indies
with which its readers viii already be
familiar
The feeling of the average American in
reading this book viii probably be a Ger
tain surprise that he has known nothing
about these things before. There is room
in American literature for a book much
more voluminous and pretenious than this
one of Mr.. Butterworth, a work which
shall not only record events, but discuss
causes, which shall give a complete and
elaborate picture OF the character of the
various leaders, and suggest the future OF
South America as outlined, however faint
ly, by the progress of the world and the
forces which have been at work there dur
ing the last four hundred years-and even
longer; for it should be remembered that
these republics are not like the United
States, made up almost entirely of people
from the Old World, but that the charac-
ter developed by centuries of Indian civil
ization still exists in very large proper
tion Of the population, and that the Asiatic
is by no means an insignificant factor in
the problem. But until some scholar with
plenty of patience and enthusiasm shall
undertake this work. the book of Mr. But
terworth wiz prove useful TO the average
reader. (New York: Doubleday & Nc
Clure Company; 5000.