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1822 May + + A
To General /s Martin, Peru
is it
that you will find wish if
what to profess to be
as yet
This m our public presets present you to my view
under the title of Protector of Peru — Protector,
with invested with absolute authority, except in so far
as it may happen to be at any time his pleasure to limit it. This character is
an ambiguous one. It can Let the duration be temporary
and the design end in view and real design the establishment of a representative democracy
as soon as the state of the country is ripe for it, it is the way not only the
end, but eventually the very means, are the objects of a wish, which in relation to you the character
I had heard given you had led me to form.
A concept I had been led to form in relation to the
state of government in Chile, accounts from inner
quarters had tended to impress upon my view. "At the head
"of government in that country (said my informants) is O. Higgins a man of an
" enlightened mind of the most benevolent relation. At the head of
"the army is Sr Martin a man of
", [+]1
[+]1 congenial character
but who impairs his
"vices more ex
"than could be wished
"to affairs purely :
"and
" these two are bound together by the
"ties of the most cordial friendship.
Unhappily but Unhappily though inferior to the Supreme Director in
superior to them in power rank, conjunctly taken superior to him in power are a set of men of the most opt six in number
description of very different [+]2
[+]2 description, the which
together are Aristocracy
of seven: a Septemvirate:
the power of Supreme
Director having but amounting to
containing nothing
more than that of his one
voice.
In the whole
State no other power
than this. No National
Assembly: no governing
body composed of Members
elected by the people.
Reason or pretence —
the people not sufficiently ripe yet for the making an apt shew of their own rulers.
Of any particulars the mention here would be altogether useless: In many
and very affecting ones, including assertion of individual facts from persons
of good character, and to appearance not included in any
sphere of partiality, have at defend their
cause under my eye. The demand for remedy seemed urgent: on
Johnes their statements for correct, the demand for remedy was irresistible.
Against misrule, as in all other cases so in this the only remedy at once
effectual and lasting is a continually presented appeal to the great body of the
people. Altogether useless however will any such appeal be
unless in so far as the Election assemblies are full and
free, and individual facts of all sorts, by which the quality and quantity of
the evil be be in all its shapes made known, are permanently present to men's view.
158
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Identifier: | JB/012/065/001"JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 12. |
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1822-05 |
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to general sn martin peru |
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correspondence |
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recto |
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jeremy bentham |
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letter 2891, vol. 11 |
4126 |
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