Beschreibung:

BOLIVAR. SIMON. Letter signed ("Bolivar"), with 6-line autograph postscript, to General Rafael Urdaneta, Provisional President of Colombia, San Pedro, near Santa Marta, 7 December 1830. 4 pages, 4to, seal break to upper corner with partial loss of a word, short fold break, small perforation to first leaf, browned , in Spanish. TEN DAYS BEFORE HIS DEATH: "DO NOT BELIEVE A THING THEY SAY ABOUT ME" A long, revealing letter written from his deathbed. Bolivar's first concern is still the consolidation of the republic he founded, and he devotes the last of his energy to pleading with his generals to set aside personal differences in the interests of peace and national unity: "I must confess that the last letter I received from you, dated the 21st of last month, caused me no little concern, as the differences between you and [General Justo] Briceño may lead to considerable trouble. I have previously mentioned this matter to you... But this is not all that troubles me. Your comments have affected me strangely, for I cannot imagine what you had in mind when you made them. If you believe that I would conceal any adverse opinion from you, after dealing with you as frankly as I have, you do me an injustice which you cannot say that I do you...If the differences between you and Briceño have their origin in anything other than personal resentment, I fail to understand why you make statements so alien to the friendship that I choose to believe exists between us. But I shall speak no more of this unpleasant subject, which I trust will not recur in the future as a fresh source of discord. It seems to me that my advice to you on this point is sufficient if you care to take my hints...Nevertheless, I shall rejoice if my fears fail to materialize and if such trivial matters as these do not lead to more serious consequences. To this end, I have called on General Briceño [Pedro Briceño Mendez] to serve in the Ministry of War. You know him well, and you are acquainted with his integrity and loyalty. I am inclined to believe he may resolve some of the difficulties... "I was pleased with the news from Cauca, and I think the arrangements you have made for that area are very satisfactory. I am not replying to the official letter that you addressed to me, as I am still very ill, and, indeed, this is the only reply I have been able to make. "Colonel [Antonio de la] Guerra, who was in Venezuela on a commission from [General Juan José] Flores, has returned, they tell me, in fine spirits...Everyone keeps telling me that, after his arrival, Flores may change his politics. I wrote to him through Urbina and strongly urged him to proceed against the assassins of Sucre [assassinated on June 4, 1830], and this at least, I believe he will not fail to do. "I have been very ill, and my physicians thought me in danger, and, although I took ship and came to Santa Marta, I felt no improvement until yesterday, when I arrived at this hacienda. Today I have felt much better and I now have hopes of recovering quickly, especially if the climate where I intend to go to convalesce agrees with me... [Postscript in Bolivar's hand:] "Do not believe a thing they say about me. I disapprove of Briceño's conduct more strongly than you do, and whatever I write to him is to see whether I can hold him in check." Published in translation in Bolivar, Selected Writings , compiled by Vicente Lecuna, edited by Harold A. Bierck, Jr. (New York, 1951), II, 763-764. On December 11, knowing his end was approaching, Bolivar wrote to General Briceño, begging him, "as the final token of affection and esteem that you can give me, to be reconciled in good faith with General Urdaneta and to join him in supporting the present government...It is only at the sacrifice of setting personal feelings aside that our friends, and Colombia herself, can be saved from the horrors of anarchy".