_Bolívar's Expedition and New Exile. He Goes to Guayana_
(1815-1817)
While in Jamaica, Bolívar was as active as he had been in Venezuela. While
he used his pen to teach the world the meaning of the South American
Revolution, and to try and obtain friends for the cause of freedom, he
worked actively in the Island and in other parts of the West Indies to
organize an expedition to the continent.
In this work he was very greatly helped by Luis Brion,--a wealthy merchant
of Curaçao,--who sacrificed practically all of his private fortune in
helping the cause of Liberty.
The influence exercised by the Holy Alliance on the governments of Europe
had some effect on the authorities of Jamaica, who hindered the assembling
of munitions of war by Bolívar. He then decided to go to the Republic of
Haiti, after having escaped almost by a miracle, an assassin who, believing
that he was asleep in a hammock where he usually rested, stabbed to death a
man occupying Bolívar's customary place. The assassin was a slave set free
by Bolívar.
On his way to Haiti he learned of the surrender of Cartagena. The President
of Haiti, Alexander Pétion, received Bolívar in a most friendly way, and
gave him very substantial assistance in the preparations for his expedition
to the continent. The men who had succeeded in escaping from Cartagena were
also well received by Pétion, and treated in a most hospitable manner.
Among them many were personal enemies of Bolívar. None the less, Bolívar
was elected supreme head of the expedition, and the refugees from Cartagena
followed him in his new undertaking, with Mariño as Major General of the
Army and Brion as Admiral. About 250 persons constituted the party, but
they carried enough ammunition to arm six thousand men, whom they hoped to
gather together on the continent. Once more Bolívar seemed to undertake the
impossible, but, as ever, he had full confidence in the ultimate triumph
of liberty. The proportion of his enemies to his followers was 100 to 1.
Public opinion was still against him, but he was still the same man who, at
that time more than any other, had become a symbol--the symbol of America's
freedom.
Bolívar made his way to the Island of Margarita, where the Spanish
commander had systematically carried on a work of destruction of wealth and
humiliation of families.
In November of 1815, Arismendi, the man who had submitted to Morillo, again
proclaimed independence in the Island and started to fight with no better
arms than clubs and farm implements. The Governor determined to destroy the
population of the Island, even allowing his anger to fall on Arismendi's
own wife,--but Arismendi continued fighting and, knowing his attitude,
Bolívar decided to come to Margarita before touching the continent. On that
island Bolívar reorganized the government of the Republic in its third
period and was again proclaimed Supreme Chief of the Republic, while Mariño
was designated Second Chief. Then Bolívar called for the election of
deputies and proclaimed that he would stop the War to Death, provided the
Spaniards would also stop waging war in a ruthless way. The Captain General
answered by offering 10,000 pesos for the head of either Bolívar, Bermúdez,
Mariño, Piar, Brion or Arismendi. From Margarita the undaunted Libertador
went to the continent, landing in Carúpano, from which place he sent Mariño
to fight in the east, in the land of his old victories, where he was well
known; and organized a military school to prepare officers, and worked
with his usual activity in the organization of the army, while a popular
assembly gathered in the city and again accepted Bolívar as Supreme Chief.
Mariño and Piar, the latter fostering the ambitions of the former, started
again to act against the orders of the Libertador. Several partial defeats
made the condition of the insurgents so critical that Bolívar made up his
mind to leave the east and commence operations in the west, as he had
previously done. On July 6, he and his men landed in Ocumare de la Costa, a
port north of Valencia, proclaimed the cessation of the War to Death,
and offered pardon to all those who surrendered, even though they were
Spaniards. He also proclaimed the freedom of all slaves, thereby fulfilling
a promise made to President Pétion of Haiti.
"Henceforward," he said, "in Venezuela, there will be only one class of
men: all will be citizens."
From there Brion was sent to do as much damage as possible to the Spanish
sea trade, and he also received a commission to get in touch with the
government of Washington, and with the patriots of Mexico. The royalists
organized a strong veteran army and attacked Bolívar, who, with his
inexperienced soldiers, could not resist, and had to leave Ocumare. One of
his followers, called MacGregor, who had been sent with some men by Bolívar
into the interior of the country, decided to go and join the guerrillas who
were fighting the royalists in the interior; and his daring movement was
crowned with success, for he and his men advanced through the plains,
fighting the royalists, or dodging them when they were too numerous to be
fought. In that way they covered a distance of over four hundred miles, at
last joining the forces fighting near the Orinoco. Again deprived of his
prestige, Bolívar was deposed and Mariño and Bermúdez were elected first
and second chiefs. Bolívar had to return to Haiti. His deposition was
not well received by the chiefs of the guerrillas, who were fighting the
royalists in the interior. Bolívar--undaunted as ever--thought only of
organizing an expedition to assist those who were fighting in Venezuela.
Pétion once more rendered him substantial aid. He was invited to go to
Mexico and help in the War of Independence of New Spain, but he declined,
and instead continued to make preparations to go back to fight for his
country.
The different commanders had obtained some partial successes, but they soon
recognized the necessity of Bolívar's leadership, and sent Arismendi to
Port-au-Prince to ask him to return. Admiral Brion also besought him to go
back to Venezuela. At the end of December Bolívar reached Margarita Island
with some Venezuelan exiles. Once there, he issued a proclamation convoking
an assembly, for his paramount desire was to have the military power
subordinated to the civil government.
On January 1, 1817, Bolívar once more set foot on the continent, this time
never to leave it. The lessons learned through failures had been well
learned, and new plans were taking shape in his mind. He was thinking of
the freedom of all America, not only of Venezuela, and started plans for
the freedom of New Granada and Perú: all this when he had no soldiers
to command, except 400 men under Arismendi, to which 300 were added by
conscription. He advanced towards Caracas, but was defeated, and had to
return to Barcelona, leaving all his war provisions in the hands of
the enemy. He then had 600 men, and he knew that an army of over 5,000
royalists was advancing against the city. At first he thought of resisting
the enemy, counting on the help of Mariño, who was at that time in the
South, and who, in fact, hastened to the rescue. Mariño and Bermúdez
entered Barcelona and Bolívar received them with joy. Nevertheless, he
understood that he could not stay in that city. It was clear that the
best method of resistance would consist in attacking the royalists from
different and unexpected angles. He concluded that he must leave Barcelona
and go to the Orinoco Valley and the Province of Guayana (Venezuelan
Guiana). Several of his officers opposed the idea so strongly that at last
Bolívar was induced to leave some men to protect the city and send the rest
to Guayana, under the command of Mariño. The men left in Barcelona were
sacrificed by the royalists. In April Bolívar crossed the Orinoco and
afterwards met Piar, who was besieging the City of Angostura, the most
important position of Guayana. Piar had been fighting in that section with
some success since the end of 1816.
The inconstancy of Mariño showed itself once more, although in this
instance his conduct was opposed by Bermúdez and other officers. He did not
give opportune help to Barcelona, and tried to foster his own ambitions
instead of collaborating with Bolívar. Without the support of Mariño and
with Barcelona lost, Bolívar found himself in a very difficult situation,
counting more on his own genius than on human help. Morillo, master of
Nueva Granada, had come from Santa Fé and destroyed most of the insurgent
forces existing in the western part of Venezuela. He had received more
reinforcements from Spain. Bolívar, nevertheless, continued his work with
his all powerful faith, trying to have his dreams proved true by the effort
of his will. "We shall conquer them and we shall free America," he used
to say. The greatest support that Bolívar found at that time was that of
General Piar's troops.
In order to supplant Bolívar, Mariño convoked a congress, which proved to
be a farce, having but ten members. Mariño solemnly resigned his place
of second in command of the army and also resigned on behalf of Bolívar,
without the slightest authorization from his chief. The "congress"
appointed Mariño supreme chief of the army and decided to establish the
capital of the republic in Margarita. The other heads of the army refused
to recognize the usurper, and many of them, among whom the foremost
was Colonel Antonio José Sucre, went to Guayana to join the legitimate
commander. Mariño himself at last abruptly dissolved the congress. Bolívar,
with his usual prudence, did not show that he noticed the attitude of his
second, and praised General Piar for his triumphs, knowing, nevertheless,
by that time, that he could not count on the personal loyalty of the
latter.
While attending to the operations of the siege Bolívar did not neglect his
usual administrative work. He organized a system of military justice so as
to avoid the arbitrariness of the military chieftains and, being aware
that Piar had tried to foster the disloyalty of Mariño, he endeavored
to convince him of his folly, and said very plainly that unless these
machinations were stopped, great evils must be expected.
Admiral Brion came with his boats to the Orinoco in order to help in
the siege of Angostura. When he arrived in the river, the royalists of
Angostura decided to abandon the city, which fell into the hands of the
independents, Bermúdez being the first to occupy it. Bolívar found himself
for the first time behind his enemy and was ready to fight against his foes
in the position that his foes had held in the past. He obtained, besides,
great resources in cattle and horses, and it seemed possible that he might
obtain the coöperation of the plainsmen of the Apure Valley, the old
followers of Boves, now followers of José Antonio Páez, a lover of personal
liberty and a sworn foe of the Spanish régime.