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San Martin, Inglaterra y un plan para las colonias españolas
El comodoro William Bowles además de ser amigo de San Martin, era el jefe de la estación naval británica en Sudamérica con base en Buenos Aires. Con excepción de Ricardo Piccirilli (quien publicó muchas de las cartas de Bowles) muy pocos historiadores argentinos se han tomado el trabajo de estudiarlas. Sin embargo, echan luz sobre planes de San Martín que son poco conocidos.
William Bowles to John Wilson Croker, Secretary of the Admiralty, 14 February 1818, British National Archives, ADM 1/23
[San Martin] has from the very beginning of the revolution seen and lamented the wants of talent and integrity which has hitherto opposed an insurmountable obstacle to the adoption of a regular system here, and although perhaps one of the most determined supporters of the cause of independence, it has always been under the conviction that foreign interference would finally be necessary to establish a settled government in this country…. The following statement which contains the substance of his sentiments as he delivered them on several occasions is copied almost verbatim from notes made at the moment and read to him afterwards and I have preferred transcribing them in their present form to the risk of weakening their exactness by correction and arrangement. He is as firmly resolved as ever to oppose all connection with Spain, urging that from the inveteracy with which the revolutionary war has been carried on in this country it has now assumed the character of a personal hostility between the creoles and Spaniards, and a Prince of this latter nation let him come alone or accompanied can never be viewed in any other light here than as an object of dislike and suspicion. Such an arrangement would therefore contain within itself the elements of new revolutions and misfortune. He is however decidedly in favour of a monarchical government, as the only one suited to the state of society in this country… one day while talking on this subject he threw out the idea of dividing South America amongst the principal European powers, forming such a number of Kingdoms as might provide for a Prince of each royal house, and by that means satisfy all parties, and prevent those rivalries and jealousies which might otherwise produce opposition and difficulties. Spain might have Mexico. The other powers the different viceroyalties according to their existing divisions and to reconcile the court of Madrid to sacrifice which appear so enormous he suggested the practicability of pecuniary and commercial indemnifications from the colonies thus relinquished… The moderate and amicable interference of some friendly power can alone terminate the present convulsions and prevent new and more serious ones; and those who at this moment hold the principal authority here consider themselves so strong and so completely in possession of the general confidence as to engage for the adoption of any practicable plan which takes independence for its basis and excludes the Spanish branch of the house of Bourbons. It is for this reason that he earnestly solicits some communication from His Majesty’s government which might guide his conduct if the events of war place the whole of Peru in his possession; that he may be enable to take proper steps at once, and not find himself the receptivity of retracing mistaken ones. He further informed me that the agent from the government of Chile in London, don F. Yrizarry, is empowered to offer the following advantages and cessions if Great Britain will favour the cause of independence: 1) the cession of the island of Chiloé and the port of Valdivia, and 2) the reduction from ten to fifteen % on imports and four on exports to all British ships for 30 years. That these preferences were to be in proportion to the assistance given, but that if a prince of the royal family of Great Britain should accept the throne of Chile he would be received here without any conditions except the establishment of constitutional monarchy… [San Martín] has always shown a marked predilection towards England of which he gave a very important proof on a former occasion [refers to a dispatch of Jan 24, 1814]… Wants of officers has lately obliged him to employ in his army a number of French and Americans who accompanied general Brayer to this country last year, but various opportunities have been taken to warn him of their intrigues, and having lately detected a conspiracy against his life in which many of them were concerned, he is now removing and separating them as fast as possible and they possess no influence whatever here at present. …His health is bad, and he is subject to violent hemorrhages of the lungs the consequence of a fall from his horse some years since.
Tags: Argentina Independencia San Martin
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San Martin, Inglaterra y un plan para las colonias...
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