Yesterday there appeared on the corners of this city, and, moreover,
I heard of it in an authentic manner, a decree of the Governor of
Cundinamarca, in which certain laws of the State assembly were
violated by the calling of a convention by means of an election,
which was to be controlled by two thousand bayonets, in accordance
with provisions dictated in usurpation of powers belonging to the
legislative department, in actual contravention to the national
constitution, which imposes upon the States the obligation to
organize themselves under a republican, representative, and popular
form of government.
As early as two nights ago, forces quietly recruited in the
departments began to enter this city, the residence of the high
federal authorities; and yesterday, a few hours after the crime of
treason and usurpation, consummated by the executive government of
this State, was publicly announced, another body of troops
approached the city and made known its arrival by the assassination
of a peaceable and innocent citizen.
As the guardian of national public order, as a protector of
individual rights, sworn to maintain due respect to the national
government and the integrity of the Union by the constitutional
harmony of the States, I have deemed it my duty to avenge this
outrageous insult to the federal authorities besieged in their own
capital.
At the request of the constitutional government of Cundinamarca, and
in conformity to law, I determined to make use of my constitutional
powers to arrest, without delay, those disturbers of public
peace.
I have given ample proof of my profound respect for law, and I am
determined to show my impartiality in all party contests; but though
I give all my respect to law and justice, nothing will make me bow
to revolutions and fly from insurgents.
The general government allows all rights but that of conspiracy.
As far as I am concerned, all political parties may depend upon my
support in any victories pbtained by legal voting; but I will never
allow them to use force, particularly when it is in rebel hands and
in the service of perjured officials.
Narciso Genzalez Sineros,
Secretary of the Treasury and National
Credit.
[Page 1077]
[Editorial on the same subject.]
The constant desire of the present administration has been to
preserve peace. In his first message to congress, the President
insisted upon the necessity of a law, in accordance with
provisions of the constitution, giving the chief executive the
power to preserve public order. This was not done, although the
government organ demonstrated the evil consequences of such
neglect, apparently for the reason that divergences of opinions
among the legislators prevented agreement upon the best mode of
effecting the desired result.
In this case the good intent and sincere wish of a President
charged with the preservation of the integrity of the nation
could not be more evident, when he asks the assembled
representatives, frankly and urgently, to define a plain and
permanent line of conduct for him to observe in any
emergency.
Although, the law was not passed, the President has the power
granted by the constitution, and this he may use to the utmost
extent. The error incurred by exercising it, for want of legal
authority, urgently asked for, can in no case be attributed to
one who persistently demanded that authority; nor can it be
comprehended how he can refrain from acting with due severity
under the circumstances, particularly when there is no
constitutional provision against it. The duty of every
government is self-preservation and protection to its subjects;
and to do this the government must have the necessary power to
act rigorously under all circumstances. The great expenses of
the country to sustain the general government, and the immense
resources put at its disposal, show the importance of such
government, and the object for which it was created, which was
certainly for the preservation of peace, the maintenance of
friendly relations with foreign nations, and to administer home
affairs with justice and economy.
The essential basis of the Colombian Union is the acknowledgment
and protection by the general government, as well as by the
State governments, of all personal rights justly claimed by the
citizens and inhabitants of the national territory. Therefore
the chief executive insists upon respect to those rights by all
the officials of State governments. In some States where
political tactions violate or neglect those rights, the
executive laments that he has not been able to remedy the evil;
but, wherever he could, he has never ceased to try to restore
order by moral suasion. Even when the troubles first began in
Cundinamarea, he did what he could to quiet them; but all was
vain, till finally the revolution broke out in the State, on the
9th instant, and through the governor’s influence.
It is well known that he sanctioned the laws enacted by the last
assembly, as it was his duty to do; but this sanction was given
reluctantly, and he soon violated the very laws he had promised
to obey, by decrees tending to produce disturbances in every
district. Anarchy and want of confidence is the consequent
result.
In contemplating this state of affairs, the chief of the general
government omitted no peaceful effort to restore confidence and
order; but all was vain. This rebellion against the legislative
power was soon followed by resistance to the judicial power of
the State. If the governor had not interfered with State
institutions, the general government would have remained silent;
but that official forced a war between the central and State
governments, and the sad consequences of this disruption are now
anticipated. Ho not only armed his own partisans, but old rebels
who had become scandalously notorious, and marched them into the
capital of the republic, where there was nobody to fight; for
neither the judicial nor the legislative power had any armed
forces ready to resist an assault or invasion.
Thus the federal government was placed in a perilous condition;
the capital was invaded by enemies to all the principles of good
government, and the central power saw itself on the point of
being compelled to succumb.
The invading forces continued to increase in numbers and to
accumulate resources for the overthrow of the legitimate power.
The national forces were not armed; they were scattered at a
distance from the capital, and could not be readily drawn
together; if resistance was attempted, these distinct squads
would be intercepted as they came in, and all would have been
lost. In fact, the general government was besieged, and its aid
and allies could not enter.
What a trying situation for a government that had sworn to
preserve order and protect its subjects in the enjoyment of
their constitutional rights!
The capital of the republic, the residence of the diplomatic
body, to which international law and public treaties place under
the protection of the national government, and whose agents need
security in their domiciles and persons for the proper exercise
of their functions, could not submit to such indignity. And who
were these enemies! They were outlaws, who cared for no
permanent form of government, but sought perpetual changes for
the benefit of plunder. And this was dared in the face of the
federal government, by a portion of the Colombian guard, whose
duty it was to obey the constitution and protect the city!
Under a government organized in accordance with article 1,
section 8 of the
[Page 1078]
constitution, all personal rights may be considered as
sufficiently protected by State institutions. The only guarantee
that the general government can offer to these rights, according
to the federal constitution, is to cause the supreme court and
senate to suspend or repeal all legislative acts that may
trespass upon such rights. But when the local government
treacherously changes its nature, the general government, whose
duty it is to protect individual rights and social interests,
must not abandon them to a revolutionary faction, without
responsibility, depending upon the success of its arms for its
existence, and which can have no intercourse with any foreign
ministers while it is engaged in the destruction of order and
security.
For these reasons the citizen President of the Union has judged
it his duty, on the petition of the constitutional government of
Cundinamarea, and in concert with it, to disarm the partisans of
the revolution which was declared on the 9th instant in the
capital of the republic. He believes it his solemn duty to
secure order by preventing or stopping a war that would
certainly end in the ruin of the country and the destruction of
its credit; and this he hastens to accomplish in due time, and
in a manner calculated to prevent useless sacrifices of all
sorts.
The nation, which bears witness to the impartiality of the
present administration, in its attempts to preserve order and
its efforts to secure public peace, which has seen the respect
it has shown for all legitimate State governments, and which
must agree that no usurpation can be tolerated neither morally
nor constitutionally, will do justice to the plans we have
adopted in compliance with our acknowledged duty to
preservepublic peace and order. This plan consists in defending
citizens and institutions against factions attempting to impose
upon them and destroy them in an illegal manner.
The State of Cundinamarea, once more under the control of its
constitution and its legitimate rulers, continues in the full
enjoyment of self-government.