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The trouble in Peru came when he bested its real conqueror (from the
Argentine), La Mar, in a petty triumph over adding Guayaquil to Colombia.
Bolivar wished to look triumphant again and didn't notice it really cost
him the support and Peru the support of La Mar-who understandably resigned
and went home, leaving Bolivar Peru to conquer. Unfortunately, it had
already been in his hands. La Mar needed some troops to clean up a small
Royalist army that was all. La Mar didn't need Peru's loss of Guayaquil-
which never did anybody any real good anyway!
Bolivar would become inactive when faced with two areas' worth of
problems-he did not know which way to go. So he did nothing.
Brave beyond any general in history on the battlefield, the Andes or in
torrential rivers, he did not really have the bravery needed to trust
inferior minds and stand by their often shocking blunders. He feared their
blunders. So he did not dare unleash his many willing hounds.
He could lead men, make men feel wonderful, make men fight and lay down
their lives after hardships no army elsewhere in the world has ever faced
before or since. But he could not use men even when they were begging to be
used.
It is a frightening level of bravery to use men you know can be cruel,
vicious, and incompetent. He had no fear of their turning on him ever. When
they finally did only then he was shocked. But he protected "the people"
from authority given to questionably competent men. So he really never used
but three or four generals of mild disposition and enormously outstanding
ability. And to the rest he denied power. Very thoughtful of the nebulous
"people" but very bad indeed for the general good. And it really caused his
death.
No. Bolivar was theatre. It was all theatre. One cannot make such errors
and still pretend that one thinks of life as life, red-blooded and factual.
Real men and real life are full of dangerous, violent, live situations and
wounds hurt and starvation is desperation itself especially when you see it
in one you love.
This mighty actor, backed up with fantastic personal potential, made the
mistake of thinking the theme of liberty and his own great role upon the
stage was enough to interest all the working, suffering hours of men, buy
their bread, pay their whores, shoot their wives' lovers and bind their
wounds or even put enough drama into very hard pressed lives to make them
want to live it.
No, Bolivar was unfortunately the only actor on the stage and no other
man in the world was real to him.
And so he died. They loved him. But they were also on the stage too,
where they were dying in his script or Rousseau's script for liberty but no
script for living their very real lives.
He was the greatest military general in any history measured against his
obstacles, the people and the land across which he fought.
And he was a complete failure to himself and his friends.
While being one of the greatest men alive at that. So we see how truly
shabby others in leaders' boots amongst men must be.
MANUELA SAENZ
The tragedy of Manuela Saenz as Bolivar's mistress was that she was
never used, never really had a share and was neither protected nor honored
by Bolivar.
Here was a clever, spectacular woman of fantastic fidelity and skill,
with an enormous "flaire", capable of giving great satisfaction and
service. And only her satisfaction ability was taken and that not
consistently nor even honestly.
In the first place, Bolivar never married her. He never married anybody.
This opened up a fantastic breach in any defense she could ever make
against her or his enemies who were legion. So her first mistake was in not
in some way contriving a marriage.