Page 341 - Vida y Obra de Vizcardo Guzman - Vol-1

Nueva Colección Documental de la Independencia del Perú
Vida y obra de Juan Pablo Viscardo y Guzmán
have equally succeeded to establish their liberty and independence, with the
general applause of the world, and to the benefit of their inhabitants, when
each of them, separately, scarcely contained two or three millions of people;
why them shall we, who are at the least sixteen millions, not be able easily to
extricate ourselves! possessing, besides, over and above those considerations,
the most fertile inexhaustible, and rich continent in the known world! the fact
is, that it depends solely upon our own will — and that the will, progressing
to our independence, Union will assure to us permament and perpetual hap-
piness; the divine Providence odains to alleviate the miseries of our unhappy
countrymen, and for the protection, and benefit of the human species!
Those people who are timorous or less instruted, and who wish to in-
form themselves of the ground-work of the justice and equity which those
proceedings require — joined to the historical truths that prove the inconcei-
vable ingratitude, unheard of cruelties, and atrocius prosecution of the Spa-
nish Government towards the innocent and unhapy inhabitance of the New
World, almost from the moment of its discovery will read the subjoined ad-
dress of Don Juan Viscardo, of the order of Jesus, directed to his countrymen,
and they will find in it irefragable proof and solid arguments in favour of our
cause, dictated by a Holy Man at a time when he was about taking his leave of
this world, to appear before the Creator of the Universe.
To carry this plan into its due effect with security and efficacy, the citi-
zens will be obliged, without distinction of classes or station (Eclesiastics only
excepted, in the parts where they may be appointed), to confor themselves
strictly to the following articles:
The articles are ten in number.
By the first, all officers acting under authority, granted by the Cour of
Madrid, are to suspend their functions.
By the second the Ecclesiastical and judicial Cour, are to exercise their
functions 2d. interim.
By the third, such courts are to send deputies to the army to unite in a
genera assembly on their arrival in the capital and there to form a provisional
Government.
By the fourth, all citizens, from 16 to 55, are to repair to the army.
By the 5th., all who make common cause with the agents of the spa-
nish Government, or who may be found encamped or in garrison, shall be
treated as traitors.

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