On that occasion, for the first
time, Bolivar's facility and felicity of language failed him, and his tears
were the only expression of his feelings. He received in Quito a manifesto
issued by Paez regarding the murderous attempt of the 25th of September,
once more protesting that he was loyal to Bolivar. Again mentioning the
sword that his illustrious chief had given him, he said: "In my hands it
will always be Bolivar's sword, not my own; let his will direct it and my
arm will carry it."
La Mar, on trivial pretexts, did not surrender the city of Guayaquil, but
undertook the reorganization and enlargement of his army. Bolivar prepared
himself for new struggles, while in private he did his best to have the
capitulation fulfilled. Advancing to Guayaquil, he succeeded in recovering
without a single shot the land lost by Colombia, for La Mar had become
unpopular in Peru on account of this war and was deprived of his command
and expelled from the country. Immediately after his banishment public
feeling in Peru expressed itself freely in favor of Colombia and a friendly
arrangement was very easy. La Mar died soon after in exile, forgotten by
all.
In Guayaquil, Bolivar's life was in great danger because of very serious
illness, and his soul was sick of the unjust attacks by his enemies. In
1815 the Duke of Manchester, governor of Jamaica, had said of him that _the
flame had consumed the oil_, but at this time it was really true. Yet on
August 31st, while barely convalescing, he plunged again into activity
by issuing a famous circular asking the people to express their opinions
freely on the form of government and on the constitution to be adopted by
the next constitutional congress.
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