Nostromo - A Tale of the Seaboard.pdf - Planet eBook

scribed in Guzman Bento’s time) there was another of thosegreat orations, when Don Jose greeted these old emblemsof the war of Independence, brought out again in the nameof new Ideals. The old idea of Federalism had disappeared.For his part he did not wish to revive old political doctrines.They were perishable. They died. But the doctrine ofpolitical rectitude was immortal. The second Sulaco regiment,to whom he was presenting this flag, was going toshow its valour in a contest for order, peace, progress; forthe establishment of national self-respect without which—he declared with energy—‘we are a reproach and a bywordamongst the powers of the world.’Don Jose Avellanos loved his country. He had servedit lavishly with his fortune during his diplomatic career,and the later story of his captivity and barbarous ill-usageunder Guzman Bento was well known to his listeners.It was a wonder that he had not been a victim of the ferociousand summary executions which marked the course ofthat tyranny; for Guzman had ruled the country with thesombre imbecility of political fanaticism. The power of SupremeGovernment had become in his dull mind an objectof strange worship, as if it were some sort of cruel deity. Itwas incarnated in himself, and his adversaries, the Federalists,were the supreme sinners, objects of hate, abhorrence,and fear, as heretics would be to a convinced Inquisitor. Foryears he had carried about at the tail of the Army of Pacification,all over the country, a captive band of such atrociouscriminals, who considered themselves most unfortunate atnot having been summarily executed. It was a diminish-