411
PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LA:111:AR
mence the good work and continue it until its successful termination is the problem.- It is. concerning these points that I desire to know the views, senti- ments and opinions of Your Excellency for the purpose of cooperating with Your Excellency in carrying into effect whatever policy Your Excellency may adopt; provided that it may seem to me conducive to the great ends of progress and welfare.- There are two truths very simple, and yet very important, which these States will have to learn and appreciate before they can realize their hopes for securing prosperity within and respectability without. First-that there can. be no prosperity, or real progress in this coun- try until the people become more enlightened than they are today. There can not be any liberty, dignity, nor respectability without en- lightenment. · Ignorance is not only a misfortune, but a disgrace; be- cause always it is the foundation of despotic governments ;-and it is a truth well-known that despotism never fails to debase the people, and destroy the energies of a nation. Intellectual enlightenment is for a nation the same thing that the great luminary of day is to the globe- the vitality of its existence; and the lack of it, is the death of all.- Second- The sword should be converted into the pruning-hook-the gun abandoned for the plow-and the money so badly spent in sup- porting a useless army, dedicated to the establishment of schools. The idea that the peace and security of Central-America depend on its mili- tary forces is the greatest of errors. If arms are necessary in order to uphold the laws, and in order to keep order among the people, then can it be said that the country is in a lamentable condition, demanding for its regeneration the most vigorous efforts of the patriot. On the contrary, if an army is maintained with increasing expenses iri time of peace, when there is no probability of war, then the nation is charged with heavy imposts and tributes for tbe maintenance of an institution demoralized in its nature, and without any other object than ostenta- tion. No powerful nation will fight with this country, except in case there should be a just and strong provocation, and when it sees itself compelled by offenses and intolerable insults, then this country will know too late that it has not the forces nor the necessary resources for a furious and prolonged war. For this reason I would say that the true policy of Central-America is, abstain from giving any causes for war-cultivate good relations with its neighbors-and do not aspire to play the role of a martial and belligerent nation; but dedicate itself with assiduity ·to the betterment of the people and to the development of the natural resources of the country. This policy, and this alone will give it security, and lead it to greatness and glory.- If these maxims are well established-if they are in reality truths- then there would be no vacillation in putting them into execution. Why should the good work of reformation be delayed? Why should it not be begun today? Always it is better to do immediately what must be done later. I do not on this account say that everything should be done in a single day. Reforms must be the work of time; it is neces- sary that they progress little by little in order that they may be firm and may not produce any evils. This I have said before. Neverthe- less, reforms must have a beginning. What are the reasons for further delay?- Does this proceed from lack of will on the part of the intelli-
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