It is the act of a child, Senor Andonie, to preserve your power at the expense of the Republic. It is infantile to sacrifice your nation before your presidency. Only the mind of an infant could regard those willing to forsake their personal privileges in order to uphold democracy as being "deluded". And only a true madman could see the cowering subservience of your cabinet and assert their actions were out of love and loyalty, and not self-interest. As I recall, Cesar Roseno summoned his minions in cabinet to support his bid for dominance, just as he condemned the Republicanos as agents of disorder acting against a legitimate government. You are every aspect his successor, save for his intelligence.
I care not for my life, which is forfeit. Even if there is sincerity in you offer of amnesty, the alternative would be slavery in your sham cabinet or exile. I would sooner choose death then submit to either of those ignoble and cowardly ends. Thus you can threaten me only on two counts: my reputation and my career. The former you have already smeared beyond recognition, and the latter you have destroyed. I have nothing to lose by my present course of action except my life, and nothing to gain by my surrender except the continuation of your illegitimate presidency. If I am successful, then justice will be done; if all is lost, then I shall fall with honour.
If I can achieve anything in this action, then it will be to place your name in the same company of that of Santa Anna, and thus render it synonymous with all the harshest excesses of tyranny and despotism. I have forced you to play your hand and so exposed you as a capricious and brutal autocrat, so that five years to this day when the people of Chile convene to elect a new president of the Republic, they will see only a bloodstained tyrant and traitor, who conspired against even his friends to seize power from the people.
You forget, Senor Rivera, that I stood against all the coups launched against government during my ministerial career. I have never once hesitated in my support for the Republic and for the elected government, regardless of who was at its head. The Araya affair enjoyed the sponsorship of my friend, the late Senor Cortez, and even then I did not abandon the government. I worked tirelessly to secure cooperation between the parties, even against the wishes of my friends and supporters. Despite this, I was still betrayed when it became expedient for Senor Andonie to do so - something you should bear in mind, before you start declaring unwavering loyalty to him.
- V. Severino
I care not for my life, which is forfeit. Even if there is sincerity in you offer of amnesty, the alternative would be slavery in your sham cabinet or exile. I would sooner choose death then submit to either of those ignoble and cowardly ends. Thus you can threaten me only on two counts: my reputation and my career. The former you have already smeared beyond recognition, and the latter you have destroyed. I have nothing to lose by my present course of action except my life, and nothing to gain by my surrender except the continuation of your illegitimate presidency. If I am successful, then justice will be done; if all is lost, then I shall fall with honour.
If I can achieve anything in this action, then it will be to place your name in the same company of that of Santa Anna, and thus render it synonymous with all the harshest excesses of tyranny and despotism. I have forced you to play your hand and so exposed you as a capricious and brutal autocrat, so that five years to this day when the people of Chile convene to elect a new president of the Republic, they will see only a bloodstained tyrant and traitor, who conspired against even his friends to seize power from the people.
You forget, Senor Rivera, that I stood against all the coups launched against government during my ministerial career. I have never once hesitated in my support for the Republic and for the elected government, regardless of who was at its head. The Araya affair enjoyed the sponsorship of my friend, the late Senor Cortez, and even then I did not abandon the government. I worked tirelessly to secure cooperation between the parties, even against the wishes of my friends and supporters. Despite this, I was still betrayed when it became expedient for Senor Andonie to do so - something you should bear in mind, before you start declaring unwavering loyalty to him.
- V. Severino
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