Grenadine Confederation
Statement by president Ospina in an almost empty Congress session, April 15, 1861
"To the few Congressmen who accompany us today, I will address the grave situation found on the North of the hemisphere. That of our Northern brothers that find themselves in the brink of a bloody conflict, just as we may be; I will also address our own situation, for we are in a state of war that has reignited in an unjust manner.
Since 1851 we have rejected the most treacherous of institutions that have plagued the freedoms of man, that of slavery of many. Of complete property of their bodies, minds and work. Although this measure has faced trouble in some regions by former owners, some of which share my ideologies of Conservatism, it is not without any restraint that we support the Union, the Northern brothers, in spirit. If not, it'd be merely hypocritical of us to support a country that goes against our own laws. Although we support the Union, let it be known it is only a nod, for we will not intervene among the war of brothers nor can we send troops, for we have so little of them. We wish, however, peace for the whole of the Western hemisphere, be it in the North, South or among us.
Among us, as well, has bred conflict. The days of old in which we fought, that had eroded the Gran Colombia and were its downfall may be repeating once again. General Mosquera had rebelled a year ago, marching across the deep mountains with his men in a violent manner in a reaction to our justified actions, which sought the unity that Bolívar would have wanted for this country. He marched, and was defeated in the battle of El Observatorio, where conditions of surrender were signed by him and he went back to his homeland. Yet it was not with honor that he marched, for he rearmed himself and once again came back. And he came back stronger than we expected, for only a defeated man can resurge from his shame and embrace dishonor; dishonor which has guided his actions.
His army is kilometers away, gentlemen, you can hear the bullets whizzing in the air as men die for our cause. It has been an honor to be reunited with my brothers in arms but the government must withstand. The capital has fallen. But we WILL come back, I assure you. A few of my trusted generals, my family and I are moving to Santander, further North, like the Union that finds itself fighting for the unity of its country, and will set up headquarters there.
I bid you farewell. Hold the line, gentlemen."
As the 16.000 men left on the government's army marched to the Northern regions, the garrison on Congress was quickly dispatched and General Tomás Mosquera marched inside, setting a provisional government and declaring Bogotá a federal city. President Mariano Ospina set the capital of the Confederation temporarily on Socorro, as he planned a counterattack against Mosquera's stronger forces...