Colombia was then under a one-man government, a dictatorship, founded on usurpation of absolute and irresponsible power.
She eagerly pressed us to enter into an agreement with her, as long as there was any chance of our going to the alternative route through Nicaragua.

When she thought we were committed, she refused to fulfil the agreement, with the avowed hope of seizing the French company's property for nothing and thereby holding us up.

This was a bit of pure bandit morality.

It would have achieved its purpose had I possessed as weak moral fiber as those of my critics who announced that I ought to have confined my action to feeble scolding and temporizing until the opportunity for action passed.

I did not lift my finger to incite the revolutionists.