How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
It was his open letter of appeal that decided the candidature of Don Vincente Ribiera for the Presidency. Another of these informal State papers drawn up by Don José (this time in the shape of an address from the Province) induced that scrupulous constitutionalist to accept the extraordinary powers conferred upon him for five years by an overwhelming vote of congress in Sta. Marta. It was a specific mandate to establish the prosperity of the people on the basis of firm peace at home, and to redeem the national credit by the satisfaction of all just claims abroad. (II.1.12)
We are getting some more details about the political maneuvering that brought Don Vincente to power. Ironically enough, compared to some of the backdoor stuff we hear about in the novel, this sounds pretty tame. Basically, they had to cajole this moral, constitutionally minded person to take on the powers of the presidency, and his goal was to spread the wealth around to the people. Guzmán Bento, he was not.
Quote #8
Charles Gould's position—a commanding position in the background of that attempt to retrieve the peace and the credit of the Republic—was very clear. At the beginning he had had to accommodate himself to existing circumstances of corruption so naively brazen as to disarm the hate of a man courageous enough not to be afraid of its irresponsible potency to ruin everything it touched. It seemed to him too contemptible for hot anger even. He made use of it with a cold, fearless scorn, manifested rather than concealed by the forms of stony courtesy which did away with much of the ignominy of the situation. (II.1.17)
First of all: Wow, that first sentence is a mouthful. Did you follow all that? Okay, good. Anyway, here we get more information about Charles Gould's motivations in getting involved (but not really!) with Costaguana politics.
Quote #9
"Montero was bribable. Why, I suppose he only wanted his share of this famous loan for national development. Why didn't the stupid Sta. Marta people give him a mission to Europe, or something? He would have taken five years' salary in advance, and gone on loafing in Paris, this stupid, ferocious Indio!" (II.5.59)
These are Martin Decoud's words to Antonia. He is upset that no one thought to bribe Montero, which (we have to assume) would have been a completely reasonable thing to do in Costaguana.