The Sun.
London, England, 1824-06-08 00:00:00

P E It U.

We extract the following from a Buenos Ayres
Paper of the, Bth of March:—
" On the evening of the 24, there arrived at guenos Aires a
courier extraordinary, sent by the principal Commissioner to
the Spanish Authorities at Peru, Don Juan Gregoria La'
Heras, with an official dispatch, of which the following is a
copy :

" SALTA, FEB. 23, 1824.—The General Commissioner to
the Authorities of his Christian Majesty in Peru transmits in
a positive manner, for the information of his Government, the
interesting details which he has just learned of the late events
in this country. On the 20th of January, General Olaneta
returned to Potosi, after pursuing the patriot Lanza with
all his division, composed of the battalions of the Union
and Chicas, two squadrons of dragoons, and some artillery.
On the 21st he demanded, by letter, of the Governor and
General Las Heras, 38,000 dollars to pay the troops; and
Las Heras having protested that he had not such a sum, he
began to urge him officially, in an insulting manner. The Go-
vernor then offered him 10,000 dollars down, promising to put
him in possession of the rest on the following day. General
Olaneta declined this proposition in Coto. Insults and quarrels
took place between the officers and those of the garrison, one
acting as Royalists' the other as Constitutionalists. General
Las Heras received notice in the night of the 21st, that there
was a plot to seize his person in order to behead him, and im-
mediately he took* possession with his garrison of the fortified
Castle of the Mint, where he established his advanced posts. At
six o'clock on the morning of the 22d, General Olaneta was in-
formed that the Constitutional flag was there flying : he imme-
diately ordered his troops to occupy the heights I • and when his
advanced parties were fired at from the Castle of the Mint, he
made a vigoroui assault, which lasted till 12 o'clock at noon ;
when,having determined to force the trenches,they compelled I.as
Heras to mount a flag of truce,and hostilities ceased. The Consti-
tutional General demanded to be allowed to retire with his troops,
the honours of war, and the money at that time in the Mint. The
Royalist General assented to the first proposition only. On the
strength of this he went away on the 25th to the distance of five
leagues, in order that Las Heras might go away freely, which
took place accordingly. Olaneta returned, and took upon
himself the command, although lie averred that he had ap-
pointed as Governor one Archindo, an emigrant from Salta.--
This, however, is certain, that several of the principal merchants
of Potosi emigrated with Las Herat:, and up to the 7th of the
present month the shops and public warehouses remain shut.
—lt is also certain, that the 400 men with whom the Constitu-
tional Chief departed conspired to desert to the Royalist Gene-
ral, the former having arrived at Oruro with 18 soldiers. The
killed on the day of encounter amounted to 50 on both sides.
" General Olaneta, in consequence of a communication from
General Maroto, the President of Chuquisaca; professing that
he would not recognize any authority but that of the Viceroy,
ordered on the sth of this month all his division to get under
arms, and on the 7th he put himself at their head. The results
of this second enterprise are still pending; but it will not be
difficult for the General Commissioner to learn them, and
transmit them for the information ofhis Government. General
Maroto is preparing for the attack, having fortified himself
in Chuquisaca. His force consists of six companies of the re-
giment of Ferdinand VII., the squadron of Laguna, and
some artillery. Olaneta will conduct his operations with his
division of 2,500 men, with more than two companies of in-
fantry, and three of cavalry, which were under the orders of
Colonel Marquiegui, before the advanced ports of Quisca and
Taleria ; and if the results of this enterprise are successful,
he will be in a respectable situation. It is also affirmed,
that Aguilera, Governor of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, with 800
men ; Mendizabal and Ymas de la Paz, with 400 ; and Somo-
cusio de Cochabamb with 600, are royalists and entirely under
the influence of Olaneta. This being the case, the Viceroy
will be in great difficulty. On both sides are elements for the
continuation of war, which cannot terminate until one or other
is put an end to. What corroberates this assertion is, that
(Menem has adopted this system in the firm persuasion that
La Serna has deprived him of the right of Viceroy from Chusco
to the limits Of the United Provinces of Rio de la Plata, with
which his nation has honoured him. According tsi the letter
of Olaneta to his wife, in Tupiza, he was not afraid of the
Aricersy, because, as he says, he thinks it of great conse-
quence to wait on the coast of Lima. In spite of this, the
Commissioner-General knows, by a dispatch worthy of
credit, that the regiment of the Viceroy's guard was march-
ing against Olaneta. The proclamation, too, of the Royalist
General to the people of Peru was printed at Potosi, and
published at Tupiza, amidst the ringing of bells. It alone is
sufficient to give a general idea of the ignominious yoke which
these unfortunate countries endured. Besides being governed
by an absolute military force, they were ground down by the
most degrading oppression. The Commissioner-General is
bound to represent, that the town of Potosi evinced in the above-
mentioned event an impartial conduct, and to state in conclu-
sion that the Viceroy of Peru is exhausted of resources; that
the exhorbitant contributions which the towns are forced to
pay, are not sufficient to supply hiit necessities, and that by this
means the whole army subsists upon half-pay. The Com-
missioner-General to the authorities of the King of Spain, in
Upper Peru, presents to the Minister of the Government his
respects, and salutes him with all consideration.
(Signed) " JUAN GREGORIO DE LAS LIBRAS.
" Addressed to the Minister Secretary of the Govern-
ment and foreign relations of Buenos Ayres."
The following is the proclamation of the servile General
Olaneta, to which reference has been made by General Las
Heras
GENERAL OLANETA TO THE PEOPLE OF PERU.
" I address you for the first time, and I have no doubt that
you will attend to my words. lam not accustomed to any
other language than of truth ; and truth constitutes my cha-
racter. Adhering to the principles of the religion in which I
was educated from my infancy, and faithful to my Sovereign
from inclination anti conviction, it is not possible for me any
longer to disguise the scandalous corruption in which a few in-
novators endeavour to plunge you. They have thrown out all
the venom of the false philosophy which they concealed in their
hearts ; they endeavoured to persuade you of your own happi-
ness when they were farthest from wishing to secure it. You have
hitherto resisted their arts; but there are some among you, who,
renouncing their first principles, have adopted the pernicious
maxims of your impious masters. Thus they have triumphed
over your weakness, and your seduction has been followed by
bitter fruits. You are -witnesses of this, and you lament with me
a misfortune whichyouhad it not in your power to prevent. Reli.
gion and the King.;--these most:sacred objects—havebeen shame-
fully profaned at public meetings, and even by the vilest persons.
It has even been an object of pride to depreciate them, and the
toleration and connivance of the authorities have encouraged
the iniquity of this horrid crime I shall not dwell upon the
contempt with which the tenples and the priesthood have been
treated, nor recal to Catholic communities for their shame that
they have been mute spectators of the most sacrilegious fana-
ticism, showing, in conclusion, that impiety and unbridled
licentiousness, hatred of the King, a total overthrow of order,
and the most arbitrary violence, have been the characteristics
of their vaunted liberalism. Fortunately the most decided
partisans of this system, destructive of Christian morals, of
your ancient customs, and of your future felicity, have disap-
peared : they go loaded with confusion and opprobrium ; and
these unclean plants will not return to disgrace this soil.

_ .
'.` Peruvians, you owe this great blessirik to Providence, who
always watches for your good, and who desired to place you
under the protection of the division commanded by me, before
it was dispersed and destroyed by the faction of the chiefs who
conspired against its existence and mine. What were the
wishes of this, may be easily conceived by you. My soldiers
and I labour with heroic enthusiasm for religion, for the King,
and for the rights of the Spanish nation, to which we have the
honour to belong. This has been our watchword, and these
the only objects to which my endeavours have been directed.
To obtain them with all possible advantages, I exact from yr
no sacrifice; the union of your sentiments with mine is
only aid I require; if you grant them Me, lending your_eobe-
dience to the legitimate authorities, we shall have triurriph (
1
you will be happy ; I shall have the glory of Consolidating the
true felicity of the people of Peru ; and to us all will remain
thewe a
immortalre
inspired b
satisfactiony Gm
of
,thehavingK
infgul.filled the duties with
and
s°cietY/
• " PEDRO ANTONIO DE OLAETA.
E' 11nd-quarters at Potosi, Feb. 4,
•
which
ON."