Evening star., 1868-09-29
A REMARKABLE MAN.

We mentioned. In a brief paragraph, few
days ago that Colonel SarmIento. recently
elected President of Buenos Ayres, had been
0uly installed IN that position. His name is
familiar TO public men in this country, and
particularly IN this city, where be resided for
some time as Minister OF the Argentine Repub-
lie. His career has been a most remarkable
one. Prom his biography prefxed by Mrs
Mann to her translation of Life in the Argen-
tine Republic we learn that Don Sarmiento
was born at San Juan, the capital of the prov
ince Of that name, on the eastern skirts of the
Andes, in ISL His family was descended
from Saracen chief of the twelfth Century
and when IN -Ioio he visited AIgiers for the
purpose OF seeing Arabian life he found his
family name familiar to TIE people, and was
himself mistaken for an Arab. He was early
initiated into the knowledge OF military tactics
'ho nlahPu'res, and was scarcely eighteen
when he threw himself into the midst of a cam
paign, fighting with demoniae fury. At the
same time he pursued his stadies with untir
ing yigor, learning French from a soldier of
Napoleon with such success that in six weeks
from the beginning he had translated twelve
volumes.
Soon after he emigrated TO Chill, in order to
escape the fearful tyranny that then prevailed
IN san Juan. At first he tried his hand AT
with a small capital which had been raked
and seraped together by his family; was after
ward commercial clerk at Valparaiso. and
then major -domo Of mines in Copiapo. While
IN Valparaiso earning an ounce a MONTH he
paid half of il to Rickard, the English profess
sor, and two reals a week to the watchmau of
the ward to wake him At two in the morning
for his English studies. Saturday nights he
passed without sleep, TO exc out the leisure of
SUNDAY. During this period he translated at
the rate OF volume day the sixty volumes of
Sir Walter SCOTS novels, beside other works
When the labor OF the mining day was over,
he met IN a certain kitchen, where they par.
took OF refreshment, other Argentine major
domos, fcrernen and laborers, exiles like him.
self, to discuss politics.
In 1885 he returned to san Juan. with i'm
paired health, destitute OF resourceJ and
scarcely known to any one, as his old friends
We're still in exile. His superior intelligence
soon brought him into notice, and he took his
place among men OF mark and education. His
liberal ideas soon got him INTO trouble with the
Government, and he was compelled agaln to
emigrare to Chill. He took the editors hip of
the Valparaiso Mercury, the only journal in
Chill, which he carried through the political
campaign OF that year. He eagerly devoted
himself TO the Improvement of popular educl-
ton, and founded the first normal school that
was opened on this side the Atlantic. After an
extensive tour in Europe be came 20 the United
States BY the aid of Mr.. Mann he studied the
common school system of Massachusetts, and,
on his return TO Chilli, introduced it there with
great effect.
In l-5l he left Chill and joined the army of
General UrqulZa, who was about TO open the
campaign against Rosas, but soon became dis
uusrul OF Urqulza, ard, abandoning the cause
OF That ambitious chieftain, returned to Chill.
In 1854 he took up his residence in Buenos
Ayrss as private citizen, but was soon made
director Of the Department of Schools and
councillor OF the Municipality, and succeeded
IN introducing the Massachusetts, system of
common schools into Buenos Ayres, obtained
liberal grant for its support from the Govern
ment, and erected splendid building for a
Model School, which wa- said by Mr. Ban
ward, the architect of schooI-houses in France,
TO be superior to anything in France in archi-
lecture, apparatus, and luxury Of appliances
for the education of the people. The furniture
and apparatus were procured in the United
States. In 1s60, when Sarmiento left Buenos
Ayres, there were more than IL 7OOO children In
the schools Nor were his labors confined to
the cause of education. In 1858 he was elected
Senator. and since then has taken an active
part IN political life.