Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-05-20
THE Q,HlCClNS.
why n Celtic Name Was Given to the
Great Gillian Cruiser.


Many persons are at loss 20 I'M
derstand how it happens that Chill
has u cruiser which bears the decided
ly Irish name O'Higgins,
Our own government, as We know,
has attempted to purchase this excel.
lent cruiser which has just been COM
pleted in England. The name O'Hig-
gins is held in affection and reverence
in Chill. 1t is said that she would
have sold us this cruiser had 1t borne
any other name, but the Chilians will
never part with cruiser named in
honor Of one of her best beloved pa
tiiots.
There were two famous O'Higgins.
Bernardo, the more famous, was the
natural son of Ambrosio ii. O'Higgins,
who was known in County Meath, ire
land, where he was born, rs Ambrose
Higgins.
This Higgins was educated in Cadiz
by his uncle, priest, When he
reached manhood he went to South
America to make his fortune. This
was in 1850. He landed at Buenos
Ayres, put all the money he had into
q peddler's stock, aud with that
strapped to his back tramped over the
Andes.
It was his good fortune to reach
Chill in the midst Of revolution.
Like a genuine Irishman, he took a
hand in the fight at once. He proved
the best fighter of the lot, rose rapid
ly, aud in 1888 became captain general
OF Chill.
Then he tackled the 80" to his
name. He received the highest title
the country could confer, and was
subsequently appointed viceroy Of
Peru, holding which office he died at
Lima in 1901.
Bernardo O'Higgins, the more ia
nous son Of famous father, WINS born
at Chillan, Chill, August 90 1916.
He was educated in England, where
he remained until 1902, when he re-
turned to Chill. His father died the
year before. O'Higgins became in
volved at once in the revolutionary
plots of the time. In 1910 he was al
ready leader of tho Revolutionary
party. When it obtained control of
the government he was appointed to
the command Of the army, succeed
ing Carrera, who then took the field
to overthrow the government, accord
ing to the usual course of things in
that period But Spanish army
crossing the border from Peru, the
rivals agreed to combine their forces
and wage war on the common enemy.
Carrera, however, failed to cooperate
with O'Higgins at u critical stage OF
the campaign was openly charged
with treachery afterward- and the
army led by O'Higgins was complete
ly routed by Osorio at Rancagua.
| The country was abandoned to the
| Spaniards, the Chilians retreating in
broken battalions over the Andes.
O'Higgins then offered his services
TO San Martin, who had collected an
army at Mendoza. The patriots in
vaded Chill early in 1877, andon Feb
ruary II of that year, great battle
was fought at Chacabuco, where Hig-
gins, heading desperate charge,
turned defeat into brilliant victory.
The occupation of Santiago followed,
and San Martin declining to accept
the responsibilities of Office, OHig.
gins became supreme director OF Chill,
which was another name for dictator.
In six years he had driven the last
Spanish force out of the country.
Bernardo O'Higgins was very able
man. Under his rule Chill developed
rapidly. He was finally overthrown
by his old rival, Carrera, and disap-
peared from public life in 1923. He
went to Lima, and lived in seclusion.
dying there October "a, 1912.
O'Higgins struck Spain many q
hard blow, and cruiser used against
Spain could bear no name more mp.
propriate than his. Atlanta Constitu.