The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1899-02-16

snip was so called In honor of The Chilean
Washington. the father of his country.
bernardo OHiggns, His statue stands In
nearly every city OF the great southern
republic; there is a province and a city
named in his honor. The ship for which
Uncle Sam Is negotiating is the second
TO bear the name The first was the
Maria Isabella of forty-cignt guns after
its capture from the Spanish in 1913.
No name I'm Chilean history IS as IA
nous as that Of O'Hggins, the man whose
military genius made possible freedom
from the Spanish. Like Washington, no
was 'hrst In pea CO" as well as FIRST in
war" He was a statesman who for ten
years after Independence molde1 the des-
TIMES OF the young republic. Equal to
Bolivar or San Martin as a soldier. says
the Chicago Times-Horal in all South
America there has been no one to rank
with O'Higgins In craftsmanship ana wise
direction OF affairs of a nation during a
most critical period
To the average man who knows no
more of Chilean history than Of the his
tory of Japan under its first emperor
OHiggins seems a strange name Tor a
Chilean. But OHiggns was Chilean,
born In the country for which he fought
so calamity and effectively. His irish
name betrays his Irish ancestry His IA
Their. Ambrosio O'Hggins, was one or
the race OF adventurous soldiers of for
tune who have furnished all Europe with
generals. lrelf nd gave MacMahon and
Sarsfield to France ODonnell and q Don.
ahue TO Spain and Higgins to South
America.
Ambrosio O'Higgins was the humblest
In birth of all these Adventures, and tho
only one sprung from the laboring class.
Yet at his death he wns Marquis de
OSomo, grandee OF Spain and vlceroy OF
Peru, over the whole Of the western coast
OF South America.
No one to-day knows even the name OF
Ambrosio's mother. He himself was ig-
norant OF his parentagc, nor did he know
the year OF his birth, although he be-
leved himself to have been born about
ITO In the County of Meath. His name
was really Higgins. and he adopted the
20" as a title of nobility like the "y' in
Spain or the de" before French patro-
nymics. His uncle was a Jesuit priest,
and at an early age he was sent to Cad,z
to study for the prizes rood. But the quiet
life was distasteful, I'd when old enougr
to escape from the monastery, he shipped
on vessel bound to the Eldorado OF
South America. There was no gold for
him In the land and he became a ped
der trading over Venezuela and Peru.
Finally he went to Chile. While there he
proposed to open road across Tie An
des between Chile and Mendoza. His
plan was accepted. and he was appo,uttd
TO take charge of the work. While thus
engaged he and his men were attacked
by the Indians. and the military skill he
displayed led to his appointment as n
captain in the cavalry, By humanity and
benevolence he gained the good will of
the Indians, and recovered the territory
that had been taken from the Spaniards.
These services led to his appoint ment as
a colonel. Then his rise was rapid He
became a L4ajor general and later cap
tain general OF Chile, and In 1913 vas
made viceroy of Peru. which post he held
until his death In 1901.
Bernardo. his natural son, saw little OF
his father in his boyhood He was born
in the year that the United States of
America declared their independence OF
England. His childhood was passed In
the hacienda of Juan Jacobo Alhano con-
fdential servant of Ambroslo. in the
vicinity OF Talco. His first studies were
with the missionary Francisco Javier RAJ
mirez; at the early age of nine he was
sent by his father to Lima and enrolled
In tho Collegio del Principe, the best
school of South America. When he was
fifteen years Of age his father sent him
to Spain, and he made the long Journey
and landed al Cadiz, where he was VI der
the tutelaRe of the Chilean, Nicholas de
la Cruz. His tutor sent him to England
where he was apprenticed to a Arm OF
years he lived in absolute obseurlty, being
forced to work hard. by order of his
father, who had determined that no
should make his own way in the world
So In October. 179S when at Margate he
had squandered his earnings and asked
support OF his employers. they refused It
and disowned him. In vain he appealed
TO his guardian at Cadz. For year he
lived precarious life In England. and
then shipped as sailor on vessel bound
to Spain. After some months at Cadz
he secured passage on vessel bound for
Lima. where he returned after his faith
ers death. He went to live on one of his
fathers estates, and entered the military
service of Spain.
While OHiggins was project In the ISL
ana OF Laja the independence of Chile
was declared. Sept. IS 1910 Revolutions
were then in progress all over South
America. Napoleon was really responsi-
BILE for the freedom of South America
His conquest of Spain weakened tho
power Of the home government for
though loyalty might be felt toward the
legitimate monarch, none was due to Jo-
seph Bonaparte, made king by conquer
ing foreigner,
The direct causes of the revolution were
not unlike those in North America. ex-
cept that they were more aggravated.
while on the other hand, the Spani
colonies chung more closely to the home
government and sought redress longer
before freeing themselves from the gall
ing yoke.
ances. The Chilcans petitioned in vain
to be allowed to plant and cultivate
whatever their soil and climate would
produce; to open their ports to all ma
lions: to have free trade among them
selves and betv sen the colonies and the
mother country: TO have all monopoles
In favor of the king and the public treas
uries suppressed to have free working OF
quicksilver mines: to make Spanish
Americans eligible equally with Spaniards
to all appointments of rank and EN-
ployment; to have consulting juntas
formed in each capital to the intent that
they might propose persons to till va
cancies
Patriots planned freedom as soon az
the news " The change of government
at home s.ned Chile. They were ar
rested snd finished. Then came the
news of the victo'te of tie 1evolutionists
under San Martin in Buenos Ayres, and
congress net on Sept. Is, 1910. and de-
clared Chile free placing the government
in the hands OF q ju ia.
The Chilean revolution was easy. and
the two regiments raised by o'HiRgirs
had but little to do. The chief difficulties
VI ehN NAAAiAidSt WIN were concerned In I
1t. In spite Of the control exercised nv
the officials 1t proved that the Spanish
troops in Chile We're not strongly at
tached to the home government and they
themselves deposed their CAPTAIN genera,
and replaced him by one favorable n tha
revolution.
But hardly had independence been won
when Chile was distracted by the strife
OF parties. The leaders were Rozss
r 4wyer, ana Jose carrera, soldier Their
war Then Bernardo o'Higrins cane ~
.ne front. acted as mediator between the
rlval eniefs and each was given a half OF
me NE ambitious Cairera declared him
selI dictator in 1872, and there were more
Iactional auarrels from which oHieaIns
held himself aloof Aeeins
me Spanish yIceroy of Peru in the
G eany parI OF 1913. attempted to regain
Inlie Tor spain. Pareja. the royalist gem
s era, Won the first battle at Talcahuana.
Anls was followed BY. sklrmishes with the