Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-09-15

/<SAkHNAPN SHIPS OklahOma ana Arizona anu
Y fESN% ~ special embassy headed by Albert
G&D w Douglas. France, italy and Spain al
so sent battleships; the French en-
bassy included General Mangin, the defender OF
Verdun. Great Britain sent Gen. Lord Dundonald.
grandson of that Lord Cochrane who played SO
large part in the liberation of Peru. Argentina
sent two batteshps, an embassy and a regiment
OF grenadiers, the traditional descendants of the
troops which accompanied Gen. Jose de San Mar
tin Perus liberator Eighteen nations sent EN-
bassies and thirteen others sent special missions.
Possibly the principal feature of the celebration
was the unveiling of equestrian statue Of Gen.
Jose de San Martin, (177S-1850), the Argentine
leader who was the leading figure In the campaign
for Peru's independence San Martin was born
in Argentine and served in Spain against the
French (1793-1S11), attaining the rank of heuten-
ant colonel. In 1912 he went to BuenOs Aires and
Joined the patriots who declared Argentines inde-
pendence in 1916 He did something new In
striking at the Spanish in Peru by marching over
the Andes to Chile. He declined the Office OF
supreme director of Chile after his march resulted
in that country's freedom. After his operations
had won Lima he was proclaimed supreme pro-
tectOr of Peru. He resigned the Office In 1922 and
took no further part in South American affairs.
During the celebration the Peruvian government
issued decree through President Leguia provid-
ing for the erection in Lima of a monument to
George Washington as
"A model of exemplary citizenship and In view
of the fact that the political emancipation of the
United States the forerunner of the indepen-
dence of the Hispano-American nations"
This action of the Peruvian government is we'll
taken and the decree is based historical truth.
The success of the American Revolution of 1776
and that Of France of 1888 encouraged the hopes
of the Hispano-American patriots who were
dreaming of liberty. These hopes became brighter
still upon the conquest Of Spain by France In,
1SO7-S
Moroovar tba considerations ,xbich vara forr,o1
South America during the protracted struggle
for independence from Spain often modelled
upon the Constitution of the United States It Is
true, however, that since 1880 constitutional devel
Opment In South America In general has been
away from the North American federal idea and
toward the so-called unitary system in which
large powers are vested in the national govern
ment In fact at present all the South American
constitutions are less unitary, with the
exception of those of the Argentine Republic Bra
I'll and Venezuela
In the beginning Spain entrusted the government
of Spanish America to special agents of the throne
called viceroys and captains general. Thus in IT'S
there were three viceroys in South America One
In B0gata controlled the northwest, the viceroyalty
OF New Grenada second in BuenOs Aires con-
trOlled the southeast the viceroyalty OF La Plata
The third In Lima controlled large part of the
west, the viceroyalty of Peru One captain gen
eral controlled Chile and another Venezuela. Bra
OF Spanish power. So. when the provinces began
to break away from Spain, it was those at a dis
tance from Peru that first became free.
Venezuela the first of the Spanish American
political divisions to declare its independence from
spain, in 1911 After the patriots under Simon
Bolivar had defeated the rOyalists, state known
as Great Colombia was established Ia the north !;
in 1880 it broke into three states: Venezuela
, Colombia and Ecuador
In 1915 the United Provinces of La Plata-the
historical antecedent of the Argentine Republic
adopted a declaration OF independence Then
came Peru and Bolivia BY 1881 there were ia
Spanish America nine Independent states: Ven
ezuea. Colombia. Ecuador Peru. Bolivia. Chile
Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentine Since then
the history OF these independent states has been
marked by many revolutions and dctatOrships
Since Lima was the center of Spanish power In
America. the Independence of Peru was essential
20 the continued Independence of the free states
Now In Peru, although the Creoles (American-born
Spaniards) were dissatisfied the bulk of the pop
ulatiOn not disloyal. Uprisings In 1871 and
1914 resulted only In the defeat and execution of
the leaders. Stn In 1917 Gen. Joaquin de la