News arrived in the city ...
The Times, 1824-03-09T00:00:00

News arrived in the city yesterday, dated about the middle of October, stating that the Royalist party in Peru, under VAL'DEZ, had defeated the Constitutionalists under SAsrA Cauz-that lhe latter had lost the greater part of his army, and was retreating to ,Mosquera. When we ob- serve that this news came by the way of Spain and Gibral- tar, we-presume wve dLspose of its authenticity, or title to credit: vet was it allowed, notwithstanding its improbabi- lity, to depreciate one branch of South Amnerican Stock to the aniount of 2 per cent. The fact is, that the Spanish Governient (id all but te'l us beforehand, that they would invent a f Isehood of this kind, or engage agents to "' push " It about ," for they said some time ago, that it would soon appeir that the contest in South America was net de- cided. To this previous assurance, however, and subse- quent confirmation, wc have to oppose the words of AMr. CANxING, in the State Papers published last Friday- " That the British Government were of opinion, that any attenpt to bring Spanish America again under its anciert submission to Spain must be utterly hopeless; that all negotiation for that purpose would be unsuccess- "fal ; andl that the prolongation or renewval of war for the same obliect would be only a wvaste of human life, andl an infliction of calamity on both parties, to no end." And again, " that, cornpletely convinced that the ancient system " of the colonies could not be restored, the British Go- vernmentUould not enter into any stipulation, binding itself either to ref ise or (lelay the rec2gnition of its inde- pernderce." MAluscular motion is sometimes observed after life is extinct; and of a something sirmilar nature imay be any slight appearance of recominencing hostili- ties in Spanish South America. The war is really dead. Our Consuls are fast arriving at their posts, in the havens of the suceessful party. Since writing the above, we have received Buenos Agrer Vapers, fromr which it appears that the Gibraltar news is supported bv some authority, though certairly not of the best kind. The fiundation-of the story is the letter of the Spanish Royalist Generat OLANETA, dated La Paz, Sept. 30, and purporting to give an account of the operations of Gener;d VALDEz and other Royalist Chiefs to the middle 'rf that month. This letter is written in a style by no ieans calculated to inspire confidence in its statements. The writer. asserts that the whole of the army of General SAN-TA CRuz, 6,000 strong, dispersed before a very infe- rior force, without fighting; that SANTA CBUZ tied with a few cavalry; and that the Royalists took 1,S00 prisoners, 400 standards, and 811 the artillcy, ammunition, and bag. gage, of the Constitutionalists. The Buenos-Ayres papers assert that the story told by OLANETA is, in all the main eircumstanecs, a fabrication. They state, on the authority of private letters of later date, received from the interior of Petu, that SA:TA CRuz havingt occupied too great au ex- tent of country, received orders from General SucaLr.s to retire upon Arequipa, for the purpose of forming a junction with the main body of the Independent .rm, and that General GAM?ARRA was at the same time diTected to fall back upon MIoquegna. In executing these or(lers, occasional skirmishes took place with the eremy, in wvhich both sides sustaihed sor.e loss. The army of SANTA CRUVZ WaF, lihovever, accompanied by a number of Negroes, who, having no ahbos, were unable to march along the dif- ficult roads through which the retreat was conducted. .These men, and some-rawv recruits raised at La Paz, dis- persed, and some were taken, and others killed. On this circurnstance the R ali'ts are said to have founded the account of the 4I defeat of SANTA. CGRUZ. Th, auxiliary army of Chile was undeisfood, at the date of this affair, to have arrived at Aric, and B1OLIVAR was still at Lima. A convention had been concluded for the surrender of Montevideo to the Brazilami arway but it fr reported that the Portuguese troops, considering thetnselves comppro. mised by their zeal for the ate Conitituti6n, were afraid to return homc, aiidr had revolteet against. their General. In that case the fortrpssv would not be delivered up; but it is confessed that this report stands-in need of. c1firfnation. MIr. RonsSY, hiniste'r' Pleftipoteutiary from the United States, arrived at Buenos~Ayrcs on the 16th of November. ~~~~~. . ...... Extracts. of letters fryvn the agentr $to Lloyd'X:-"Aca- pulco, The. 15.-A-rived yesterday the Colombu2, Beresford, from Guayaquil. The. master states that the capitl of 7eru was ii -tue hlBda Qf thu IniEue 'u'd IF part of their 4 eirked for -Ark&; -t4e rer d yvag tb be kiep tn the ne b'0!irtl L-o,f; u - E l American veigel had; arri*ed-9 the t ohte4 tahen the Spanish'fag at the they 'were cruising as pnvateers;. The whole csf;J;U was in possession of the patrios; were Guayaquilna Quito." . ~ - '; ExtrcLt of a letter froni the agett t6 Lloyd's;!t AIl vaiado, date4 Jan. 3:-" Lionel Haryeyi -Coc]buVt1, 5' - Ward, Esqrs., haYe safely arrivtd at;3a>-1?a, where they were received with ever Inark -of respe4t and.i* tinction by General Guadalpe YiCtoeiL 1he Cobit in Mexico ha"Iheard with pleasure of their arat,:ai. every preparation was makingin the. c~iftl for .a im- tinguished reception.",