Peru.
The Times, 1824-06-08T00:00:00

mThe followring account of the disunion ainong the Royalist party in Peru. is ,from a Buenos Ayres paper of the 8th of Alarch.I On the evening of the 2d, there arrived at Buenos Ayres, a courier extraoidisary, sent by the principal Commissioner to the Spanish authorities at Peru, Don Juan Gregorio Las Heras, with an officida despatch, of wvhich the folloviing is a copy:- "SALTA, Feb. 23,1824. " The General Corimissioner to the Authoritices of his Christian Majesty in Pera transmits in apositive manner, for the information of his Government, the ibterestingdetails which hehasjust learned of the late events in this cdtintry. On the 20th of January, Gene- rlaOlaiReta returned to Potosi, after pursuing the patriot Lanza with aU his division, composed of the battalions of the Union and Chicas, two squadrons of dragoons,and someartillery. On the 21st he demand- ed, by letter,ofthe Governor and General Las leras, 38,000 dollars to pay the troops; and Las Heras having protested that he had not -such a sum, he began to urge him officially, in an insulting manner. The Governor then offered him 10,000 dollars down, promising to put him in possession of the rest on the following day. Geheral Olaneta declined this proposition in'toto. Insults aad quarrels took place between the officers and those of the garrison, one acting as RoYaIists, the other as Constitutionalists. Genera' Las Heras received notice in the night of the 21st, that tbere vas a plot to seize his person in order to behead himn, and inimediatecly he took possession withihisgarrironof thefortifiedC'astleof the iint,,vhere he established his advanced posts. At six o'clock nn the morning of the 22d, General Olaneta was informed that the Constitutional flag was there flying: he immediately ordered his troops to occupy the heights; and when his advanoed parties were fired at from the Castle of the Alint, he made a vigorous assault, which lasted til 12 o'clock at noon; when, having determined to force the trerches,they compelled Las Heras to mount a flag of trace, and hostilities ceased. The Con- 5titutional General demanded to be allowed to retire witli his troops, the honours of war, ancd the money at that time i;t the Mlint. The Royalist General assented to the first propesition only. On the strenigth of this he went away on the 25th to the distance of five leagues, in order that Las lieras might go away freely, which took place accordingly. Olanera returned, and took upon himself the command, although he averred that he had appointed as Governor one Arclindo, an emigrant from Salta. This, however, is certain, that several of the principal merchants of Potosi emijriaea with Las Heras, and up to the 7th of the present month the shops and public warehouses remain shut. It is also certain, that the 400 men with whom the Constitutional Chief departed conspired to desert to the Royalist General, the former having arrived at Oruro with 18 sol- diers. The killed on the day of the encounter amounted to 50 on both sides. " General Olaneta, in consequence of a communication from Ge- neral Maroto. the President of Chuquisaca, professing that he would not recognize any authority but that of thc Viceroy, ordered on the 5th of this month all his division to get under arms, and on the 7th he put himself at their head. Tile results of this second enterprisc are still pending; but it will not be difficult for the General Com- missioner to learn them,and transmit them for the information of his Government. General lIaroto is preparing for the attack, having fortileda himself in Chuquisaca. His force consists of six companies of the regiment of Ferdinand VII., the squadron of Laguna, and some artilery. O!aneta will conduct his operations with his division of 2,500 men, with more than two companies of infantry, and three of cavalry, which were under the orders of Colonel ilarquiegui, be- fore the advanced ports of Quiaca and Taleria; and if the results of ihis enterprise are successful, he will be in a respectable situation. It is also affirmed, that Aguilera, Governor of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, with 800 men; Alendizabal and Ymas de la Paz, with 400; and Somocusio de Cochabamba with 600, are royalists and entirely under the influence of Olaneta. This being the case, the Viceroy vwll be in great difficulty. On both sides are elements for the continuation of war, which cannot terminate until one or other is put an end to. lrWhat corroborates this assertion is, that Olaneta has adopted this system in the firn persuasion that La Serna has deprived him of the right of Viceroy from Chusco to the limits of the United Provinces of Rio de la Plata, witlh which his nation has honourei him. According to the letter of Olaneta to his wife, in Tupiza, he was not afraid of the Viceroy, because, as lie says, he thinks it of great consequence to wait on the coast of Lim7. In spite of this, the Commissioner-.General knows, by a de- spatch worthy of credit, that the reeiment of the Viceroy's guard was marching against Olaneta. The proclamation, too, of the Rozalist General to the people of Peru was printed at Potosi, an published at Tupiza, amidst the ringing of bells. It alone is sufficient to give a general idea of the igno'.ninious yoke whici these unfortunate countries endured. Besides being governed by an absolute military force, they were ground down bv the most degrading oppression. The Commissioner-General is bound to represent, that the tovrn of Potosi evinced in tbe above- mentioned event an impartial conduct, and to state in conclusion that the Viceroy of Peru is exhausted of resources; that the exor- bitant contrbutions which the towns are forced to pay, are not suf- ficient to supply his necessities, and that by this meaans the whole army subsists upon half-pay. The Commissioner-General to the authorities of the Kving of Spain, inI Unper Pert, presents to the inisterof the Governmtent his respects, and salutes him with all consideration. Signed) JUAN GREGORIO DE LAS HERAS. *'Adressect to the illinister Secretary of the Govern- mzeat and foreign relations of Buenos Avres." The following is the proclamation of the servilc General Olaneta, to which reference has been made by General las Heras :_ (iENTRAL OLANETA TO THEE PEOrLE OF PERU. I address you for the first time, and I have no doubt that you will attend to my words. I am not accustomed to any other language than that oftruth; and truth constitutes my character. Adhering to the principles of the religion in which I was educated from mv infancy, and faithful to mvSovereign from inclination and conviction, it is notpossible form e aniy longer to disguise the scandalous corrup- tion in which a few innovators endeavour to plunge you.. They have thrown out all the venom of the false philosophy which they con- cealed in their hearts; theyendeavoured topersuadeyou of your own happiness when they were farthest from wishing to secure it. You have hitherto resisted their arts; but there are some among you, who, renouncing tbeir first principles, have adopted the liernicous maxims of your impious masters. Thus they have triumphed over your weakness, and your seduction has been followed by bitter fruits. You are witnesses of this, and you lament with me a tmis- fortune which you had it not in your power to prevent. Religion and the King--these most sacred objects_-have heen shamefully pro- faned at public mectihgs, and even by the vilcst rpersons. It has even been an object of pride to depreciate tijem, and the tolera- tion and connivance of the authorities have encouragedthe iniquitv ot this horrible crime. I shall not dwell upon the conterpt with which the temples and the priesthood have been treated, nor recal to Ca- tholic communities for their shame that thue have been mute specta- tors of the mnost sacrilegious tanaticism, 'showing, in conclusion, that impiety and unbridled licentiousness, hatred of the King, a total overthrow of order, and the most arbitrary violence, have been the characteristics of their vaunted liberalisns. Fortunately the most dlecided partisans of this system, destructive of Christian niorals, of youranctent customs, and of your future fe,icity, have disappeared: they go loaded with confusion and opprobrium; and these unclean pltnts will not return to disgrace this soil. " Peruvians,youowe this great blessing to Providexce,whoalways watches, for your good, and who desired to place you under the protection of the division commanded by me, before it was dispersed and destroyed by the faction of the chiefs who conspired against its existence and mine. What were the wishesof this, may be easily conceived by you. My soldiers and I labour with heroic enthu- siasmii for religion.for the Kiing, and for therights of the Spanish na- tion, to which we have thie honour to belong. This has been our watchword, and these the only objects to which my endeavours have been directed. To obtain them with all possible advantages, I exact from you no sacrifice; the union of vour sentiments witl mine is the only aid I require; if you grant them me, lending your obedience to the legitimate authorities, we sjhall hIaveetri- umphed; you will be happy; I ssalahave the glory of consolidat- ing the true felicity of the peoplo of Peru ; and to us all will re- main the immortal satisfaction of having fulfilled the duties with which we are inspired bv God, the King, and society. 'PEL)RO ANTONIO DE OLANETA. "Head-quarters at Potosi, Feb. 4, 1824." . -PERU.