Peru.
The Times, 1824-09-25T00:00:00

senor Don Jose de la Riva Aguero was, in the beginning of March, 1823, declared PIresident of the republic of Peru, and " all the Generals-in-chief of the armies of the state, the military chiefs of the provinces, the bishops, the tribu- nals, the ecclesiastical bodies, the municipalities, all chiefs, governors, and other authorities, both civil, military, and ecclesiastical." wore commanded to take the oath of alie- giance and obedience to his power. ln a few months after- wvards we find him a prisoner in Gusyaquil, anll he is niow an exile in England(l. San Nlartin, wvho Iva declared Protector an(d President of the same republic a little before him, is now likewise an exile in this countrv. The latter has pub- lished no defence of his adiinis(raiion, nor history ot his fall ; hut friom the former tlhe public has lately received a book of' nearly 300 pages, entitled, a statement " regarding his political condtet wheii in the Presidenicy of Peru," of which we propose to give a short account. Peru is niow the most distracted country in the whole of the immense continent formerly called Spanish America. The cmpire of the Incas is now (lisputed by parties as numerous and( as fierce as in the time of the Ahlma- gros and Pizarros. In different districts of the king- dom, we find three hostile armies arrayed against each other-the authority of the absolute King of Spain being supported by Olaneta-the cause of the con- stitutional mother country by La Serna and his friends- and that of republican inrdeVendence by Santa Cruz and the auxiliary force of Colomb:a. NVe cannot go back to show the origin, or to trace the history, of these differenit parties, the materials for which exist more in Pc-ru than in any of the forrmer colonics subject to Spain. I'he weakness andi ill success of the independelnt party need not at all sur- prise us, if we can lend any credit to our exile(d President. It is well kInown that the Spanish yoke in this portion of America was neitlher thrown off by a desire of liberty, or a feeling of intolerable oppression in the Pcrnvians. The events which weakened the action of the Peninsular Go- vernment over its trans-Atlantic possessior:s produced some effect, but comparatively a small one, on the populationof the middle and northerni Andes. It was necessary to have a liberating army of Chilians, Buenos Ayrians, and Colom- bians, to give a preponderance to the indenrendens cause, and to efft'ct a political change, which the ener- gies and knowledge of the people themselves could not have accomiplished. Even with all this external aid from thrce zealous and youthful republics, the force of prejudice or of interest was so strotig, and the sentirr-ent ot' freedom and constitutional overnment so feeble in Pora, that not above a third part of the Viceroyalty has ever been entirely free from Spanish inflelence. Towards the beginning of 1K1,3, evetn this independent fraction was in ex.reme danger. The united army of Peruvians and auxiliaries had sustained a defeat in Torata; at Linia all was confusion and alarm; the whole of the troops of inndependenit P'eru and its allies, to guard the capital and to protcct the liberated provinces, did not amnount to more than flvc or six thousand mcn. The Spaniards, on the other hand, had collected between nine and ten thousand men in the vailey of Jauja, and had con- certed a movement upIon Lima. In this capital the Inde- pendent Congress was then sitting; but it had neitlher an army for its dlefence, imoney to pay troops, nor any concerted plan of defensive operations. Much of this disaster and danger was ascribedl to the divi(ledl councils of Congress, anuc to the want of an energetic Executive in a single person. The army, therefore, addressed the Congress om the subiect; and the latter, in complliance with the wish of the troops, (livested itself of the sit prerne executive pow%er whiclh it hadl exercised along w ith its legislative functions, and conferred the latter on )iurau- thor,who, of course, like other clliefs raised in a similar man- ner, expressed his surprise at such ani unexpectedl honour, andl his alarm at undertaking so responsible a charge. Placed thus at the head of the Republic, the new Presi- dlenit, according to his owni accoulit, showved great activity in preparing the inoans of dlefettce. Ife sent to (ietnand the sueceirs wvhichi by treaty Colombia wvas bounrdc to contri- bute in case of (latager; lie prepared an expedition against the Spanislh force; he provisioned the fortresses xvhiicl were likely to be attacked or investedl in thc progress of the war; at(I lie endeavoured to hring about that eonciliation and harmoniy a;nong the friends of libcrty, which would be more powerfiul thani strong places or (lisciplinedI troops. One of his first objects was to procure a suspension of hostilities between Spaiu an.i Perl ; and( for this purpooe lie proposed a u.#gotiation to General La Serna, Which the latter was obligd to decline. TI'he harmoniy whichil reigned between the Presi(iem,t of the Republic an(I his creators, the Congress, was so complete, that they sooIn addled to his fit st title that of M arshal of the armies of the Republic. The President andl Marshal of the armies immediately de- clared the coast occupie-l by the enemy in a state of block- ade; an(d on the '23d of May despatched from Callao an expe- (hitioli of more than .,0(0 troops, composed entirely of Peruvians, against the most southern dlistricts of Pe ru oc- cupied hy the Spaniards. 'I'his cxpedition was to be joined by 3,000 men froni Chile, and about the satne number from Buemos-Ayres. The remaining forces of the allied southern republics were to co-operale wvith those of Colombia in the centre, and all were to fall uipoII the enetny in their strong hlolI in the valley of .Jau*ja, as soon as the (lisembarkationi in the south hadl been effected. The Preaident ha(d made other arrangemeneits into which we have not space to enlter. This expedition to the south lwas commatmdced by General Satita Cruz, whlo had orders. in ease thc forces of the Spaniards concentrate(d in the Iterinerdins, to dise'nbark niear Liiia, and attack the Spaniih troops assembled in the valley of Jauja. 'rifis plan of campaiQ-n appeared so good, that it wvas impossible to conceive Its failure ; but, strange to sav, it (lidt fail. When the Peru-ian force left Liina, this capital was garrisoned hy tic allied troop<, the great- est part ot' whichl were Cololmbians, commainded by General Sucre. Htcice a long train of' evils-hence the misfortunes of Peru-an(d hence the deposition, imprisonmuent, anl exile of our author, the ex-President. Oin Q3e 231 of May, 1823, the Peruvian expedittoii set sail for Arica, the moct southern part of Peru; an(i about the iniddle of J tLnc, thc Spanish force, in total lisregard of the excellent plat) lai(d for ticir compicte ovcrtir-ow, adyaneced upon ,in;a, now neatly destitute of troops, ireslvc(l to forec a mcnrcla! en- gagenietit, or to dlisperse the tie v authoritlicEs. in tihis sta i of thing,es, ouir authlor, the Presiileat, thought mnost oppor- tuniely of saving the (Congress, tlheir archives. an( somne of the public prolperty, by conveyiyng ttCili *o the forires- ol Callao. lit a counlil of wvar, all thic iniilarv chip!^f agrced iii thc Iropriety oftliii rntreat. To ( allao, aseor(liigly. tbh :'ongress proccetled, tinder tihe protcetio ef ( ;cGieral Sucre, and the Colombtian troops. lsre thc dissereemnenJt h('t%eCLt M. Itiva Agu ro, and his o!dl frienlds, the niemlbers of 'oni gress, corrm nellcc(. Coopcd up in a smnail inconveni m,it garrison townl, and( coundienintc( to hcar evcry (lay of' the enemly's success, their quarrels woul(i rlppear to have in- crcasdl. directly as the iagnitude of tlhcir cosnniu-on danger, antd inversely as the iiimportanec of their sLubjects ot coi- tentioll. The gentlemlen '.f Congress, ei ther deiirous to resuine tile executive aitilority, of' which they hadl dives-tcd themnselves in favour of tie Presideit, etiragedl at the tlisagrecable situation in which they were placed, or dis- posed to gratify a pow:erhil imeighbour, consulted aboult dIc- priviuig Riva-Aguero of his militarv suapreinacy, and( coimfir- ring it upon the Colombian Gencral Suire. As tdis is the proper time to introduce on the stage this bodly of legisla- tots, our author does t in due forini, but wivih nto very re- spectfuil ceremontial. Con-gress, beflore it left Liimia, was composel of I) deleputies ; anl only 33 of tlic.c had really becn clected by the places whichl they preteilldel to ruprc- selit. Forty-six of thme as.elnbly were there'ore sUapp'meC1 iary, and Cleeted iii l.iina, as the deputies of Ainierica to the Cortes of Spaiii hath forinerly been elected in Cadliz. Aiolng thtest supplementarydeputies,tiiiiewere Colomlbianis, foU. from the proviicec of BuenosAyres,and one from C(hile. Thcse mleputics enjoyel each tei, dollars a clay, aiil are ac- cused by our author of creatinig moore nuinerous places tlham those which existed under the Viceroyalty. to support titer ft iends, or gratify their etwatlure. 'I'lbis assen-ibly, wvhmiclh had passed a decree in 1822, banishliig tlle ('olomnbians from Peru, as danigeroius to I'eruviai' inldepein(lence, now offered a rlecree for the sauctioii of the President, appointitig a Coloimbiani coitnandier of thieir forces. 'fThe 1lrcsielli at first refused to siu i this locuineit, but after wards conselItec to do so under protest; he being theni, as he (leclares, iii tiC power ofa faction wvho elamotiredi for hilsdpositioi), anid even threatened hiis life. Oin thie 19ili of June, thc Congress, who found their situation in Callao neither agreeable tior safe, passed a decree for transporting thiemiselves anu(c tIhe Go- vernment to Truxillo, a town nearly 300 miles to the north of Lima, ani nlot far renmoved frotn the frontier otC olorn- bia. General Sucre, in this saine decrre, was iioininated Commander-itm-chlief of the united forces. Thic cx-l'resi- clout likewise proceed(le to Iruxillo ; but separated, as he says, from the centre of operations, and possrssing ao real authority, lie could no notihing for tie independeti of Lis country without dissolving the Congress by which lie was in fact deposed. This he did mlot hicsitate to do after lie had received offers of support frorn some of the Pertvian military officers. Accor(dingly, on the 19th of July, he issued an order, in whicl, after telinig the small body of legislators which he calls the fractioni of a Con- e'ress (aad which we wolild call the rum.p), that he is an- swerable to Ged and me-n for the pPeYrvatifn of publia order, he declares them dissolved, aud deprived of all prij. vileges which they had usutrped. It would be needless to enter into the quiestion of Riva-Aguero's motives for this conduct. He grounds his justification en the fact, that the mfajority of the deputies had never been elected to the trust which they exercistd, by tlhe provinces in whose name tLey acted. But was pot this the-same body which appointed him President, and if so, was their title betterin March than when maLured by the lapse of a whole summner of undisputed sway? In the mean time the traitor Tagle was appointed to the command of the fot ces at Lima, and Sucre proceeded on ani expedlition to the south. The metnbers of the dissolved Congress proceeded to Guayaquil, to invoke the assistance of Genera, Bolivar to settle the divisions. That General accepted the invitatiotn, and set sail fbr Lima, where he was supported by 6,000 trooDs, and was proclaim eci Libe rator of Peru. Thus, in the beginning of September, 1824, we have a President of tlte Peruvian Republic in Truxillo dissolving the Legislative Body, a Cernmarider-in-Chief in the south, who held his appointment from that body, and a Liberator in Lima, declared Supreme Chief, with dic- tatorial power, by the rump of. the Congress which the President had dissolved. Bolivar, before he was invested with the supreme power, whish took place on the 10th of September, addressed the rival Chief in the followingstrik- ing letter, which has already been published in this.journsal; but which our author does not allude to:- TO SEh'OR DON JOSE RIVA AGtE!1o. " Lima, Sept. 4, 1823. *" jMy dear friend,-It is with itfinite pain that I have to addresg you on a matter tne most unpleasant, and at the samre time the rmost momentous which tan occur in the life of a public character. 11 It is unnecessary at this period to enter iito gan investigation of the cause of difference between yourself and the Congress, or even to analyze the character of it. The fact is, you are now at open war with the National Representation of Xyour countrr. This Repre- sentative Assembly was convoked by the founder of itf liberty, and has been acknowledged by the public authorities and people of Peru. Y ou yourself owed your elevation to the Presidency to tilis Assem. blh. It is therefore beyond all doubt, that the auihority' of a bodv elected by the nation can never be annulled by any individual of whatever rank he may be: and much less by you, who was one of the principal agents in the establishment of'popular representation and to which, as President. you have solemnly taken the oath of obedience. Ir, fact, my friend, the principle, I believe, does not ad. mit of iiscussion: let us see what will be the resuit of a line of cosD. duct in opposition to it. "Bunatparte it Europe. an] Iturbide in America, we e the most extraordinary men, each in his splhere, which modern history pre. sents to the world. Although benefactors of their cosritry, and pro- nioters of its national independence, thiey have been unable to esmane ruin merely on accour.t of their political sacrilege in profaning tIe temple of the laws anti the sanctuary of social rights. Y'ou to -thit have added ttte most scandalous outrage on the persons of your mi. nisters. I think you cannot be insensible to thle united clamonrg of indignation excited amonzst all classes of men at what took place in Tntxillo, and which, believe me, is tke blackest stain that has sul. lied the revolution of America; cotisequentlY you can expect nothing but inmledictions ir. this country, and disapprobation in Eurtoin J notwitlistanding, make you a tenderof my friendship, and offer you all the protection wt ich my sltuation can affortd. If you are inclined to accept my gootI offices, Colonel Urdaneta and W r. Galdearo are authorized to accommodale matters witlh you, as well as with those whu are acting under you in this horrinbe affair. i The ruin of Peru is imievitable should the acceptance of these generous offers be delavyed: by y-our refusing them, You can exppect nothing but thle slaverOT' e yOUT country, ant your execration by every Anmerican. Public opinion will be so decidedly expressed against you, that not even in your own conscience will you be able to ftind an asyltum. That you or your partistals ran ever ruie in Lima, is out of the question. One and al! of us will become the avenzers of Peru: nor,. if the enemy again subjects your country to the Spanish yoke, can you, even in this case, oblain what you aspire after. Finallv. rest assured, that ito propitious fotune can alter the principles of natural order which you have trampled upon, and this affair will prove a source of renmorse which will accompany you to the grave. " Have the goodness, my dear friend, to Pardon the frankness of my exposition. Having been actuated by no unworthy personal nohiVe. but constituted the head of an independent state, I could not, without faiiling in my duty, remain silent on the subject of yo..r conduct, which, at The present unhappy period, may pr6duce ir,.al culable mischief to America. (n the other hand, I caDnot forget wihat you hare done for America, and particularly for Peru. of whose relics you were the saviour. " BOLlvlAR." It was difficult wvith sucl -lements of diseord as two su- pretnc chiefs anti a dtivded army, to avoid a civil * ar. This calamity appears to have been prevented by an act of treachcry on the ;art of Bolivar's frientis, who thougltt they had an excuse for their contdtict itt the negotiation's wivch tie ex-President lhadl opened w itlh the Spanishi General La Serna. Colonel Ciutierrez tie la Fuente; who he.a: owed his alppotutnient to Aguero., was the officer wvho apprehended him in Truxiilo on the 25th of Noverrmber last, having ap- proaclted to w;ithin two leagues of that city wvith his regi- ment on the preceding day, and having had a conference with the ex-President about settling matters without a civil war. We have not left ourselves room to describe the mode in which our author was treatetd after his apprelheni- sion, or tbe inantier in wvhich he was imprisoned at Guava- quil, antI afterwards transported out of the country. EHe eclares, in conciusion, that lie was a sincere friend of 1'eru, that he enteretl into the revolution frorn a sincere love of indepcndence, and that he has not been enricheti bv it, but has exmentled large sums in its service, besides en- during humniliations and outrages which would have de- terred any other man from the cau.,e. Upton the whole, wve cannot hiigllv praise the work cf the ex-I'resident, either in poillt of talent or taste. He never pursues a plain narrative for two pageg otn end. He i? a]- ways quoting letters, or oespatches, instead (as he ought to do) of' giving a clear statement of his owvn, and pestiumling otn the faith of his readers till he contra4icts hiins'f', or is contradlicted by others. His pedantry, too, is quit3 nu-`:-ra- ble. lie canitot state a single political principle, though as old as the wrorldl, anii as evidldnt as a Mnathematical axiom, wVithout overpowering us wiih authorities froti Miortes- cluioo, Bcrtjatinin Constant, or some other erudite author. N'ottvithslanidiug this, he appears to be a man who, vvith more temper, might have beeni useful to his cotinLry, and witoin wve regret to see in exile, when that countrv is so much in watit of' ali the aid of' its friends. rPERU. RIVA-AGTERO'S WORK ON THE STATE OF PERU.