tending immediately to embark on board an English RICA. schooner for Curaçoa: but the commandant refused to do so, made him a prisoner, and confined him in a dunPolitical geon, upbraiding him as a betrayer; and in this exigence declaring himself for Montverde."

d Moral

State.

Whether this declaration were actually made, we are not enabled to say, but we find Miranda shortly afterwards carried to Cadiz, as it was asserted by some, to undergo his trial; and by others, to give information of the best means of subjecting the colonies to the mother-country. He was then taken back to America, anda. where he was kept in confinement, but treated with leniency in proportion as the success of the patriots had become more or less evident, and subsequently carried to Cadiz, where he died in a prison.

1 of

ar.

The affairs of the revolutionists began, shortly after the above misfortunes, to brighten under another leader, of the name of Bolivar. Early in the year 1813, the town of La Guiara, together with public property to the value of 200,000 dollars, was retaken by the insurgents; and, on the 2d of September, Bolivar took possession of Valencia, obliging Montverde to fly to Puerto Cabello. The practice of putting to death all the Europeans arriving at Venezuela, now became general; and the public documents began to be signed "the third of independence, and first of war without quarter!" Indeed, during the whole of the year 1813 and later, the result of the engagements between Bolivar and Montverde were in favour of the former. It would be tedious, and our documents are not sufficiently copious, to allow us to enter into a regular detail of the minute transactions that have taken place during that period, but, shortly after this, we find that Montverde, in consequence of a wound he had received, was forced to resign the command of the troops in Venezuela, pro tempore, to Colonel Solomon, and that the king's cause became daily more and more unpopular. This success was not, however, lasting; for, shortly afterwards, the insurgent army, of 1,500 men, were defeated near Vittoria by the royalists, and 500 of the independents deserted their standard, and fled to the royalists, who immediately put them to death.

Such, ever since that period, has been the unsettled and precarious state of affairs in these regions, and such they continue to be; vain indeed would it be to indulge ourselves in speculation on their final results, much less will our limits allow us to record the numerous documents that were issued by the insurgents, either in exculpation of their proceedings, or in testimony of the incentives to insurrection, alleged by themselves to have been experienced from the year 1807 up to their absolute declaration of independence.

In Chili, the revolution has been confined, for the most part, to differences between the parties of the natives of that presidency. The fact is, that the Spaniards have here little concern with the government, and have not been molested, as not having interfered with the transactions that were taking place. It could hardly be otherwise than that Chili should thus become friendly to the insurgent cause; and we accordingly find that as early as August 1813, the Chilians at Valdivia, Conception, Valparaiso, and Coquimbo, had declared themselves independent, and had opened their ports to all nations. American frigates receive supplies from them, and an American agent has been appointed to reside at the inland town of Santiago.

VOL. XVII.

RICA.

Not, however, that the question with respect to the S. AMEindependence of this kingdom is yet set at rest, any more than it is with regard to the neighbouring country of Buenos Ayres, with the revolutions of which those of Political Chili have been of late in a great degree connected.

In tracing the origin of the disturbances in La Plata, our attention is involuntarily drawn back to the circumstances that attended the English expedition to those shores in 1806. With regard to the events attending that expedition, it is by no means improbable that its fate was decided by the delay which took place in the junction of the British centre with the advanced division; for, had they joined the day before, they would most probably have entered the town immediately, while part of the enemy's forces were out of it and unprepared. This delay, though short, gave the latter time to entrench and fortify their streets, and to post themselves in the most advantageous stations. But the restoration of Monte Video was the stipulation most to be regretted; for every principle of good policy required us to keep that town to the last extremity; nay, some of the best informed among the Spaniards were of opinion that our army should have been contented with the possession of the N. side of the Plata, without venturing any further, because we should thus have commanded the trade of the interior, and Buenos Ayres would, in the end, have found it necessary to come to terms of accommodation highly to our advantage.

and Moral State.

La Plata.

We could willingly have spared ourselves the pain of attending to these well-known and disgraceful circumstances, but we think it our duty to relieve the European public of one very general error; which is, that the successes of the Plateans were entirely owing to their chief, Liniers. Biography will have little to relate Liniers. of a favourable nature respecting this man. Until he took the command of the Buenos Ayres troops, he was a gambler, and to flattery and intrigue, joined to the courage and misplaced confidence of the people whom he afterwards betrayed, he owed his advancement. That he was not even entitled to the praise of courage so generally attached to him, we can cite as a proof, that he deserted the city in the second attack by General Whitelocke, and only returned when he found that the danger was over.

He continued to exercise the authority of viceroy after the expulsion of the English, and an instance was not long wanting to convince the people of his secret intentions to deliver up the country to the French. As soon as the usurpation of the throne of Spain had placed on it a branch of the Corsican family, emissaries were sent to the principal ports of America, to acquaint the governors of the transfer that had been made of these distant possessions, and to concert measures with them, under the previous promise of their continuance in power, for the conciliation of the people to the new dynasty. The person deputed to Buenos Ayres arrived there about the 10th of August, 1808; and on the 18th, Liniers issued a proclamation, Proclamaadvising the people "to follow the example of their tion in faAmerican ancestors, who wisely avoided the disasters your of the which afflicted Spain during the war of the succession, by waiting until the fate of the mother-country was determined, in order then to obey the legitimate authority that occupied the throne." To this were added ́ insinuations that Spain had already yielded, and that opposition was not only untimely but criminal.

3 P

French.

S. AMERICA.

State.

It would not be difficult for one who has followed the inhabitants of Buenos Ayres through every stage of their patriotic efforts, who has seen them fight for Political their invaded rights, to form an idea of their feelings and Moral on this occasion. To behold a yoke ten times more offensive than that which they had just resisted, now offered to be imposed upon them, was not only to insult their feelings, patriotism, and national honour, but to impeach their judgment. The fact is, that Liniers had concerted with the French emissary, that 30,000 men were necessary to keep the country in awe and to pe netrate into the interior; a fact which was discovered from the interception, by the British, of the dispatch to the viceroy Liniers, ordering him to make preparation for their reception.

Liniers su

Cisneros.

Liniers continued to hold the reins of government perseded by until the central junta of Spain, on their assumption of the supreme authority, sent out Cisneros to supersede him, and to send him to Spain as a prisoner. Here again Liniers not only betrayed a weak spirit, but a want of judgment, for his powers, at least, had the merit of being constitutional; but he ceded, without an effort, to the new comer, and retired to Cordova, where we for the present leave him.

The revolution ma

tured.

No sooner had the viceroy Cisneros assumed his functions than he found the treasury empty, the people desponding of the success of Spain, and a freedom of speech hostile to her supremacy very prevalent. With the ordinary policy of old-fashioned statesmen in a crisis of affairs which bids defiance to all regular habits, and requires depth and originality of judgment, he proceeded to fortify himself, by calling around him all the ancient instruments of the despotic system of the mother-country. Those who, from the nature of their talents and employments, had every thing to lose and nothing to gain by a change, flocked round him, and the customary system of espionage was organized. Dr. Canete lent his pen for the formation of thirty-one articles, which breathed nothing but the most intolerant policy: every measure, in short, was adopted which was thought calculated to rivet afresh the fetters in which personal liberty and the public opinion had so long been confined.

The exhausted state to which the colonial treasury had been reduced by the late military exertions, now gave rise to many schemes for increasing the financial resources of the capital, and affording relief to the people. Amongst these, the most important was the free admission of British goods, advised by the leading creoles, but opposed by all the ancient Spaniards, and by those who adhered to the old form of government.

The minds of the people were at length matured; and the supposed certainty that Spain had fallen a prey to the rapacity of a foreign power made them anxious for their own safety. Aware of those reiterated attempts by which the French had endeavoured to enthral their allegiance, and that even the servants of the old government could not be trusted, with one voice they resolved to place the executive power in the cabildo, to be exercised by that representative body of the people in the name of their sovereign Ferdinand VII. until a superior junta should be assembled. Notwithstanding Cisneros had assured the people that he would adopt no measures without their concurrence, they would not permit him to retain any power, or even allow him to preside in their councils.

On the 26th of May, 1810, the provisional junta was S. AME installed, amidst the general acclamations of the inha- RICA bitants, and from that date an established authority calmed every fear, and removed the uncertainty and Politic fluctuation of opinion in the capital. Thus was a revolution effected, without a drop of Completed blood shed, which levelled to the ground a vassalage of three centuries.

and M3 State.

Video.

Monte Video had, during the government of Liniers, Monte been the first to convene a junta within itself, but it was more for the purpose of escaping from the controul of Liniers, than to lay the foundation of a representative local government; and it was never carried into full effect. Its inhabitants acknowledged that of Buenos Ayres, in a general assembly held on the 5th of June, after the communications from the latter were made known, and a public act of allegiance was registered; the cabildo, however, opposed the measure the next day, and from that time to the present, Monte Video has continued firm to the Cádiz regency, under the influence of Spanish naval officers, and has remained the seat of the naval equipment for blockading the capital. Its population, added to that of the sur sounding country, is estimated at 14,000 inhabitants, and, from great desertion, the garrison of the town is reduced to 1,500 men. The transactions of the interior have, till very lately, prevented the patriotic army of the junta from making any attempt to dislodge this handful of opponents; but the wishes of the people have universally tended to an union with the capital.

Buenos

Ayres in

Though the installation of the junta of Buenos Ayres, Junta f and every measure that immediately followed, produced the sincere and unanimous acclamations of the people at large, yet the abridgment of power must naturally be expected to have created a dislike on the part of those who have hitherto been the immediate servants of the old government, and accustomed to give an account of their transactions to the councils of the Indies alone. The royal audience, consisting of Europeans nominated at home, had been left in the superintendence and administration of public justice, but was soon discovered caballing with Cisneros, in opposition to the junta, whom they refused to acknowledge, or to take the usual oaths of office. To such a length was this spirit of party hostility carried, that the junta, to secure the public tranquillity, were under the necessity of sending back to Spain Cisneros, three oidores, and the fiscals of the royal audience, in order that they might be there judged by the supreme government. On the 29th of June the junta published its manifesto, explaining the particulars which had given rise to this measure, and detailing their reiterated endeavours to bring the members of the royal audience to a sense of their duty, and, as public functionaries, to impress upon them the danger of disregarding the wishes of the people, and sowing the seeds of discord and disunion.

But it is now time to return to Liniers, whom we New of La left in Cordova, and to illustrate a subject, which, as well from distance as design, has been greatly misre presented to the English public.

No sooner had tranquillity been restored to the capital, by the departure of Cisneros and his fellowplotters, than it was discovered that a more formidable party was collecting in the interior, and particularly at Cordova, headed by Liniers, the intendant Concha,

State.

AME- his assessor, Rodrigues, Bishop Orellana, Colonel RICA. Allende, and the accomptant, Joaquim Moreno. Their intention was not only to suppress the votes of the olitical people, but to oppose, by an armed force, all obedience d Moral to the government established in the capital. They publicly declared the junta " insurgent, and revolutionary," and even the bishop endeavoured, but in vain, to misapply the pulpits, by rousing a party to his cause; yet so firm was the public mind, though at the distance of much more than 100 leagues, that very few partizans were made.

In vain did the junta of Buenos Ayres use every friendly remonstrance and exhortation to dissuade these leaders from their hostile designs, and not to deluge the country in the blood of their fellow-citizens; every overture was treated with disdain, nay, even rejected with outrage. All correspondence with the capital was interdicted, every thing on the roads was intercepted, and a plan of raising an armed force to depose the junta and reinstate the old servants of the government was resolved on. Every proclamation breathed captivity, fire, and sword, and every tool and despot of the old system was invited to join them. Liniers took the command of the few troops he could collect, and in lova in vain did the people of Cordova sigh for a release from the oppression of this French satellite.

ower.

ts to

cor

enos

The account of these proceedings diffused through the patriots of La Plata a general feeling of compassion for the distresses of the people of Cordova, and many volunteers stepped forward, offering to march to their relief. Towards the beginning of August the patriot army reached the frontiers of Cordova, where they were received by their fellow-provincials as their solicited and sighed-for liberators, who came, they said, as brothers to release them from the miseries of rapine and civil discord, and to wrest from unworthy hands the power that oppressed them.

Notwithstanding Liniers had previously concerted the defence of the town, after dilapidating the public treasury, and committing, in the true French style, other acts of coercion on its defenceless inhabitants, he fled, on the 1st of August, at the approach of the Buenos Ayres army, towards Peru, carrying with him a few of his partizans, nine cannon, and 400 men. Havoc and destruction attended his footsteps; the country was laid waste, the farms and dwellings of the peaceable inhabitants who would not join him were burned to the ground; on them he satiated his fury and his avarice, for they were the objects no less of his cruelty than of his pillage. But his career was soon stopped. On the 5th he was taken prisoner by a small party detached in pursuit, after having been abandoned by those whom he had, in a great measure, forced into his service, and, with three other leaders, was sent to the capital a prisoner for trial. Cordova, relieved from the presence of Liniers, unanimously voted Dr. Funes as its deputy to the junta, and, peace and tranquillity were restored to its inhabitants.

The incorporation of Chili with Buenos Ayres took place in September 1810, and the addition of this extensive and important kingdom, with the union of Cordova, completed a jurisdiction that reached to the shores of the South seas. The interesting province of Cochabamba, bordering upon Peru, brought its little army into the field, secured part of the Cordova royalists who had escaped, and relieved the neighbouring towns

RICA.

from their old oppressors, and from the influence held S. AMEover them by the viceroy of Lima. Potosi, Charcas, La Paz, Cochabamba, Cordova, and Salta, have all joined; so that, with the exception of part of Paraguay Political still under the ascendancy of the court of the Brazils, and Moral the jurisdiction of the junta of Buenos Ayres extended itself over the whole of the viceroyalty of La Plata, as it lately stood, with the kingdom of Chili, and 2,500,000 inhabitants exulted in their new-born freedom.

State.

fairs since.

From the period of the first differences between the General new junta of Buenos Ayres and the governor of Monte state of afVideo, the general aggregate of the events we have to record, up to a late period, may be thus briefly stated; namely, that while the troops of Buenos Ayres were bombarding the town of Monte Video, the seamen of the latter place were assailing, in the like melancholy manner, the former city. These two powers were evidently the representatives of very different interests; but the spirit of war seemed to be so determined in these unhappy regions, that, even when there was a temporary cessation of hostilities between those natural rivals, the old and new Spaniards of the city of Buenos Ayres itself engaged in the most deadly enmities, and were constantly conspiring against each other's lives. From about the 2d of July to the beginning of August, 1812, the city of Buenos Ayres was in a state of the utmost commotion. The cause of this is said to have been the dissatisfaction which the European Spaniards had conceived, on account of the abject condition in which they were held by the junta of Buenos Ayres. Hence they are said to have conceived the idea of overturning the existing government, with the view of taking into their own hands the supreme authority. They failed in their project, and upwards of 200 of the conspirators (comprising the first class of merchants) were made prisoners, of whom twenty-six were shot.

It is matter of deep speculation how the disturbances in this quarter will terminate: some politicians assert that there is a willingness on the part of Spain to grant to the crown of Portugal the territory of Monte Video, to secure the assistance of the latter either in the defence of her remaining Trans-atlantic possessions, or in return for a portion of territory in Portugal. For our own parts, we mention the idea as far from improbable, and as being likely, under the peculiar state of affairs in these regions, to lead to events not only suitable to the interests of these governments, but as being fraught with circumstances of great moment and consideration to the other powers of the Old World.

TRADE. No subject of political economy is of Trade. greater interest than the resources through which this country is enabled to carry on a trade with the European countries. The improvement of its commerce, at different periods within the last century, has been as follows:

Annual exports of Peru to Europe for 1714 to 1739, while the system of the galleons continued.

from 1748 to 1778, while the trade was carried on by register-ships

Dollars.

2,125,000

4,260,479

from 1785 to 1794, since the establishment of the system of free trade 6,686,884 According to Humboldt, the dollars imported into Peru and Chili, in 1803, amounted to 11,500,000, and

E

According to Humboldt, the dollars imported into A Buenos Ayres, in 1803, amounted to 3,500,000; and the exports consisted of produce to the value of cal 2,000,000 dollars, besides 5,000,000 dollars in specie. The chief trade of Monte Video consists in hides, tallow, and dried beef: the two former of these articles are exported to Europe, and the latter is sent to the West Indies, especially to the Havannah. Coarse copper from Chili, in square cakes, is sometimes shipped here, as well as a herb called matté, from Paraguay, the infusion of which is as common a beverage in these parts as tea is in England.

The inhabitants were by no means opulent before the English took the garrison; but through the misfortunes of the latter at Buenos Ayres, and the losses of our commercial adventurers by ill-judged and ima prudent speculations, they were considerably enriched. The great prospects indulged in England, before the expedition to the Plata, of immense profits by trade to that river, have generally ended in ruin; very few, indeed, of the speculators have escaped without considerable loss, Property, once litigated, might be considered in a fair way for confiscation; and in case of its having been deposited until certain questions were decided, restitution was generally obtained at the loss of one half. It frequently happened that goods detained in the custom-houses, or lodged in private stores in the river, were opened, and large quantities stolen. The party on whom suspicion seemed most reasonably to fall was the consignee, who, even with a few cargoes, was generally observed to get rich very rapidly. Not contented with the profits accruing from his commission, he seldom scrupled to take every advantage which possession of the property afforded him, of furthering his own interests at the expence of his correspondent. The dread of a legal process could be but a slight check upon him; for, in the Spanish courts of justice, as well as in others, a native and a stranger are seldom upon equal terms. Other circumstances have concurred to enrich the inhabitants of Monte Video. It is a fact that the English exported thither goods to the amount of a million and a half sterling, a small portion of which, on the restoration of the place to the Spaniards, was re-shipped for the Cape of Good Hope and the West Indies; the remainder was, for the most part, sacrificed at whatever price the Spaniards chose to give. As their own produce advanced in proportion as ours lowered in price, those among them who speculated gained considerably. The holders of English goods sold their stock at upwards of 50 per cent. profit, immediately after the evacuation of the place.

In Chili, the internal commerce has been hitherto of very little importance, notwithstanding the advantages that the country offers for its encouragement. Its principal source, industry, or more properly speaking, necessity, is wanting. An extensive commerce is correlative with a great population, and in proportion as the latter increases, the former will also be augmented. Hitherto it may be said, that of the two branches that in general give birth to commerce, agriculture and industry, the first is that alone which animates the internal commerce of Chili, and even that part of the external which is carried on with Peru. The working of mines also occupies the attention of many in the provinces of Copiapo, Coquimbo, and Quillota; but the

RICA.

State,

industry is so trifling that it does not deserve the S. AMEname. Notwithstanding the abundance of its fruits and materials of manufacture, as flax, wool, hemp, skins, and metals, which might produce a flourishing Political commerce, it is conducted but languidly. The inha- and Moral bitants employ themselves only in making ponchos, 'stockings, socks, carpets, blankets, skin-coats, saddles, hats, and other small articles chicfly made use of by the common or poorer class of people, since those of the middle rank use those of European manufacture. These, but more particularly the sale of hides and tanned leather, which they have in great plenty, with that of grain and wine, form the whole of the internal commerce of the kingdom. The external, which is carried on with all the ports of Peru, particularly Callao, arises from the exportation of fruits; this amounts to 700,000 dollars annually, according to the statements given in the periodical publications at Lima. The commerce between Chili and Buenos Ayres is quite otherwise, since, for the herb of Paraguay alone, it is obliged to advance 300,000 dollars annually in cash; the other articles received from thence are probably paid for by those sent hither. In the trade with Spain, the fruits received from Chili go but a little way in payment of more than a million of dollars, which are received from thence annually in European goods, either directly, or by the way of Buenos Ayres, and sometimes from Lima. Gold, silver, and copper, are the articles which form nearly the whole of this commerce, since the hides and vicunna wool are in such small quantities as to render them of little import→

ance,

Notwithstanding, the working of the mines in Chili The mines. has, in a great measure, been relinquished from the expence, and from the impediments offered by the warlike spirit of the Araucanians, there are more than a thousand now in work between the cities of Coquimbo and Copiapo, besides those of the province of Aconcagua; and it is a matter of fact, that the produce of its mines has been increasing ever since that the passage into the South sea by cape Horn was frequented by the Spanish merchants. The gold coined in the Gold capital was lately regulated at 5,200 marks annually; coined. but the present yearly produce of the mines, as calculated from the amounts of the royal duties, and therefore considerably under the truth, amounts to 10,000 Spanish marks of pure gold, and 29,700 do. of pure silver. The value in dollars of both is 1,737,380; the gold being estimated at 145 dollars, and the silver at 9 dollars the Spanish mark. Besides this, we must add for contraband 322,620 dollars; and the total produce will then be 2,060,000. According to Humboldt, the dollars imported into Chili and Peru, in 1803, amounted to 11,500,000, and the exports consisted of produce to the value of 4,000,000 dollars, besides 8,000,000 dollars in specie. The remittances of gold and silver to Spain are usually made from Buenos Ayres; the first, being less bulky, is carried by the monthly packets in sums of 2 or 3000 ounces; as to the second, it has, till within a very late period, been sent in two convoy ships in the summer, by which conveyances gold is also remitted. The copper which is extracted from the mines, is estimated from 8 to 10,000 quintals. From these data it will not be difficult to form a general estimate of all that Chili produces annually. A communication by water, which.