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CHAPTER XX.

Spanish America-Buenos Ayres and Montevideo-Venezuela-Surrender of Caraccas, and counter Revolution-Mexico-Conspiracy at Vera Cruz-Peru-West India Islands-Jamaica-Dominica-Barbadoes ·St. Domingo-East Indies- Surrender of Kallinjur-Java-Conspiracy at Travancore-Mauritius-Persia.

TH

HE provinces of Spanish America were still the theatre of a sanguinary civil war between the two parties of independents and loyalists, and the mother country remained in great measure deprived of the aids which she had been accustomed to receive from these rich possessions.

The negociations mentioned in the history of the last year as having been commenced in the month of October between the Viceroy Elio and the Junta of Buenos Ayres, were concluded by a treaty of pacification dated the 21st. The articles begin with the resolution of both parties to acknowledge no other sovereign than Ferdinand VII. The Junta then, though considering itself at present without the necessary powers for recognizing the authority of the Cortes, yet makes a declaration of the indivisible unity of the Spanish nation, of which the provinces of the River Plate form an integral part. It also consents to remit to Spain all the pecuniary succours it is able to contribute, for the support of the war in which she is engaged against the usurper of Europe. Another article defines the districts which are severally to remain subject to the Junta and

the Viceroy, and the latter pledges himself for the withdrawment of the Portuguese troops from the Spanish territory. Correspondence and commerce are to be restored between Buenos Ayres and Montevideo, and foreign ships may enter the ports of both territories. The Viceroy declares that no change shall take place in the system esta blished by this treaty, till the Cortes make known their pleasure, which shall be communicated to the government of Buenos Ayres.

From the terms of this convention, so favourable to the interests of the mother country, it may be conjectured that the Junta of Buenos Ayres found themselves under difficulties in maintaining sufficient authority to enable them to support the cause of independence; and some subsequent events proved, that even in the capital, dissentions prevailed among those engaged in the same cause. On December 7, the patrician body of troops, discontented at the appoint. ment of a new colonel without consulting them, turned out the whole of their officers from the barracks. The other regiments were immediately called to arms, and cannon were planted in the streets. An action ensued, in

which, after considerable bloodshed, the patricians were obliged to surrender, and the ringleaders were tried and condemned, some to be shot and others to imprisonment. The old Junta had been deposed in the preceding month, and a new one established, consisting of only four members. The Cabildo interfered with them in the management of public affairs, and party contests were extremely prevalent in the city. In the 'meantime their authority in the provinces was diminished, and that of Cordova threw off its depend ance on the capital, and set up a government of its own. To these evils was added a quarrel with the Portuguese, whose troops sent in aid of the Montevideans refused to return home according to the stipulation in the late treaty, and took possession of Maldonado. A corps under General Artigas was sent from Buenos Ayres to dislodge them, which entered the territory of Montevideo, contrary to agreement, and made an attack upon à body of Portuguese, but without success. The Montevideans were irritated with this breach of treaty, and fitted out a naval force to prevent the troops of Buenos Ayres from passing to their side of the river; whilst the government of Buenos Ayres, in order to provide supplies for a war, had laid an embargo on all property belonging to Spaniards in Europe, Lima, Montevideo, and the Peruvian provinces occupied by the adverse party. In this state were affairs about the middle of February. Advices in March stated that the blockade of Buenos Ayres was resumed by the Montevide an squadron, and that the property of

Spaniards was still under sequestration at that city, but had not been confiscated.

Further, advices received from Buenos Ayres, up to May 20, gave some particulars of the hostility subsisting betwen the Junta of that city, and the viceroy (now Vigodet) at Montevideo. The occurrences were of no great importance; but the papers on each side displayed a high degree of animosity. The Portuguese, whom the Montevideans denominated "their generous allies," were encamped on the rivulet of St. Francisco, 18 leagues from Salto, where Artigas was posted with the troops of Bue nos Ayres. At this last city had arrived two ships from Philadel phia laden with arms and military stores.

Not long after, Buenos Ayres was on the brink of experiencing a counter-revolution from a conspiracy in its. bosom, which, had it been carried into effect, would probably have rendered the whole city a scene of bloodshed and rapine. A Spaniard, named Martin Alzaga, represented as a man of a daring and turbulent disposition, associated a considerable number of his countrymen, under an oath of secrecy, in a plot, the purpose of which was to take possession by surprise of all the strong posts of the city, disarm the Americans, and restore the ascendancy of the Spaniards. With this was connected the assassination of the members of government and magistrates, and doubt less many other persons of conse quence were marked as victims. The discovery of the design was owing to the incautious language held by one of the conspirators in the presence of a slave, who re

ported

ported what he had heard to a person in his confidence, by whom it was disclosed to the government. The fact was made known in a proclamation, issued on July 4, by the superior authorities; and on the 25th it was announced in anoother proclamation that twenty-five of the conspirators had perished on the scaffold, and that judicial proceedings were still going on against persons suspected of being accomplices. Upon the first alarm it is said that more than six thousand men speedily collected to assist the regular force in guarding the city, and apprehending the guilty. The government of Montevideo in consequence of these events probis bited all intercourse with Buenos Ayres. The Portuguese troops commenced a retreat from San Francisco on July 13, an armistice having taken place between the Prince Regent of Portugal and the government of Buenos Ayres. This measure was notified by the latter in a gazette extraordinary, in terms that gave offence to the court of Rio Janeiro, which thought proper officially to contradict the assertion that his Royal Highness had solicited the armistice, and affirmed that he had assented to it only in furtherance of the beneficent views and wishes of his Britannic Majesty, for the restoration of tranquillity to the provinces of the river Plate. The friendly mediation of the British court on this occasion was well received at Buenos Ayres, and rendered the English name more popular than it had lately been.

In a further account from that city dated August 31, it is said that the Junta had dispatched an officer to the viceroy at Montevideo

with a proposal to send deputies to treat for the cessation of hostilities, which, it was hoped, might lead to the renewal of a friendly communication between the parties.

The province of Venezuela, which had so decidedly declared an absolute independence on the mother country, was in the early part of this year visited by a terrible catastrophe, the effects of which had a powerful influence upon its political state. On the 26th of March, in the afternoon, a violent shock of an earthquake was felt at the city of Caracas, which threw down the greatest part of its buildings, and buried a great number of the inhabitants under their ruins. Its port of La Guayra participated in the destruction; and several other towns in the province were sufferers from the same dreadful calamity, which extended over a wide district. (See Chronicle.) To tranquillize the minds of the people after this disaster, a proclamation was issued by the government, drawn up in an admirable spirit of patriotism, and sound philosophy. The following extract will shew what were the impressions on the occasion from which it was thought most necessary to guard the public mind. "What consequence will you draw from this terrible event? The superstitious and fanatic will tell you, in mysterious language, that it is a punishment of God, who, in his displeasure, especially against the inhabitants of this city, has in this manner manifested his wrath. The ill-affected will suggest to you, that nothing better is to be expected by a city hated by God for having proclaimed her independence, and declared herself

against

against the tyranny of the ambitious. The enemies of liberty and equality will endeavour to persuade you, that the noble resolution with which Caraccas detests tyrants, and makes war against despots, is the cause of this disaster, and that only by changing your sentiments, and by again bending yourself to the yoke which you have shaken off, you will appease the anger of the Almighty. Such will certainly be the language of the superstitious, the ill-affected, and the enemy. But, citizens, a true Christian, who follows the doctrine of Jesus Christ, divested of trifling preju-, dices and partial interests, will tell you, that the earthquake had the same origin as the various beauties and horrors which are daily experienced by the human race in every part of the globe-the necessary operation of that nature which God ordered so as to excite his creatures to admire his omnipotence, to adore him in his works, and to acknowledge that men were not created for the apparent felicity of this life." All the rest of this address is in the same manly and enlightened strain, and does honour to the composer, Dr. Miguel Jose Sanz, vice-president of the representative body.

The evil consequences, however, which were anticipated in the proclamation, did not fail to take place. The ecclesiastics inculcated the notion that the earthquake was a punishment inflicted by heaven on account of the province's renunciation of its alle giance to Ferdinand VII, and their influence over a bigoted people, now depressed from the severe losses they had sustained, rendered such an idea deeply impressive. A

correspondence was entered into by some persons of weight, with the Spaniards in Porto Rico, and with the royal army at Coro, come manded by General Monteverde, This leader, taking advantage of the discouragement and disunion prevalent among the independent party, and joined by a body of troops from Maracaybo, entered Valencia in April, without opposition, General Miranda and the Congress, who had retired thither after the earthquake, retreating before him. He thence advanced to Mearani, which was evacuated by Miranda, who withdrew to Vil toria. Other places submitted without a struggle, apparently wearied with the sacrifices demanded for maintaining their new ly-acquired treedom. In this emer gency, the states of the confedera tion had recourse to the desperate expedient of creating a dictator invested with unlimited powers, which office they conferred on Mi. randa in the month of May. He issued a proclamation on the occa sion, in which he set forth the perilous circumstances of the country, and the evils prevailing in the commonwealth, of which the most urgent was the total disorder of the finances. He suggested some measures to be employed for the me lioration of their affairs, and solemnly promised never to sheath the sword till he had established the liberty of Venezuela, and avenged her of her enemies. :

Success still attended the royalists, who, on July 6, took by sur prise the important harbour of Porto Cavello. Miranda is then said to have agreed upon an armistice which terminated in a secret capitulation. However that might

be,

be, he appears to have made no effectual resistance to the progress of the royalists; for, on July 28, Caracas capitulated to Monteverde, and three days afterwards, its port of La Guayra surrendered at discretion. Miranda, who had gone thither with the intention of embarking on board an English vessel with his treasure, was delivered up, it is affirmed, by his own party, and was confined in a dungeon; probably, therefore, he was falsely charged with previously negociating with the opposite party. Thus, to all appearance, has terminated the independence of Venezuela, which, in its beginning, seemed firmly based on the general consent of a high-spirited and enlightened people.

Want of steadiness and moderation, the radical faults of the Creole character, had rendered the success of the revolution dubious even before the terrible earthquake, though that event undoubtedly hastened its defeat. Miranda was sent to Spain in the beginning of October. Don Fermando Melbado came from Porto Rico to take possession of the province of Caracas, but Monteverde refused to deliver it up in its present unsettled state.

In the viceroyalty of new Granada, towards the close of 1811, the province of Santa Martha, which adhered to Spain, proclaimed war against that of Carthagena, which had declared it-elf independent, had abolished the Inquisition, and administered oaths of fidelity to the officers civil and military. Several battles, with alternate success, but little bloodshed, had been fought between the two contending provinces on the river Magdalena, upon both banks of which VOL. LIV.

fortifications had been erected. No information has reached us of the sequel of events in these parts.

The rich and extensive kingdom of Mexico has been a theatre of war and confusion during' the whole of the year. Accounts received thence in Nov. 1811, mentioned that the southern coast was in a state of complete insurrection; that in the centre of the kingdom parties of insurgents were mumerous, and did not, as formerly, dispèrse on the approach of the royalists; and that in New Gallicia alone tranquillity was preserved by the exertions of the viceroy's troops. Communications from province to province were cut off; the working of the mines, and agriculture, were suspended; and a British frigate was about to sail from Vera Cruz without the bullion which she expected to receive.

In the month of March, intelligence was received that a dangerous conspiracy was discovered at Vera Cruz on the 16th, the plan of which was to gain possession of the park of artillery, the bastions, the volunteers' quarter, and the port of La Mole, and by calling the people to arms, to revolutionize the city. Above thirty persons were apprehended as having been concerned in this plot, and it was found that they had set on foot a correspondence with Morellos, the revolutionary leader, who had promised to assist them. It was added, that news had arrived from the city of Mexico, stating that the royal general Calleja was continuing the siege of Quatla, where Morellos had posted himself; and that tranquillity prevailed in the rest of kingdom The next account from Vera Cruz, however, affirmed that

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