marched upon the city with the avowed intention of taking it by storm. The number of troops remaining in the capital was but 600, and of these nearly 400 deserted or fled at the approach of the enemy. But two courses were left to the President; either to give up the city to the horrors of an assault, or to submit to necessity, and capitulate at once. He determined upon the latter, and appointed commissioners to treat with the insurgents for such terms of surrender as should secure to the citizens their lives and property. On the 28th, the conquerors entered the city without committing any excess, and Mosquera, looking upon their success as the triumph of a military faction, with which the civil power of the state was unable to contend, assembled the council on the 29th and declared the government dissolved.

The council earnestly advised and entreated the President to retain his authority, and continue to fulfill the duties of his exalted station; and Mosquera, though with great reluctance, consented to follow their advice, at least, until it could be ascertained what were the wishes of the people.

Urda

neta, whose military reputation gave him some influence with the conquerors, was appointed Secretary of War in the place of General Paris, (who had retired on account of sickness) and was instructed to ascertain the sentiments of the soldiery, and their disposition to obey the existing government. On the 4th of September Urdaneta reported that the troops had represented to him

their unwillingness to submit to the authority of any government but that of Bolivar, whose recall to the head of the republic, they stated to be the wish of the people as well as of themselves. The report of Urdaneta was confirmed by Simenes the leader of the prevailing party, and Mosquera was distinctly given to understand, that nothing short of the reassumption of supreme power by the Liberator, would satisfy them. On the same day, Mosquera, finding that no alternative was left to him, resigned; and General Urdaneta was appointed temporary President, until the arrival of Bolivar, whose recall to power was decreed by a meeting of some of the soldiers and citizens.

On the 7th of September, Urdaneta wrote to Bolivar, informing him of what had takenplace at Bogota, and calling upon him in the strongest terms to come and take charge of the govern

ment.

Bolivar consented to comply with the call of the people, and to take upon himself the office of the government, declaring, however, that it should be only until new elections could take place, when he should return once more to private life, from which nothing but the wishes of his fellow citizens could have induced him to

remove.

On the 17th December, 1830, died General Simon Bolivar, the Liberator of South America. His character and services we shall hereafter fully examine; our present purpose is with the closing scene. Had Bolivar adher

ed to his original purpose of leaving Colombia, his life might have been spared his fame certainly as it was, he died th chief of a party, in arms against the constitutional government of his country. Great allowance must be made on account of the discordant materials that he was obliged to bring into the government, and the character of the people by whom he was surrounded. Unused to popular forms, or to the peaceful administration of equal laws, they themselves formed a great obstacle to the establishment of republican institutions to be controlled only by public opinion. Still, with all these allowances, there is much which needs explanation in his political career, and the mystery which hangs over the latter part of his life, compels history to pause, before definitively pronouncing upon his character.

His death occurred at Carthagena at his country seat, where he had resided since his resignation of the supreme command. Every respect was paid to his

memory, and funeral processions were had in almost every town in the republic. His last proclamation to his countrymen evinced the most noble sentiments of patriotism, and it is deeply to be lamented that with the expulsion of Spanish power, and the formation of a free constitution, Bolivar, like our own Washington, had not at once retired to the shades of private life.

His will exhibits, what none ever doubted, his total disregard of fortune. Men like Bolivar are seldom governed by pecuniary motives, and it would have been far better for his country, if his disinterestedness had been equally exhibited, in his disregard of the temptations of power.

That we may form some idea of the state of parties of Colombia, we subjoin a statistical account of the population of the different Provinces and Departments of Colombia - considering as liberals, all who opposed themselves to the usurpation of Urdaneta, after the overthrow of the administration of Mosquera.

THE history of the Argentine Republics was brought down in a previous volume of this Register, to the preliminaries of peace agreed upon on the 24th of June, in 1829, between the province of Buenos Ayres and those of the interior: General Lavalle being then self-constituted Provincial Governor of the former, and commander of its forces. The task of pacifying the interior was assigned to General Rosas. A brief narration of the events which subsequently happened, during the period of time comprehended in the present volume, is necessary to the execution of its plan. A more uninteresting detail, however, can scarcely be found in the annals of any nation, civilized or savage. The only historical lesson taught by it is, that a country cannot be tranquil, whose destinies are confided to ambitious military chiefs; and the only result of these events has been, that

Buenos Ayres and the formerly confederated provinces are in but a very little better condition now, as to the sound action of the government and laws, their social and moral improvement, and the regular operations of industry, than they were at the time to which we last brought up the record. General history will find little or no room for the particulars.

We must refer back a little in point of time, to preserve the chain of the narration. General Paz was at the head of the Unitarian party, opposed to the federalists of Cordova and Santa Fe, and had taken possession of the former city, from which Bustos retired on his approach, with about 800 men. Paz pursued him for some distance and returned. Bustos rallied his forces, and having joined General Quiroga, made his appearance again, with a force of 5000 men. Paz did not wait for a siege, but went out

to meet the enemy, and some severe fighting ensued, on the 22d and 23d of June, which ended in the total rout of the federalists; fifteen hundred of them being either killed or captured.

The news of this victory produced great sensation in the city of Buenos Ayres. By the Convention of the 24th of June, representatives for the Provincial Congress were to be elected with all convenient speed, and that body was to organize a permament Government; on the formation of which, Lavalle and Rosas were to lay down their temporary authority. The hopes and pretensions of the Unitarians increased; and at the election held on the 26th July, Lavalle, by his influence, and the bayonets he commanded, carried everything his own way. Rosas saw, in the results of the election, no security for the fulfilment of the terms on which he had insisted on the 24th June, and withdrew with his troops to the distance of twenty miles from the city. His attitude was too formidable not to be respected; and new negotiations were commenced. To refer to the events in the order of their dates, on the 3d of August Lavalle issued a proclamation, stating that Government was determined to maintain the preservation of peace, and assuring the citizens that a renewal of civil war was not to be dreaded. The interior provinces, were, however, at that moment in a very unsettled state. On the 7th he announced the formation of an entirely new Cabinet. Manuel I. Garcia was appointed Secretary

of the Treasury; Thomas Guido, Secretary of State and of Foreign Relations; Manuel Escalada, Secretary of War and Marine (which office had been held by Rosas, under Dorrego) and I. A. Gelli, Minister of Police. Another proclamation promising security and tranquillity followed. On the 8th Rosas dismissed the several bodies of Indians who had acted under him, to their respective territories.

The language of the new ministers was of an encouraging character, though the Secretary of State candidly declared that, 'in a field covered with ruins, it would be difficult to avoid stumbling.'

By a new convention between Lavalle and Rosas, on the 24th, the elections of July 26th were declared void; and by an arrangement unintelligible to citizens who live under a pure democracy, General Juna Jose Viamout, an ancient officer of the corps of Patricios, and who had not meddled in these civil feuds, was placed provisionally at head of the Government of the Province; in war to be assisted by a council of twentyfour, a senado consultativo, selected from the most respectable owners of real estate, merchants and ecclesiastics.

Solemn Te Deum was celebrated at the Cathedral, for the termination of civil war. Congratulations on the return of peace were received from every quarter. The French Consul returned from Montevideo and resumed his functions. Lavalle was appointed by the new Governor