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had renewed it with more vigour than ever, before colonel Alvear arrived from Buenos Ayres with re-enforcements to assume the command.* San Martin having demanded leave of absence, in consequence of the impaired state of his health, Rondeau supplied his place, as commander of the army of Peru. Soon after Alvear took command of the besieging army, the town not being able to hold out any longer, Vigodet proposed to capitulate, and the terms agreed on, were, that the garrison should be permitted to embark for Spain, that the troops of Buenos Ayres should enter Monte Video, and hold possession of it until the result of the deputation should be known, which the congress intended to send to Spain. There were 5500 prisoners surrendered, 11,000 muskets, and an immense park of artillery and military stores. The government did not, however, strictly comply with these terms of capitulation, for neglecting which, they assigned various reasons; the principal one was, the right of retaliation for Tristan and Goyeneche's breaches of faith. Vigodet was permitted to embark for Spain, but the troops were distributed through the interior provinces of Rio de la Plata, except what could be induced to enlist into the popular service.

The difficulties between the government of Buenos Ayres and Artigas, commenced almost immediately after their united exertions had captured Monte Video, and reduced the Spanish power in the Banda Oriental. Artigas claimed that Monte Video ought to be given up to him, as chief of the Banda Oriental; this demand was resisted by the government of Buenos Ayres, and to check the designs of Artigas, a part of their troops were left in the country under the command of colonel Soler, who was appointed governor of Monte Video. To the contention with Artigas, was added mischievous dissensions among the patriots at Buenos Ayres. Availing himself of the ephemeral popularity, which the capture of Monte Video had given him, Alvear obtained the ap

General Rondeau, in the name of the government, convened an Oriental congress for the purpose of appointing deputies to represent the Banda Oriental, and to choose a governor for the province. Artigas, as chief of the Orientals, demanded that the electors should appear at his headquarters, and receive instructions from him. This arbitrary demand being disregarded, he opposed the congress, declared it illegal, and attempted to dissolve it. The electors, however, appointed deputies and a governor, which so exasperated Artigas, that he exerted himself to spread disaffection among the Oriental troops, and finally withdrew from the army, and carried off nearly all the Orientals. This conduct produced great indignation against Artigas at Buenos Ayres, and the director, Posadas, declared him both a traitor and an outlaw, and deprived him of all his offices, offering 6000 dollars to any one who would bring him in, dead or alive. This rash measure, fraught with great cruelty and injustice, only served to strengthen the influence of Artigas over the Orientals, and render the breach between them and the government of Buenos Ayres almost irreparable.-Funes.

pointment of commander in chief of the army in Peru, and marched with a large re-enforcement to join the army; but, learning before he arrived, that from the influence of Rondeau, the troops were opposed to him, he returned to Buenos Ayres. Here he solicited the place of supreme director, which he obtained in January, 1815, Posados resigning the post. These events occasioned deep animosities and general anarchy. The army of Peru refused to acknowledge Alvear. Some of the provinces declared for Rondeau, and others supported the director. Communication between the capital and many of the provinces was obstructed, although the two factions did not commit actual hostilities. To complete the difficulties of the republic, their troops were defeated in the Banda Oriental, by Rivera, one of Artigas' generals, which compelled the director to order Soler to evacuate the country with the remnant of his forces. Artigas now entered Monte Video, and being in the undisputed possession of the Banda Oriental, he was a more formidable enemy to Buenos Ayres, than the royalists in that quarter had been. He determined to invade the territories of Buenos Ayres, and proceeded against Santa Fe, which, instead of opposing him, declared in his favour. The director sent 2000 men to oppose Artigas, commanded by general Viana and colonel Alvarez; but the latter declared against the director, arrested Viana, the commander in chief, and united with Artigas, for the purpose of overthrowing the director. The army in Peru sent Jonte to insist on Alvear's renouncing the directorship; and being at last satisfied that he could not rule a people against their will, a people who had lost all confidence in him, in consequence of his rash ambition, he reluctantly yielded to the general voice, and resigned his post. So indignant were the inhabitants against the director, that when Alvarez had joined Artigas, and was marching against Buenos Ayres, they collected in crowds, and denounced the director, instead of the apostate officer. occurrences occasioned a public meeting of the inhabitants, who declared the authority of Alvear, and also that of the congress, illegal and disannulled, and vested the government in the municipality of the city. The ex-director, Alvear, retired three miles from the city, where the troops were encamped, of which he assumed the command; and it being reported that he meditated attacking the town, the inhabitants were thrown into alarm and confusion, and the municipality ordered every citizen under arms, arrested the wife of Alvear, and several deputies, who were his partisans. An accommodation finally took place, and Alvear engaged to leave the country. He embarked for England in a British frigate, commanded by captain Percy, who acted as mediator between the parties, and engaged to guarantee the performance of Alvear.

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The municipality established a new junta, called de observacion, and promulgated a new provisional constitution. The junta of observation were a sort of tribunes; whose duty it was to see that the laws were executed, to watch the conduct of the director, check his ambition, and oppose his acts when prejudicial to the public interest. Rondeau retaining his post at the head of the army, colonel Alvarez was appointed his substitute. The public papers were filled with invectives against the members of the late administration; more than twenty persons were arrested, and the government was occupied in preparing for their trial. Colonel Paillardel was condemned to death, and executed, but the people of Buenos Ayres being much dissatisfied, the rest of the accused were exiled.*

The destruction of the Spanish naval force procured for Brown the rank of admiral, and in 1815, he proposed to the government to sail with his flotilla on a cruise into the Pacific ocean for the annoyance of the Spanish commerce. The government approving of the proposal, and having made the necessary preparations, the expedition sailed at the end of the year. For some time it cruised with success, but the admiral's ship having grounded on the sands near the coast of Guayaquil, was captured by the Spaniards. Brown, however, was exchanged for the newly appointed governor of Guayaquil, who had been captured on his way from Panama, a few days before, by one of Brown's cruisers. Whilst on this station, Brown greatly annoyed the Spanish commerce, and captured many vessels, some of which he sent to Buenos Ayres. On his return in the Hercules with a rich booty on board, Brown was captured by the British ship of war, Brazen; his vessel was carried into Antigua, where it was condemned, on pretence that it had violated the navigation laws.

To

Great disorders prevailed at Santa Fe, and a body of troops was sent thither under general Viamont to overawe the partisans of Artigas and the disaffected. The death of the governor, and the selection of a lieutenant governor, occasioned fresh tumults. The inhabitants, rising in a mass, led by Vera, and aided by a few troops, attacked Viamont with that fury which a spirit of faction inspires, and compelled him and all his troops to surrender. this disaster, succeeded one still more serious. The royalist general, Pezuela, having received re-enforcements from Spain, attacked the patriot army in Peru, and defeated it at Sipesipe, in November, 1815. This victory enabled the royalists the third time to occupy the provinces of Charcas, Potosi, and Jujuy. Civil dissensions still continued to agitate the state. Alvarez, who exercised the supreme executive authority, in consequence of the * Outline of the Revolution. Dean Funes' History of the Revolution in the United Provinces. 2 B

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absence of Rondeau, ordered the convocation of a new congress; but before it assembled, he was displaced from his command, by a popular revolution, and Balcarce appointed to succeed him; but he also was soon removed by the popular voice, and the government placed in the hands of a committee. Notwithstanding these commotions, the new congress assembled in Tucuman, and their first act was the appointment of a supreme director. Don J. M. Pueyredon was elevated to the supreme executive authority, which gave great satisfaction to the inhabitants, tired and disgusted with repeated revolutions, and revived the hopes of the friends of liberty. Pueyredon commenced his administration with energy; he gave the command of the army of Peru to general Belgrano, and sent troops to re-enforce San Martin, who was defending the frontiers of the country bordering on Chili. But he found the republic in a general state of anarchy; not only the Orientals under Artigas, opposed the government, but Santa Fe maintained its independence, and Cordova and other cities refused to submit to the government of Buenos Ayres. The capital was charged with arrogating every thing, and of assuming all the powers of government. Those opposed to the government were in favour of a federative system, securing to all the provinces an influence according to their population. Previous to this time, a corps of troops from Buenos Ayres had been sent against Santa Fe, under E. D. Velis, which being aided by a small squadron, the inhabitants, seeing no chance of defending the city, resolved to abandon it, and all fled, leaving every thing they could not remove to their invaders, So inveterate was their animosity against Buenos Ayres. Having captured the vessels of the enemy, they not long after returned and besieged their invaders in their own capital. Affairs being in this situation, the director sent deputies to attempt an accommodation with Santa Fe; but before they arrived, the troops of Buenos Ayres had evacuated the city and gone down the river. The threatened invasion by the Portuguese, rendered the director more anxious for a reconciliation with Artigas, to whom he sent a deputy and a supply of arms and munitions of war, offering to furnish all the assistance he wanted to enable him to repel the threatened invasion. Artigas received the supplies, but refused to listen to any terms of accommodation. The congress issued a manifesto, deploring the disorders, exhorting the people to obedience, and threatening the disturbers of the public tranquillity; but it produced no effect.

The congress, on the 9th of July, 1816, in a short, yet solemn declaration, announced the independence of the United Provinces. At a subsequent period, a manifesto was published, assigning, at greater length, the reasons which moved them to a separation.

The invasion of the Portuguese induced Pueyredon, the director,

to make a second attempt at reconciliation with Artigas, and commissioners were appointed to treat with him. A treaty was finally concluded, wherein it was stipulated that the province of the Banda Oriental should acknowledge the authority of the government of Buenos Ayres; that it should send members to the congress, and that the government should immediately furnish troops for its defence. This event occasioned great joy with the inhabitants, on both sides of the river; which, however, was soon checked, by information that the Orientals refused to ratify the treaty, influenced, as was supposed, by Artigas. The executive of the United Provinces remonstrated with the Portuguese general, Lecor, and warned him of the consequence of an unprovoked and unjustifiable invasion, but without any effect. His pretext was, that the disorders and anarchy in the neighbouring provinces rendered it necessary to occupy the country, to prevent the contagion from spreading into Brazil.

In the mean time the war raged in Upper Peru, where colonel M. A. Padilla checked the progress of the bloody Facon. T oppose the successful career of Padilla, the enemy despatched 1000 men towards Laguana. Padilla prepared to meet the assailants, and entrusted to his captains the defence of several posts, and one to the command of his wife; the enemy made a furious assault, but was completely repulsed and routed, and this heroic female, deserving of Spartan renown, had the satisfaction of presenting to her husband a standard of the enemy, taken with her own hands. Padilla pursued the fugitives in every direction, driving such as escaped into the town of Chuquisaca, where they were shut up. The wife of Padilla, for her heroic conduct, was rewarded by the government with the comm.ission and pay of a lieutenant colonel.

Another victory was obtained over a body of Spaniards of 1000 men, under the command of Facon, in person, by the patriot officer Warnes, the royalists being almost entirely destroyed. In Salta and Jujuy, general Guemes, with a formidable guerrilla force, and numerous other corps of guerrillas under different leaders, constantly annoyed the royalists, deprived them of their conquests as fast as they were made, and finally compelled Pezuela to retreat.

Internal dissensions and the voice of faction had not yet ceased to disturb the public councils. The removal of the congress from Tucuman to the capital was deemed expedient for the better management of the war; as it was convenient to have the different departments of the government near each other. This measure was opposed by most of the provinces, who desired to have the congress out of the reach of the influence of the capital. After much discussion, a vote was obtained in congress to

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