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CHAP. XV.

THE UNITED STATES-Their Recognition of the South American Governments-The Canadian Boundary settled-Award of the Emperor of Russia with respect to the Treaty of Ghent-Commercial Relations with France-Their Revenue-President's Speech— COLUMBIA-Siege of Porto Cabello-Operations of Morales-Quito submits to Bolivar-Zea's proceedings in Europe-PERU-Military Operation and Positions of San Martin and the Spaniards-San Martin's Assumption of Power-Separation of Lord Cochrane from San Martin-CHILI-The Congress-Dismissal of the Supreme Director-Appointment of a Junta at BUENOS AYRES-MEXICO-Iturbide proclaimed Emperor-Discontent-Iturbide's Tyranny HAYTI Porto Rico-Affray with the Chinese; and Hayti Interruption of the English Trade at Canton.

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HE United States continued to pursue the quiet tenor of their way, attentive to develope every source of internal prosperity and watchful in observing every external event that might affect their interests. On the 8th of March, a message of the president recommended to the congress the fecognition of the independence of the South American republics. The committee, to whom the message was referred, reported in favour of the proposition, and the report was affirmed in the House of Representatives, with only one dissenting voice. The measure was finally ratified, notwithstanding the vain remonstrances and protests of the Spanish ambassador; and the sum of a hundred thousand dollars was appropriated, to meet the charges of diplomatic intercourse with the new governments.

The boundary between the United States and our Canadian possessions, was settled by commis

sioners appointed for the purpose. In the decision, our commissioners, it was said, shewed either great ignorance of or great inattention to the interests of our colonists; for the frontier line was so drawn, as in some parts to deprive us of the benefit of the navigation of the St. Lawrence.

The first article of the treaty of Ghent, stipulated that "all territory, places, and possessions, taken by either party from the other, during the war, or which might be taken after the signing of the treaty, excepting only the islands thereinafter mentioned, shall be restored without delay, and without causing any destruction, or carrying away any of the artillery, or other property originally captured in said forts or places, which should remain therein upon the exchange of the ratifications of the said treaty, or any slaves or other private property." Doubts having afterwards arisen with respect to

the construction of this article, the points in dispute were, by a subsequent convention, referred to the arbitration of the emperor of Russia. His award was now given: "the emperor," said this award, "is of opinion, that the United States of America are entitled to a just indemnification for all the private property carried away by the British forces; and as the question regards slaves more especially, for all such slaves as were carried away by the British forces from the places and territories of which the restitution is stipulated by the treaty, in quitting the said places and territories: And further, that the United States are entitled to consider as having been so carried away, all such slaves as may have been transported from the abovementioned territories on board of the British vessels within the waters of the said territories, and who for this reason have not been restored."

The measures of reprisal, pursued by the American government, compelled France to abolish the heavy tonnage duty on American ships; and a treaty of navigation, on terms of reciprocity, was concluded between them.

The finances of the Union were in a flourishing state. The receipts into the Treasury for the three quarters ending with the 30th September, 1822, amounted to 14,745,000 dollars; the payments fell short of the receipts by nearly 2,500,000 dollars, besides discharging all current expenses, including the interest and re-imbursement of the debt: part of the 6 per cent stock was redeemed; and it was estimated, that on the 1st of January, 1823, the absolute balance in the Treasury would be

nearly three millions of dollars. The gross amount of duties, from the 1st of January to the 30th of September, 1822, exceeded 19,500,000 dollars; and, on the 1st of January 1823, was expected to reach the amount of 23,000,000 dollars.

The congress met on the 3rd of Dec. 1822. The speech of the president gave, as usual, a distinct and very flattering view of the situation of the country. The president stated in it, that the native manufactures had been augmented, and earnestly pressed the encouragement of them on the attention of the congress. He denominated freedom of commerce an abstract doctrine, and thought that the duties on certain foreign articles might be increased with advantage.

The congress of Columbia, assembled at Sta. Fé de Bogota was occupied in giving an internal organization to a country, which, after years of desolating war, had now a reasonable prospect of enjoying a period of peace. Its independence was firmly established; and it found some additional security in the steps which Yucatan and the Isthmus of Panama took, to throw off the yoke of Spanish supremacy.

The siege of Porto Cabello was continued; and though some advantageous positions close to it were carried by the republicans, the fortress itself still remained in the hands of the Spaniards. It was too strong to be carried by storm; and the superiority of the Spanish squadron rendered the blockade ineffectual, by giving the besieged the means of constant naval communication. Morales, the Spanish general, availed himself of this advantage, to make frequent descents

on various parts of the coast, by which he gained the treble benefit of harassing the enemy, of procuring supplies of necessaries, and of enriching his troops with plunder, while at the same time he ran little risk of having his retreat cut off. In these expeditions, he sustained many checks; but whenever fortune failed him, he hastened back to his fortress, and having there recruited himself, soon sallied forth again. Thus on the 11th of August, he was defeated in an attempt on Valencia and Caraccas, and was forced to retreat to Porto Cabello: yet, on the 26th of August, he was again at sea, dispersed a Columbian detachment which opposed him, and took temporary possession of Maracaibo.

The president Bolivar, choosing for himself a more easy and more dazzling task than that of reducing Porto Cabello, proceeded with a considerable force towards Quito, in order to annex that province to the Columbian republic. He was opposed by an army of royalists which was commanded by general Murgeon, the late governor of Panama: on the other hand, a division of San Martin's army advanced from the South to cooperate with him. Two engage ments took place at Bombona and Pichincha, in both of which the independents were victorious. The Spanish troops having then capitulated, Bolivar entered Pastos on the 8th of June. Quito had been occupied in his name on the 25th of May. He afterwards repaired to Guyaquil.

Columbia undoubtedly was now independent de facto; and a M. Zea, who had for some time acted as her agent in Europe, determined that the new republic should be

forthwith acknowledged by foreign powers. For this purpose, he presented to the French minister for foreign affairs, and to all the foreign ambassadors at Paris, a very long note, in which he demanded the recognition of Columbia; and, to induce them to make that recognition, stated the intentions of his government. These were in substancethat Columbia would not communicate with governments, which did not on their side recognize her independence; that all commerce, access, abode in the ports and territory of Columbia, would be open and ensured with full liberty, safety, toleration and reciprocity, to all nations whose governments should recognize that of Columbia; that those same ports and territory should remain closed against the subjects of such states as should not recognize that of Columbia; that delays should be established for admission to the ports and territory of Columbia, proportioned to the delay which the proposed recognition should experience; and that measures would be taken by the government of Columbia to prohibit all merchandise coming from countries, the governments of which refused or delayed to recognize it.

This document was, in every respect, an instance of extreme folly; and formed a strong contrast to the prudence of Buenos Ayres, and Chilé, which, though they had been independent for years, had never thought it worth their while to make the demand, on which M. Zea now so boldly insisted. His note produced no recognitions; yet the ports of Columbia continued open.

In Peru, the royalists had retired into the mountainous district southward of Lima, where they mustered a considerable strength.

In April one of their divisions, under Canterac, approached a strong body of San Martin's troop commanded by general Tristan, who was stationed at Ica, in the neighbourhood of Pisco, and, surprising them during the night in their encampment, completely defeated them. This advantage, however, was of no permanent benefit to the cause of the royalists; to defend themselves in the Sierra, seemed to be all that they aimed at. In the beginning of June, general Canterac, was at Huaca with 3,000 men; La Serna (the late viceroy) had 2,000 at Cuzco; and Valdes 1,000 at Arequipa. Besides these, the auxiliaries, under Ramirez, amounted to, it was said, between 3,000 and 4,000 men. Arequipa, and the whole country from Nasca to Cobissa, continued in the possession of the royalists.

They were, however, in a state of disunion among themselves; occasioned by the attempts of Can terac and Valdes, who had been principally active in the deposition of the late viceroy Pezuela, to deprive Ramirez, governor of Arequipa, of the military command which he now held. The independents mustered about 6,000 men in the neighbourhood of Lima, and 3,000 men at Cuença; and with this force, San Martin prepared to expel the Spaniards from the three provinces, which were still in their occupation. That he did not prosecute this object more actively, arose probably from a conviction, that, though La Serna might continue the war, he could never regain possession of the country. Delay, therefore, was of little consequence; for time itself would diminish the numbers, and quench the hopes and the zeal

of a handful of men, who were without the means of recruiting their strength; and, perhaps, the presence of an enemy, strong enough to command respect, though too weak to be a source of serious danger, was not unfavourable to the continuance of San Martin's present power, and to the plans of future aggrandizement, which he seemed to be meditating. From the moment that he entered Lima, he forgot that he was a servant of Chilé; he acted first as an independent commander, who owed no one any account of his transactions, and then as the effective sovereign of the country, which he pretended to have liberated. He assumed the title of Protector of Peru, and subsequently published a statute by which the prerogatives attached to that title were defined, and a provisional constitution was established. No legitimate sovereign could desire more ample powers, than those which San Martin here reserved to himself.

"The supreme directing power," says this instrument," of the free departments of the state of Peru resides now in the protector. His powers emanate from the empire of necessity-from the force of reason-from the exigence of the public good. He is generalissimo of the forces by land and by sea: and it being his principal duty to give freedom to all the towns which compose an integral part of the territory of the state, he shall have the power to augment or to diminish the armed force as he shall think proper: he shall have the power of imposing contributions, of establishing duties, of exacting loans to defray the public charges, on consulting with the council of state: He shall form regulations for

the better organization of the land and naval forces, including the militia of the state:-He shall regulate internal and external trade conformably to the liberal principles, on which the prosperity of the country essentially depends: He shall make the reforms, which he may judge necessary, in all the departments of the public administration, abolishing the offices which existed under the ancient regime, and creating new ones: -He shall appoint envoys and consuls to foreign courts, and promote the recognition of Peruvian independence, forming political or commercial treaties in accordance with the interests of the country, on consulting with the council of state." San Martin cautiously avoided intimating, how long his protectorship was to last. "I venture," said he, "to hope, that I shall be able in time to lay down the power which I have taken upon myself, with the consciousness of having faithfully exercised it. If, after having freed Peru from its oppressors, I shall go to seek, in private life, my last felicity, I shall consecrate the rest of my days in contemplating the beneficence of the Great Author of the universe; and in renewing my vows for the continuance of his propitious influence on the lot of future generations." The Roman Catholic religion was declared to be the religion of the state: to entitle those who dissented from it to follow their own faith, a license was requisite. The convocation of a legislative assembly was announced, from which a permanent constitution was expected.

In the mean time, San Martin exercised his power, in a mode,

which was exceedingly vexatious to foreigners. Their ships were pressed into his transport service; and a code of prize law was established by him, under which vessels were detained and condemned at the pleasure of the Peruvian authorities. A blockade had been proclaimed of the coast, which was in the occupation of the Spaniards; and alleged violations of this blockade afforded pretexts for numerous seizures. Yet what right had Peru to proclaim a blockade, while a foreign adventurer had possession of only part of the country, the remainder of it being under the power of the former government, whose armies he declined meeting in the field? And even if there had been any right, no blockade existed de facto. Indeed, the Peruvian government had not the means of impeding. the commercial intercourse of a single harbour. For though the Chilian fleet was triumphant in the Pacific, that fleet was no longer co-operating with San Martin. From the moment of the fall of Lima, and the general's assumption of supreme authority, lord Cochrane ceased to consider himself as in the same service with San Martin. The coolness, which thus arose between these commanders, was increased, when San Martin declined to give battle to the Spanish forces under the walls of Lima, or in front of Callao, although lord Cochrane strongly urged him to do so, as the certain means of at once annihilating the enemy. The capitulation of Callao, concluded without the concurrence of lord Cochrane, and restoring all Spanish property, widened the breach still more. The Chilian fleet, the interests of which were

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