1824.} 
SOUTH AMERICA. 
The attentions of the political world 
are specially direeted towards the 
Spanish provinces in South America, 
because it is believed that the Holy 
Alliance stands pledged to restore them 
to Spain, and that this pledge was one 
of the bribes by which so many Spa- 
niards were induced to betray their 
country to the foreign banditti. - Al- 
ready an expedition is fitting out at 
Cadiz; and negociations are afloat for 
loans among the London Jews, to sup- 
port the wicked enterprize. 
‘Aware of their danger, BoLivar 
has headed an expedition into Peru, 
where a royalist party kept the field, 
and advices of various victories over 
them have reached Europe. The Co- 
lumbian generals also haye stormed 
and taken Porto Cabello, the last for- 
tress held by Spain; and an invading 
army will, therefore, be without a 
resting place. The patriots of Mexico, 
‘Columbia, Peru, Chili, and Buenos 
Ayres, have, however, a delicate game 
to play, and nothing but energetic 
measures and councils will prevent 
their becoming a prey to the European 
despots. They must beware of the 
priests and of the party of the mo- 
derées, who, in such times, are wolves 
in sheep’s clothing. . It is this equivo- 
cating party who have ruined liberty 
in Naples, Spain, and Portugal. If 
BaRkERE writes as he promises, the 
“« History of the Committee of Public 
Safety of France,” he will furnish an 
example to be consulted by all re- 
volutionary governments. 
The following dispatch from the il- 
lustrious Bolivar to the government of 
Columbia, explains the first benefit of 
his march towards Peru: 
The insurgents of Pasto, commanded by 
the traitor Agustin Aqualongo, elated by 
the success they had obtained over the 
garrison, under the command of Colonel 
Flores, and the retreat of ovr vanguard n- 
der General Salom, marched upon the 
town, and advanced as far as Puntal. His 
Excellency’s orders to this general were to 
avoid coming into an engagement; but to 
' draw the enemy, if possible, into open 
ground, and to a distance from his re- 
- sources in Pasto. This manceuvre suc- 
ceeded, and, on the evening of the 12th, 
the insurgents occupied this town, Our 
forces marched towards Guayabamba, to 
unite with the columns of the vanguard, 
which were marching from Guayaquil, 
The whole being arranged in three divi- 
sions; the first composed of guides (guias) 
of the guard and the battalion of Yaguachi, 
Political Affairs in Decémber. 
563 
under General Salom; the second of 
horse-grenadiers and the battalion of 
Vargas, under General Barreto; and the 
third, composed of the artillery and the 
battalion of Quito, under Colonel Masa, 
marched on the 15th in the direction of 
Tabaciendo. Yesterday, at one P.M, we 
took up a position commanding that of the 
enemy, who amounted to 1500, of all arms, 
—ignorant of our movements, and em- 
ployed in pillaging and in sending to their 
rear the booty they collected, 
His Excellency the Liberator, in person, 
attended by his aides-de-camp and eight 
guides, reconnoitred the enemy. The 
latter, careless of every thing, only had, in 
the direction in which we approached, an 
advanced party convoying a drove of cat- 
tle. Our advanced guard soon lanced 
theirs; two only of them escaped, and 
these wounded, who gave the alarm to the 
enemy. His Excellency ordered the in- 
fantry to file off to the right and leftof the 
road, and the cavairy to occupy the mids 
dle, and to take the town by asimultane- 
ous attack. The insurgents, no sooner 
found themselves attacked than they en- 
deavonred to retire to the other side of the 
river, That position would have suited 
them well, from its narrowness and the 
rugged ground, and they wonld have the 
bridge between ; but our cavalry was or- 
dered to attack them in the attempt, and 
they charged with such celerity, that the 
enemy were thrown into confnsion in the 
streets, and numbers fe]l beneath our 
lances. Three times they rallied, and 
made a stand between the bridge and the 
heights of Aluburor, our troops being un- 
able to advance with the rapidity they 
.wished from the narrowness of the ground. 
The obstinacy of the Pastonians in charg- 
ing and defending themselves was admi- 
rable, and worthy of a nobler cause; but 
all was useless. Our horse-grenadiers and 
guias marched with the resolution to ex- 
terminate for ever the infamous race of 
Pasto. The greater part of them have been 
killed, and tiiose who succeeded in dis- 
persing themselves will be unable toreach 
Gnuaitara without being taken by our ca- 
valry, which pursues them, ov falling into 
the hands of the patriots in the towns 
through which they must pass, Between 
this town and Chota the road is strewed 
with 600 of the enemy’s dead; but the 
courage and the vengeance of Colombia 
has not been satiated with them. Their 
military stores and all they possessed have 
fallen into our hands, 
Itis impossible adequately to praise the 
intrepidity and daring of our chiefs and 
officers, The worthy General Salom be- 
haved with desperate valour, and General 
Barreto with his usual courage. The con- 
duct of those two brave generals is parti- 
cularly commended : also that of Colonel 
Harta, first aide-de-camp to his Excel- 
lency ; 
