CHAPTER XIII. 



EVENTS SUCCEEDING THE ELECTION. 



REVOLUTIONARY SYMPTOMS. PROGRESS OF THE DISAFFECTION. CONGRESS GIVES THE PRESIDENT EXTRAORDINARY 

 POWERS. REVOLT AT COQUIMBO AND CONCEPCION. INTERFERENCE OF GREAT BRITAIN. REPRISALS BY THE BRITISH, 

 AND THEIR TREATY WITH THE INSURGENTS. DEPARTURE OF GEN. BULNES FROM THE CAPITAL TO COMMAND ARMY OF 

 THE SOUTH REVOLTS AT SAN FELIPE AND SAN BERNARDO. BATTLE OF PETORCA AND DEFEAT OF THE INSURGENTS. 

 SECOND INTERFERENCE OF THE BRITISH. REVOLTS AT VALPARAISO AND CHANARCILLO. STATE OF AFFAIRS AT SANTIAGO 

 IN OCTOBER. BANISHMENT OF LADIES. THE ARMIES NEAR THE NUBLE. MASSACRE OF ZUNIGA AND HIS COMMAND BY THE 

 ARAUCANIANS. CONTEST AT LOS GUINDOS, NOVEMBER 19TH. REPORT FROM GEN. BULNES. LETTERS BETWEEN THE COM- 

 MANDERS-IN-CHIEF. GEN. CRUZ CLAIMS THE VICTORY. MONTONEROS. BULNES IS OBLIGED TO RECROSS THE NUBLE. 

 AFFAIRS AT SERENA. REVOLT AT TALCA. FIRE AT SANTIAGO. DEATH OF GEN. FREIRE. FIRST NEWS OF THE BATTLE OF 

 LONCOMILLA. MINISTERIAL REJOICINGS. BURIAL OF GEN. FREIRE. FURTHER NEWS OF THE GREAT BATTLE. PEACE AT 

 THE SOUTH. LETTER FROM GEN. CRUZ ANNOUNCING THE RESULT. EVACUATION OF SERENA AStD REVOLT AT COPIAP6. 

 CONFLICT AT LINDEROS AND SURRENDER OF THE INSURGENTS. REVOLT AT THE PENAL COLONY IN THE STRAITS OF MAGEL- 

 LAN. CLOSE OF THE STRUGGLE. ALLEGED CAUSES FOR THE INSURRECTION. PROBABLE RESULTS HAD THE OPPOSITION 

 PARTY TRIUMPHED. 



Whilst the ministerialists were congratulating themselves on the success of their candidate, 

 and making preparations to inaugurate him at the approaching national anniversary, with a 

 degree of pomp previously unequalled, the members of the opposition were not idle. Though 

 their acts were not quite so open to the world, there were not wanting some to assert publicly, 

 " Mr. Montt will never assume the hand of office." Eumors soon became rife that the 14th 

 of September had been decided on for a revolutionary blow ; and though, by its programme for 

 the festivities and the erection of triumphal arches across the Canada and many of the 

 streets, the government continued its outward show of confidence, there were evident signs of 

 apprehension. 



The first tidings corroborating belief that the party beaten at the polls really meant to 

 strike a more vital blow came from Valparaiso on the 5th of September. On that day a number 

 of men were arrested in the manufacture of ball cartridges, intended for use in an attempt to 

 take possession of the city on the following morning. On the 8th, news arrived from Concep- 

 cion that the Intendente (a general, also) had marched to the frontier with all the force under 

 his command to preserve peace between two of the neighboring Indian tribes. As this province 

 had been one of the two to give a decided majority for Gen. Cruz, his partisans were suspected of 

 tampering with both regular and civic troops for the purpose of inciting them to march on the 

 capital. Suspicion became fact ; the alleged Indian difficulty was only a pretext of the Intendente 

 to take officers and men away from the sophistry and money-bags of the liberals. Gen. Cruz, 

 a much-beloved resident of Concepcion, had been its Intendente until very recently, and Gen. 

 (then only colonel) Viel, its present chief, had been kept there some months on nominal duty 

 most probably to get him away from the regulars at Santiago, with whom he was too popular. 

 The arrival of Cruz at the capital to remonstrate against the course pursued towards him sub- 

 sequent to the revolt of April 20th, the adulation of influential gentlemen of his party, the 

 cheers of the populace in public on more than one occasion, and the fact that he was a candi- 

 date for the Presidency in opposition to the government nominee, rendered it necessary to have 

 in the province a military governor belonging to the ministerial side. After twenty odd years 

 service as colonel, the merits of Viel became so suddenly apparent, that he was made general 



