496 POLITICAL TROUBLES. 



might be destroyed in their first moments of leisure, to take away the means of prognosticating 

 earthquakes we refused to warn them of, and to prevent further visitations of rains on them 

 in summer. They knew that we were nearly all broken down by incessant clear nights in the 

 summer and autumn (winter and spring) of 1850, and believed we had caused these unheard-of 

 summer rains to obtain a respite from labor. 



Morning brought the particulars. The larger part of the Valdivia regiment, commanded by 

 a Colonel Urriola, who had figured conspicuously in preceding revolutions, had marched to the 

 plaza about 3 A. M. A few troops belonging to the same regiment who were guarding the 

 prison, and such of the fire brigade, occupying the western extremity of the same building, as 

 offered resistance, were overpowered, and a summons despatched to the cuartel of the Chaca- 

 buco regiment to come and join them. After liberating and arming the prisoners and a por- 

 tion of the Egualistas who had collected, Urriola, a Seiior Ugarte, and some others, made 

 harangues to them, endeavoring to impress upon the multitude who soon flocked to the square 

 that the ministers were tyrannical and ought to be dismissed, themselves oppressed beyond 

 further endurance, and General Cruz was the only man who could release them from their 

 burdens or restore their rights. But it seems to be admitted that the arguments of the orators 

 made few converts ; and of the thousands of idlers and curious who had hastened there on the 

 first rumors of disturbance, multitudes were quite as desirous to get out of the way when they 

 comprehended that revolution was contemplated. The people's cause as there proclaimed was 

 not the popular one ; or, if so, the fear of consequences by participation was more powerful 

 than the sense of injury. 



For the purpose of protecting the arms of the battalion and for instruction in military life, a 

 portion of the civic troops always remain on duty at their respective garrisons. Finding there 

 were few volunteer accessions, a detachment was sent to take possession of the cuartel adjoining 

 the university building, and belonging to the third battalion of National Guards. It is supposed 

 that the object was to gain possession of the munitions, and then beat to arms, for the purpose of 

 inducing belief that the civic troops had united with them. The move proved unfortunate ; for 

 two of the sergeants despatched there deserted with their piquets, one of them deliberately shoot- 

 ing the lieutenant in command as they filed off to the palace in support of the President. The re- 

 mainder encountered a strong resistance by the guard at the cuartel. No greater success attended 

 overtures to the Chacabuco regiment. The messenger to the colonel was arrested ; and though 

 individual members both of that corps and the artillery joined the standard of revolt, notwith- 

 standing the assurance that the whole population would at once place themselves under his 

 orders, Urriola found himself with less than six hundred men, including soldiers, Egualistas, 

 and loafers. Three or four hours passed. He had struck no blow, gained no advantage, had 

 scarcely added a man to his numbers, whilst his force of regular troops was diminishing ; at the 

 same time government was by each instant of delay gaining confidence and (what was of equal 

 consequence) numerical strength. That the latter felt its weakness was apparent; for, when a 

 demand was sent to the President to dismiss his ministers, instead of arresting the envoy, and 

 commanding immediate and unconditional surrender of the insurgents on penalty of death, 

 there was temporizing and a parley. There was probably no personal timidity, but apparently 

 doubts of their own judgment in the crisis dread of the responsibility in case revolution should 

 ensue. At least their hesitation to act suggests this, and scarcely admits of other interpreta- 

 tion. They had cause for it, too. Of five battalions of National Guards, the Chacabucos, the 

 artillery, the fire brigade, the cavalry, and the faithful of the Valdivias in all numbering not 

 less than five thousand men scarcely one in six had assembled at the palace. 



As the President was about to leave it at the head of the troops who had collected, Senor 

 Monti, then chief judge of the supreme court and the government candidate for the presidency, 

 suggested to General Bulnes to spare the effusion of blood to the last moment, so as to give the 

 misguided men the utmost opportunity to acknowledge their error and return to duty. Proba- 

 bly nothing is more painful to a really brave man than the necessity for sacrificing life, and 



