OASTILLA, DON RAMON. 



101 



no engagement with the Turk. Whoever will com- 

 with liim will be regarded as the most 



I, uiort. II,- will repent of it afterward, 

 when it will !>< too lute. Success! Crete is yours 1 



nment succeeded in caus- 

 m of .some Christian (It-locates, 

 .>ii.staiirmi>plo, but accomplished 

 nothing. <>n leaving Constantinople, they 

 May :;<!, a protest to tlie representa- 

 ivat [lowers, stating that no 

 :idii had tuken place, that they were 

 . -ihori/ed to speak in the name of tlieir 

 countrymen, and tlioy had not even been asked, 

 while in Constantinople, their opinion. 

 In .luno, a collective note from France, Rus- 

 'nis,ia, and Italy was presented to the 

 nririiiic the suspension of hostilities in 

 . and an inquiry into the grievances of the 

 islanders by commissioners appointed jointly 

 by i ho great powers and the Porte. The Turk- 

 vi-rninent refused to agree to this pro- 

 . On October 29th, another collective note 

 on the Cretan question was addressed to the 

 Porto by the French, Russian, Prussian, and 

 Italian ministers, strongly urging the adoption 

 of the advice previously tendered namely, 

 that an international inquiry should be insti- 

 tuted into the state of the island. In this de- 

 claration the powers named throw off all re- 

 sponsibility for the future course of events in 

 consequence of the Porte refusing to accept 

 tin -ir advice on the Cretan question. They de- 

 clare that they leave the Sublime Porte to the 

 consequences of this refusal, and withdraw 

 from Turkey all their moral support. The text 

 of the declaration was published in the official 

 paper of St. Petersburg and accompanied by an 

 explanatory circular of the Russian Govern- 

 ment, showing the course pursued by it in or- 

 der to prevent an insurrectionary outbreak in 

 Turkey, and the efforts it has made to circum- 

 scribe the consequences of the refusal of Turkey 

 low the advice offered, efforts which have 

 been based upon the principle of non-interven- 

 tion, which Kussia will adhere to so long as it 

 ;>ccted by the other powers. The Russian 

 (iovernment in this circular also declares that 

 it will not adopt an isolated course of action, 

 but that it is resolved to accomplish its duties 

 to humanity. The Austrian and English min- 

 isters addressed separate notes to the Porte, 

 recommending the Turkish Government to 

 ; liberal concessions to the Cretans. (See 

 TURKEY.) 



( ASTILLA, Don RAMON, a South American 

 general and statesman, for fifteen years Presi- 

 of Peru, and Grand Marshal of that re- 

 public, born in Tarapacd in the south of Peru, 

 August 80, 1799; died in his native prov- 

 not far from the city of Arica, May 

 '2.'., 1SG7. Ho was of mixed race, the Indian 

 Mood dominating both in his lineage and his 

 features over the Spanish. About 1810 he 

 was taken by an elder brother to Chili, 

 where he received some little education, and 

 commenced his military career, when still 



very young, in 1812. lie took a voluntary 

 and active part in quelling the revolution in 

 Concepcion and the south of Chili, und in 

 1816 was received among the cadets of the 

 Spanish army, after having been in the I, 

 In that year he was present at the battle of 

 Chacabuco, where he and his brother fell into 

 the hands of San Martin, the liberator of Chili. 

 They were sent as prisoners to Buenos Ayr, -. 

 where Ramon soon gained his liberty, and 

 went to Rio Janeiro. From this place he started 

 overland to Lima, making the journey of about 

 seven thousand miles through the wilderness 

 and dangers of Indian countries in five months. 

 The viceroy gave him a commission in his 

 army, which he held till 1820, when he was 

 made a lieutenant. In the same year his regi- 

 ment joined the army of the patriots fighting 

 for their independence. He worked his way up 

 to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, fought at 

 Junin and Ayacucho, where he was twice 

 wounded, and in 1825 took leave of absence to 

 visit his family. In passing through Arequipa, 

 he met Simon Bolivar, who praised him for his 

 bravery, and had him appointed prefect of the 

 province of Tarapacd. He filled several other 

 places, was chief of staff of the militia till 1830 ; 

 went then to Lima, and was appointed by Ga- 

 marra chief of staff of the whole army. A differ- 

 ence of opinion in regard to the employment of 

 foreigners made Gamarra his enemy, and he 

 was cast into prison, where he remained from 

 the middle of 1831 till 1832. He at last made 

 his escape, went to Chili, thence to Tarapaca, 

 joined Nieto, who had revolted against Ga- 

 marra, and fought with varying success till the 

 latter left Peru of his own accord. Orbegoso, 

 the new provisional President, made him a 

 brigadier-general and his secretary. He fol- 

 lowed the fortunes of Orbegoso through the 

 revolutions of Tnlaverry and the invasion of 

 Gamarra, and only fell out with him on account 

 of the treaty made with Santa Cruz, the Presi- 

 dent of Bolivia. Orbegoso could brook no op- 

 position, and sent Castilla as prisoner to Tacna, 

 but he escaped and went again to Chili, where 

 he remained till 1837, when he joined the 

 army of the Peruvian patriots who marched 

 against Santa Cruz, and, aided by the Chilian 

 Government, arrived at Arequipa, where peace 

 was made. The patriots had to return to Chili, 

 whence they started once more in 1838, and 

 this time with better success. Castilla was 

 second leader of the vanguard at the attack of 

 Lima, and defeat of Orbegoso ; made common 

 cause with Gamarra, who was proclaimed Presi- 

 dent by the patriots, whilst Castilla was ap- 

 pointed Minister of War. His labors as such 

 were enormous, inasmuch as he had to reor- 

 ganize the whole army under the most trying 

 circumstances. The patriots, together with 

 their Chilian allies, had to retreat before Santa 

 Cruz, who had been joined by Orbegoso and 

 Nieto's forces, till the victory of Ancach, on 

 the 20th of January, 1839, made Gamarra, Cas- 

 tilla, and Bulnes, the commanders of the Chilian 



