368 JOURNAL. 



" the nation from the fangs of the anarchy which threatened to over- 

 " whelm it ; and procure for his country the happiest and most bril- 

 " liant destiny. Never mortal saw himself in a situation to render 

 " more important services to the country to which he owed his 

 " birth, the theatre of his exertions and his glory. His voice, heard 

 " with the liveliest emotions of pleasure from one end of the re- 

 " public to the other, was to be the signal of re-union for the whole 

 " nation, under a government as respectable and vigorous as that 

 " which had passed away, and as free, just, and beneficent as we 

 " had a right to expect. In this conjuncture he presented himself 

 " in Valparaiso at the head of an army, and of an expedition which 

 " had sailed from Talcahuana, after having received communications 

 " from the junta assuring him of its cordial support, of the abdi- 

 " cation of the Director, and of the unanimous wishes of the nation. 

 " This act, which perhaps might have been considered by some as an 

 " indication of a conduct hostile, or at least equivocal ; as marking 

 " exorbitant pretensions, founded on the strength of arms ; as want- 

 " ing in respect to the government, without whose authority, and 

 " even without a pretence, he had brought an army into the territory 

 " it ruled ; — surprised the junta, but did not alarm it. Why distrust 

 " the man whose modesty and the liberality of whose principles 

 " were so well and so generally known ? Why draw back from the 

 " citizen in whom the country placed its hopes, and to whose virtue 

 " it was willing to trust its fate ? He was invited to Santiago : he 

 " was called to the meeting, whose object was the general good of 

 " nation. We assure you, Gentlemen, that we have omitted no 

 " means, proposals, or efforts, in order to avail ourselves of his in- 

 " fluence in healing the public dissensions. He demanded the com- 

 " mand of the army of the province of Santiago, and it was granted 

 " him as a proof of our unlimited confidence, as a guarantee of our 

 " uniformity of sentiment ; and on condition of acknowledging the 

 " authority of whoever should receive that command, that we might 

 " not be wanting to the duties imposed on us by the people, when, 

 " together with the government, they entrusted us with the force 



