APPENDIX. 



387 



own in every point of view : he saw the danger to which he would be exposed 

 if he attacked them, and therefore wisely shunned it, thinking with Sir 

 John Falstaff, (whom he also imitates in his love of the bottle,) that " dis- 

 cretion is the better part of valour." The savage wished to cloke his cow- 

 ardice under the mask of humanity and patriotism, and for that purpose 

 issued a proclamation, expressing how extremely repugnant it was to his 

 feelings to shed the blood of one single American : that it was his only 

 wish to carry the sword of his country against its common enemies, the 

 Godos or Spaniards : — he prepared to cross the Andes, resolved to put 

 the army under his command at the disposition of the government of ChUe. 

 On his presenting himself in Chile, these forces underwent an alteration of 

 titles : they were styled by Buenos Ayres, Exercito de los Andes, 6 Exercito 

 de Buenos Ayres ; but were now called Exercito de la Republica de Chile. 

 Thus did this modern hero, this Washington of South America, not only fly 

 from the government which had elevated, distinguished, and protected him 

 in the moment of danger ; but also robbed her of those forces which some 

 nobler spirit might have led to rally round the ruins of their falling state. 

 A desertion, fraud, and cowardice worthy of San Martin, and of him 

 only. 



I should be extremely sorry to insinuate any thing derogatory to the cha- 

 racter of so great and illustrious a person as San Martin ; but if it is admitted 

 that conscience sometimes damps a man's courage, — surely no person could 

 be more likely to fear from its accusations than His Excellency. He must 

 have recollected how much easier it was to gratify his brutal revenge on 

 Carrera's brothers in a dungeon, and loaded with shackles, than it woidd be 

 to meet him at the head of an army, determined to conquer. 



By his orders, the most notorious infraction on the rights of war and hu- 

 manity, perhaps, that is recorded of any country having pretensions to any 

 degree of civilisation, was perpetrated in San Luis by his friend Dupuy, the 

 lieutenant-governor of that town. After the battle of Maypu, all the officers 

 taken prisoners in that action had been sent to San Luis, and recommended 

 by San Martin to the particular attention of Don Vicente Dupuy, the lieu- 

 tenant-governor. They were about fifty in number, including General Or- 

 donez, Colonels Riberos and Murgado, and other field officers. Every 

 Sunday the general and field officers presented themselves to Dupuy, with 

 whom they generally dined and passed the night in playing at cards, &c, &c. 

 Dupuy, either from a malevolent and blood-thirsty inclination (as some sup- 



3-D 2 



