298 POLITICAL HISTORY OF PERU. 



country, which he believed to be indebted to him, of ingratitude, for 

 not preferring his interests to her own happiness. Notwithstanding 

 his many faults, posterity will give him due credit for his meritorious 

 actions. This, however, does not satisfy the South Americans. Their 

 taste and customs lead them to desire present gratification rather 

 than posthumous fame. It is remarkable, that not one of the men that 

 the revolutions in South America have brought forth, appears to have 

 been influenced by the feeling that he was serving his country. 



La Mar was, during the early part of the war of the revolution, in 

 the Spanish service ; but he afterwards joined the popular side. He 

 served with great credit to himself until the close of it, and contri- 

 buted much to the success of the last and decisive battle of Ayacucho. 

 After this he retired to Guayaquil, where he had married a lady of 

 good family, and remained quietly in the enjoyment of domestic com- 

 fort, until he was called to the presidency of Peru. He was a man of 

 respectable talents, pure and unsuspected integrity, and universally 

 esteemed in private life. He died in Central America, whither he had 

 been banished by Gamarra, leaving a reputation much fairer than that 

 of any of his associates. 



Gamarra also had served for several years in the Spanish army, 

 before the revolution broke out. He early joined the patriot side. As 

 a subaltern, he acquired the reputation of being an active and zealous 

 officer ; but on his promotion to higher grades, he is said to have dis- 

 played, in the battles and skirmishes in which he was engaged, but 

 > little military skill, and his courage was more than once questioned. 

 At the close of the war, he was raised to the rank of general of 

 division ; and his first act, as has been seen, was to desert La Mar at 

 Portete, which manifested both his treachery and cowardice. His 

 success has been ascribed to his skill in intrigue, and to his making 

 use of the patronage of his station to effect his purposes. He trampled 

 upon the rights of those over whom he ruled, while at the same time 

 he was making the strongest professions in favour of democratic 

 principles, and the rights of the people. Under the pretext of 

 restoring to his country its violated constitution, he has twice over- 

 thrown the established authorities, and placed himself in power at 

 the point of the bayonet. Lavish of the public treasure, and equally 

 careless in the economy of his private affairs, he lived, and died 

 in poverty. False in his friendships, and unforgiving in his enmities, 

 he was especially to be feared by those with whom he became 

 apparently reconciled after a quarrel. He has left but few admirers, 

 although through his management he contrived to hold the reins of 



