arino_, which was
pledged to be sold for that purpose, being under orders for sea, to
convey San Martin to some place of safety, for, not anticipating the
disorganisation which he found in Chili, he was afraid of falling into
the hands of General Freire, from whom he would doubtless have
experienced the full amount of justice which his conduct deserved. The
squadron in my absence had, however, taken the matter into its own
hands, by placing the _Lautaro_, with her guns loaded, in a position to
sink the _Galvarino_ if she attempted to move. The forts on shore had
also loaded their guns for retaliation, though of these the squadron
would have made short work.

No sooner had I restored order, by resuming the command, than I received
from General Freire the subjoined letter, which no longer left me in
doubt of his intentions:--

Conception, Dec. 18th, 1822.

MY LORD,

The province under my command being tired of
suffering the effects of a corrupted administration, which has reduced
the Republic to a state of greater degradation than that under
which it was labouring when it made the first struggle to obtain its
liberty; and when, by means of an illegitimately-created convention,
without the will of the people, they have traced the plans of
enslaving them, by constituting them as the patrimony of an
ambitious despot, whilst, in order to ensure him the command, they
have trodden under foot the imprescriptible right of the citizens,
exiling them in the most arbitrary manner from their native
country.

Nothing now remains for us but heroically to resolve that we will
place the fruit of eleven years of painful sacrifices in the way of
saving it; to which effect I have deposited in the hands of its legal
representatives who are united in this city the authority that I
have hitherto exercised; but notwithstanding my want of merit, and
sincere renouncement, the constituent power has deigned to place
upon my weak shoulders this enormous weight, by again depositing
the civil and military command in my person, which the adjoining
resolution I have the honour of remitting will explain to your
Lordship.

God preserve your Lordship many years.

(Signed) RAMON FREIRE.

In short, a revolution to depose the Supreme Director had commenced, and
General Freire, supported by the inhabitants of Conception and Coquimbo,
was in arms to effect it. With this revol