Page:A history of Chile.djvu/240

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A HISTORY OF CHILE

were dispatched south, and the naval forces put into requisition and sent in search of Freire, who was supposed to be making his way to Chiloé.

These active measures doubtless prevented the revolution, which was fully expected in Chile at this time. Freire was seized after landing at Chiloé and the rebellion quickly suppressed. In the meantime, business had suffered greatly and many vessels had been detained in Chilean ports by the embargo. This futile attempt of Freire was the last the old veteran made to recover and reestablish liberal ascendency in Chile. The pelucones were now firmly established in the government. Freire was again banished, but eventually returned to Chile, where he lived apart from politics and died about the middle of the century. It was not forgotten by Chile that Freire had obtained his warships and complement of men and stores in Peru, when he made this last attempt to overthrow the conservative power. It was generally thought that Peru had given him secret aid. There were other grievances as well. Peru and Bolivia had formed a confederacy under the leadership of General Andrés Santa Cruz, the president of Bolivia. The confederacy was formed of Upper and Lower Peru and Bolivia, each with a separate congress and president, but with Santa Cruz at the head. This naturally may have caused feelings of jealousy on the part of Chile.

In Peru affairs had been for some time in a turbulent condition. The ambitious Santa Cruz of Bolivia had long since conceived the idea of uniting Peru and Bolivia in a confederacy, with himself as the head. Generals Gamarra and Salaverry in Peru were heading a revolt against the president, Orbegoso, and were on the eve of being successful, when the latter ratified a treaty with Santa Cruz, in June 1835, by which the