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Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/292

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266
RIVERA
RIVERS

and was rewarded with the government of Los I Angeles, where he died shortly afterward.


RIVERA, Jose Fructnoso (re-vay -rah), presi- dent of Uruguay, b. in Paysandu in 1790: d. in Montevideo, 13 Jan., 1854. He was a "gaucho," began to serve under Artigas against the Spaniards in 1811, and when, in 1814, hostilities between that chief and the Argentine general, Alvear, began, Rivera, in command of a division, defeated Dorre- go, 10 Jan., 1815, at Guayabos, and entered Monte- video, of which he was appointed commander by Artigas. During the Portuguese invasion Rivera was his lieutenant, but in 1820 he capitulated on condition that his rank of colonel should be rec- ognized, and that he should be kept in command of a regiment of gaucho cavalry. On the invasion of the province by Jose Antonio Lavalleja (q. <.), he was surprised by that chief, on 29 May, 1825, but immediately went over to him with all the forces at his command, and took a brilliant part in the battle of Sarandi on 12 Oct., for which he was re- warded by the Argentine congress with a pension. In August. 1826, when Rivadavia appointed Gen. Alvear chief of the Argentine auxiliaries, there were disagreements, and Rivera, refusing his aid, was outlawed and fled to Corrientes. But on 21 April, 1827, he returned with 100 adventurers from Santa Fe, invaded the Brazilian missions, and, gath- ering and disciplining a force of 1,800 Indians, kept the Brazilian army in check. For this he was par- doned, and when, after the independence, Laval- leja assumed the provisional presidency, 25 April, 1829, he appointed Rivera commander-in-chief. After the proclamation of the constitution, con- gress elected Rivera president, 24 Oct., 1829 ; but Lavalleja plotted against him, and began an armed rebellion in 1832, but was defeated, 20 Sept., and forced to take refuge in Brazil. A> piv-idcnt, Ri- vera paid little attention to the constitution, in- troducing a purely personal and arbitrary govern- ment. Although he was not dishonest for his own gain, he allowed his friends and former officers to pilfer the treasury, yet the commercial pros- perity of the country increased greatly. Lavalleja tried the fortunes of war once more in 1834, but was defeated and again took refuge in Brazil. In the elections of that year the opposition or Federal party obtained the victory, and on 1 March, 1835, Gen. Oribe was installed president ; but he appoint- ed Rivera commander-in-chief. By instigation of the dictator Rosas (q. v.), Oribe persecuted the unionist chiefs, and finally, being authorized by congress, called Rivera before a court of inquiry for smile arbitrary measures. The latter rose in rebellion, 16 July, 1836, declared the president a traitor to the nation for his connivance with Rosas, and, aided by the gauchos, the unionists, and the foreign colony, began a struggle against the gov- ernment. After a long civil war, Oribe resigned, 20 Oct., 1838, and Rivera was elected president. The former took refuge with Rosas, who gave him the command of an army to subdue the revolution of Lavalle and La Madrid (q. >:), and declared war against Uruguay in 1842. Rivera invaded the province of Corrientes, but was defeated by Oribe at Arroyo Grande on 6 Nov. The victorious army in its turn invaded Uruguay, and in February, 1843, the famous siege of Montevideo began. Rivera, leaving Gen. Paz in charge, left with the cavalry to open a campaign in the interior, and held part of Rosas's army in check for two years, till it was re- enforced by Gen. Urquiza with 40.000 men, and Rivera was defeated at India Muerta, 28 March, 1845. But finally Brazil signed a iivaly with Uru- guay, 29 May, 1851, Oribe was killed in battle on

Jan., 1852, and Rosas was defeated at Monte 

Caseros on 3 Feb. Juan Francisco Giro was I'lrct- ed president, 1 March, 1852, and Rivera aided Gen. Venancio Flores in an insurrection. President Giro fled to a neutral man-of-war, and Flores, de- claring the executive chair vacant, instituted a tri- umvirate composed of himself, Lavalleja, and Ri- vera : but the two latter soon died. The two chief towns of the department of Taeuarembo have been named after him, Rivera and San Fructuoso.


RIVERO, Mariano Eduardo de (re-vay'-ro), Peruvian scientist, b. in Arequipa in 1799; d. in Paris, France, 6 Nov., 1857. At the age of twelve he was sent to Europe and entered the college at Highgate, near London, studying chemistry under Sir Humphrey Davy. In 1816 he went to Par- is, where, after many difficulties, he was admitted in 1818 to the Royal college of mines. In 1820 he went to Germany to study the metallurgical dis- trict of Freiberg^ and discovered a new substance, which he called Humboltina. He made known in Europe the sodium nitrate of Tarapaca, which soon became one of the principal exports of Peru. Af- terward lie made a scientific trip to Spain, visiting the mines, especially those of mercury at Almaden. He returned to Paris in 1822, and there met Zea, the Colombian minister, by whom he was commis- sioned to go to Bogota to establish a mining-school. He selected some of his college companions to aid him ; and on their arrival in Venezuela, where they were well received by Gen. Bolivar, they began work, obtaining good results and making many discoveries. After three years he was called by his family to Peru, and resigned the charge of director of the school, Gen. Bolivar appointing him instead general director of mines and public instruction of Peru, which appointment was confirmed by Gen. La Mar, president of that republic. After his ar- rival in 1825 he devoted his time to science, and, together with Nicolas de Pierola (q. v.), published, from 1826 till 1828, the " Memorial de Ciencias Nat- urales." In 1829, during the civil war, he was de- posed and obliged to retire to Chili, where he made extensive geological studies. On his return to Peru the government appointed him director of the Mu- seum of natural history and antiquities of Lima. In 1832 he was a member of the national congress, as deputy for the province of Cailloma: but in 1834, on account of his health, he retired to Are- quipa. In 1840 Gen. Gamarra reinstated him in the direction of the museum and public works. In 1851 he accepted the charge of consul-general in Belgium, but he returned to Peru in 1852. In 1854 he again occupied his place in Belgium. Rivero was a member of many foreign scientific societies. He wrote " Memoria sobre las aguas minerales de Yuro y otros puntos cercanos a Arequipa " (Lima, 1827) ;' " Antigliedades Peruanas,' 1 with Dr. von Tschudi (Vienna. 1851); " Apuntes estadisticos del Departamento de Junin" (Brussels, 1855); and " G'oleccion de memorias cientificas, agricolas e in- dustriales" (2 vols., 1856-'7).


RIVERS, Richard Henderson, clergyman, b. in Montgomery county, Tenn., 11 Sept.. 1814. He was graduated at La Grange college, Ala., in 1835, the same year was chosen assistant professor of languages in that institution, and in 1836-'41 was full professor. In 1843 he was elected president of the Athens female seminary, and in 1848 became proEessor of moral science in Centenary college, Jackson, La., and in 1849 was elected its president, which office he held till 1854. In that year he became president of La Grange college, of which he retained charge till the civil war. and he subsequently assumed the presidency of Centenary college, Sum-