LAS CASAS. 792 LASKER. information on the Spanish discoveries and eon- quests in the New World, was not printed until 1875 (Madrid, 5 vols.). Consult: babin. Works of Las Casus (New York, 1870); Helps, The HlMinish Conquest of America (London, 1861); id., Life of Las Casas (Philadelphia, 18G8) ; I'rescott. Conquest of Mexico; and Winsor, A'ar- ralice and Critical History of America, vol. ii. (Boston and Xew York, 1889). LAS CASES, lis kjiz. Emmaxuel Augustin DiELi)0..NE, JIarquis de (1766-1842). The com- panion and liistorian of Xapoleon in Saint He- lena. He was born in the Chateau of Las Cases, near Revel, in Languedoc: was a lieutenant in the navy liofore the Revolution, served in the Prince of Conde's army (1702); spent some time in Enjiland, where be supported himself by private teaching, and took part in the expedition to Qui- beron (1795). After Xapoleon's accession to power he returned to France and labored in the preparation of his admirable Atlas historiquc, which was published under the name of Lesage (180.3-04). Xapoleon made him baron, em- ployed him in olTices connected with the home administration, and gave him the ofTice of cham- berlain. After the battle of Waterloo Las Cases offered to share the exile of Xapoleon, and in Saint Helena the ex-Emperor dictated to him a part of his memoirs. A letter which Las Cases contrived to send to Lucien Bonaparte led to his being arrested by the British authorities and separated from X'^apoleon in 1816. He returned to Europe and resided at Frankfort-on-the-ilain and in Belgium till X'apoleon's death, when he re- turned to France, and published the Memorial de .SV;i;i/c ndline (1823). LASCO, Ijis'kfi, JoH.^NXES A. See A Lasco. LASCY> lUs'f, or LACY, Fraxz Moeitz, Count (1725-1801). An Austrian general, son of Count Peter Lacy (1678-1751), an Irishman in the Russian service. He was born at Saint Pe- tersburg: was educated for the army in Vienna, and in 174.3 entered the Austrian senice. He fought bravely in Italy. Silesia, and the Xether- lands; was promoted to major-general for his bravery at Lobositz : and, with the rank of major- general commanding a division, undertook the reorganization of the army in 17.58. His strategy during the years 1759 and 1761 won him in 1702 the rank of field-marshal. He was unsuccessful in the war with Turkey (1788-90), and was retired. LA SERENA, la sa-rfi'na. The capital of the Department of Coquimbo. Chile. It is situated on an eminence overlooking a small bay of the Pacific Ocean, 215 miles north of Valparaiso (Map: Chile. C 9). It has a delightful climate, is surrounded by gardens, and is a well-built and handsome town, with straight and regular streets, several plazas and promenades. A rail- road eight miles long connects it with its port, Coquimbo (q.v. ). Other railroads run to the interior towns of VicuiJa and Rivadavfa. and a line running southward, but not yet completed, will connect it with Valparaiso and Santiago, and. through the Transandcan Railroad, with the Atlantii- Coa-it. Pnimlation. in 1805. lfi,5Cl. LA SERNA E HINOJOSA, Li s.lr'na a e'nft- Ho'sa, .Tosfi DE (1770-18.32). A Spanish general and viceroy, born at .Jerez de la Frontera. He fought against the French in the Peninsular War, and served under Wellington in 1813. In 1816 he received command of the Royalist army in Upper Peru, with the rank of major-general. The Viceroy, Pezuela, was from the first antagonistic; and I^ Serna. after several times acting against his own judgment, notably in the battles of Salta and .Jujuy. where the patriots were victorious, was persuaded to remain at his post only by the prospect of San Martin's invasion. He then received command of the army and also the title of Viceroy in l'czucla"s place (1821). After San Martin entered Lima, La Serna retreated to Cuzco, where be maintained his army against the patriots for three years without assistance from Spain. On December 0, 1824, the decisive battle of Ayacucho was fought between General Sucre, the patriot leader, and the Viceroy. Despite the Royalist odds, the patriots won the battle, and La Serna was wounded and captured. He was afterwards released and returned to Spain. laASKEB, lasTv^r, Eduabd (1829-84). A Prussian statesman of Jewish descent, born at Jarotschin ( Posen) . He was educated at the uni- versities of Breslau and Berlin, and in 1851 ob- tained a post in the Berlin municipal court. Sub- sequently he spent three years in England in the study of public affairs. Upon his return in 1856, he again entered the Government service of Prus- sia. In 1865 he was first elected to the Lower House, where in 1868-73 he represented Magde- burg, and in 1875-79 Frankfort-on-the-Main. He sat for Ihe first electoral district of Berlin in the Constituent Xorth German Diet, and later, until his death, in the Xorth German and the Germau Diet for the second electoral district of Saxe- Meiningen. He was identified with the 'Fort- schrittspartei,' or Progressives, until 1860. when he assisted in founding the Xational Liberal Party. In the civil consolidation of the (Jerman Empire. Lasker played a very conspicuous part, and he largely shared many of the most impor- tant legislative and administrative enactments. Differences ultimately arose between Bismarck and himself, and at last the Chancellor's eco- nomic and tax-reform policy led him to withdraw from the Xational Liberal Party. He >vas soon joined by others, and the 'secessionist' faction thus formed constituted a vigorous opposition. In the hope of benefiting his health, Lasker visit- ed the United States in 1883. His death in Xew Y'ork, January- 5. 1884, was followed by what is known as the 'Lasker incident.' Reso- lutions of condolence, passed by the House of Rep- resentatives of the United States, were forwarded to Minister Sargent at Berlin, to be by him trans- mitted through the legitimate channel to the Reichstag. These resolutions were returned un- delivered by Bismarck, throvigh the German Min- ister at Washington. Lasker's chief publication was Zur Vcrfassungsfiesehichte Preussens (1874), a collection of essays. Consult the study by Bamberger (Leipzig, 1884). LASKER, Emaxuei. (1808—). A German chess-player, born in Berlinchen. Prussia. His first noteworthy chess- pbaying was in 1889, when he won first prize in the Breslau 'Haupt- turnier.' He won second prize in the Amster- dam tournament of 1889. and in the following year won matches with Mieses and Bardeleben, and prizes at the tournaments held in Gratz and Berlin. In 1892 the first honors of the London national tournament were his. and. after winning the English championship by defeating the well-
