effusion of blood. With these professions he was permitted to pass on unguarded to the rear, where Colonel Viel appears to have been deceived by similar declarations, as he not only ordered that the swords of the officers, who had surrendered, should be re- turned to them, but allowed Prieto to proceed to the farm house of Ochagavia, accompanied by part of one of his battalions, which had also surrendered, but had not been disarmed ! From Ochagavia, Prieto sent officers to Lastra and Viel, with assurances of his anxiety to terminate at once the strife which was desolating the country, and with entreaties that they would come to him to hold a conference for that purpose. They went, and, by this second unaccount- able step, suspicions of something worse than incapa- city or indifference to the constitutional cause are doubly excited. On their arrival, Prieto told them that they were his prisoners, and pretended that not he, but they, had sought the cessation of the combat. He next sent for the remaining constitutional chiefs, under the pretext that their presence was requisite to assist in the conference; but Colonel Tupper, "this chief, whose eulogium our pen is too feeble to com- pose worthily, — this bold chief, whose memory will live in the hearts of all true Chilenos, even after his brilliant course is run, — this dbtief, we say," # after consulting his companions, returned for answer, that unless Lastra and Viel were released in a few minutes, Prieto would be attacked, and himself and his fol- lowers be put to the sword. Prieto now became alarmed and released his dupes, but not until the feeble Lastra had been compelled to sign a treaty, by which he agreed to suspend all offensive operations
- Extract translated from a printed "Aviso al Publico."
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