Viceroy Juan de Oñate

“ It is a remarkable fact that several of the South American countries, Mexico, Peru, and Chile, were governed by viceroys of Irish birth in the critical period preceding the Independence, although Spanish law forbade such office to any but Spaniards born. It was in recognition of gallant services in Spain, in combination with the Duke of Wellington, that General O'Donoghue was made viceroy of Mexico in 1821, but the elevation of the great viceroy of Peru, Ambrose O'Higgins, was due to the splendid talents of administration already displayed by him during twenty years of service in Chile. ”

“ For when murmurs and discontents are converted into wars it is better to follow a daring soldier than a noted scholar, for they say that to gild a mistake they make a hundred.
Vaca de Castro considered that if he entered Lima accompanied by artillery, arms, and arquebuses it would look bad and give rise to a doubt of his loyalty; while if he entered privately the Viceroy might ill use him, without regarding what was due to his position, nor considering his services to the King, for it was notorious that the Viceroy{26} was coming with a prejudice against him. ”

“ How the Viceroy sent Hernando de Alvarado to Truxillo, Jeronimo de Villegas to Huanuco and the Treasurer to Arequipa, and what happened.
The Viceroy was very active in assembling men and, although he had suspended the ordinances, he did not cease to talk about the duty of enforcing them. All sorts of intrigues and discourses passed in the city of Lima at that time. The Judges, talking one with another, thought they were lost while the Viceroy, with all the forces he could collect, would be carrying on the war with Gonzalo Pizarro. ”

“ Every circumstance, however trifling, was brought to bear heavily against the victims. The time allowed them for defence was short. The result of it was that the prisoners deemed it useless to attempt a defence, and an unjust sentence and its execution usually ended the case. On the 7th of January, 1568, were sentenced to be hanged and quartered for treason and attempted rebellion Juan Gomez de Victoria, Gonzalo Nuñez, and Cristóbal de Oñate, the last named being the one taken to and brought back from Spain. ”

“ This imprisonment, according to what the Viceroy published, was due to a suspicion that Vaca de Castro meditated something against the Viceroy’s person.
Lorenzo de Aldana had come from the province of Xauxa to see the Viceroy, having first written the letter already mentioned. The Viceroy thought that the letter had been taken from him and was in a furious rage. For this and because his authority was great and he had always been a friend of the Pizarros, the Viceroy ordered him to be arrested on suspicion, and he was sent on board another ship as a prisoner. ”

“ O'Higgins's greatest office, however, was still before him. In 1796 he was created Viceroy of Peru, and thus became the highest official throughout the New World. No fairy story has ever produced a more startling study of career and contrast than that which had fallen to the lot of the erstwhile bare-footed Irish boy.
The remarkable history of the family of O'Higgins, however, does not end even here. Ambrose O'Higgins was undoubtedly the most brilliant Viceroy who had ever served Spain in the New World. ”

“ So Vela Nuñez arrived at Lima in the night, and gave the Viceroy a detailed account of what had happened, including the great treason of Gonzalo Diaz, and how ill he had requited the honour the Viceroy had shown him.
The Viceroy was deeply moved and his countenance could not conceal the deep sorrow which filled his heart. He said—“This land is the Devil! Great are the evils which surround it! Never are those who live in it at peace one with another! ”

“ The Viceroy Blasco Nuñez de Vela arrived at Tumbez accompanied by Francisco Velasquez Vela Nuñez his brother, and the Captain Diego Alvarez de Cueto his brother-in-law, with other knights, and his servants. He was intent on enforcing the new laws. He sent out his orders before he had been received as Viceroy, commanding all to receive him as such, for in that way His Majesty would be best served. He ordered that no extra tribute should be taken from the Indians, and that no force or ill treatment should be used in dealing with them. ”

“ As you see, the times are changed, the sun is beginning to shine for us through the clouds, our most obstinate adversaries are becoming our warmest partizans. Lastly, the Count del Venadito has been recalled by the Spanish government and is no longer Viceroy, his place being taken by O'Donojú. Let us take advantage of this interregnum, let us make our last heroic effort, and if we like we shall be free; our fate depends on ourselves, is in our hands. ”

“ It was clear enough that the people needed some other protector than the head of the government, for none knew who might be the next victim to his temper. Some were for trusting for protection to the Audience; but most men were inclined to place themselves under Gonzalo Pizarro, who was now slowly advancing towards Lima. The Viceroy felt the bitter consequences of the position to which his rashness had reduced him. He had placed the town in a state of defence, but he could no longer rely on his troops to defend it. ”

“ This measure occasioned much emotion among the inhabitants of Lima, and gave great offence to the oydors or judges of the royal audience, particularly to the licentiate Ortiz de Zarate, who made strong remonstrances to the viceroy against sending Donna Francisco Pizarro among the sailors and soldiers, where she could not reside in decent comfort. This young lady, who was both beautiful and rich, was now almost grown a woman, and the conduct of the viceroy towards her on this occasion was considered as harsh, tyrannical, and unnecessary. ”

“ The Viceroy made a night march and surprised them, putting them and their followers to flight. Pineda fled alone into the mountains and died of hunger. Villegas escaped to Truxillo, while the Viceroy returned to Piura.
Gonzalo Pizarro, when he received the news that the Viceroy was still in the country at the head of a large force, resolved to attack him without delay. He left Lorenzo de Aldana as Governor of Lima, with 80 arquebusiers. He went himself by sea to Truxillo, with 150 picked officers and men, stores and munitions of war. The rest marched by land. ”

“ The viceroyalty of Lord Harcourt, which lasted from October, 1772, to the last days of 1776, was distinguished for its social magnificence. The Lord-Lieutenant was no politician, and he left that part of his work to Lord de Blaquerie, his chief secretary. He set the fashion for costly entertainments until to be economical was to confess oneself a social failure. Dozens of families of note, in their wild efforts to imitate the example of the viceroy, beggared themselves, spending in a few years the income of a whole generation. ”

“ The Viceroy notwithstanding the despatches he had sent to all the cities in the kingdom already, determined also to send persons in his confidence to the cities, to summon all citizens to join him with their arms and horses. He sent the Captain Hernando de Alvarado, brother of Alonso de Alvarado who had gone to Spain, to the city of Truxillo. He had offered his person and to bring men and arms. ”

“ Is it not so?"
"In the present instance your excellence is perfectly right," replied I; "and the only reason for my appearing before the Viceroy of Catalonia in such a deranged state of dress, is the brutal conduct of a party of soldiery, who seized upon me while travelling peacefully on the high road, and brought me here without allowing me even a moment's repose."
"I thought I was right," rejoined the viceroy, somewhat raising his voice: "but do you know, young sir, that your being a gentleman greatly aggravates the crime of which you are guilty. ”

“ As the Viceroy is such a zealous and fervent servant of your Majesty, as soon as he jumped on shore in this port of Tumbez, he put in force the ordinances and new laws which your Majesty gave for these kingdoms. Presently he gave freedom to all the Indians held to service by the Spaniards in Tumbez, telling them that, being free, they could go where they chose and act for themselves freely and according to their wishes. As regards all other provisions in the ordinances, the Viceroy went on executing them in accordance with your Majesty’s orders. ”

“ They also feared that the Viceroy might have gathered together a force sufficient not only to defend himself, but to exact summary vengeance. Though it was late, some of the citizens began to say—“this is a great piece of folly that we are committing, coming thus with such a demand. For although our enterprise may have some colour of justice, it must appear very ugly and bad to all. ”

“ The Viceroy was dissatisfied with Piedra for returning, and superseded him, when it devolved upon Don Francisco and Antonio Viedma (the officers next in command of those sent out from Spain) to carry into execution the intentions of their Government. These brothers were long employed upon various parts of the coast of Patagonia, and collected much valuable information respecting that terra incognita. ”

“ We cannot afford to attend to any other consideration than those of discipline and loyalty, which may be constantly renovated by the periodical return to England of all the regiments in every branch of the service.' The Viceroy was much pressed by some authorities at the time to grant the bounty, notwithstanding the refusal of the Home Government; but to have done so and to have given way to violence would have been a virtual abnegation of authority, and would not in reality have removed the disaffection. ”

“ Wellington’s position was decidedly impaired by the change—largely because a new minister-of-war had come into office, General Juan O’Donoju, of whom he had an evil memory as Cuesta’s chief-of-the-staff during the Talavera campaign. This clever, shifty, and contentious Irish-Spanish officer broached the theory that the agreement of December 1812 did not bind the new Regents, because they had never assented to it, and because it was contrary to the spirit of the Constitution that a foreigner should have the power to appoint or dismiss Spanish generals. ”

“ As might have been expected, there was much murmuring at Lima, and much communication was held between the different towns. Yet the Viceroy never dreamed of flinching from his course, and even when informed of the preparations of Gonzalo Pizarro, calmly relying on his authority, sent him orders to disband his forces. The latter, however, continued busily engaged in gathering together his army. He spared no efforts to procure men and materials, employing natives both for forced labour and for tributary levies. ”

“ At a time when he should have exercised discretion, he rushed into the arms of the Catholic party, and thereby mortally offended the Orangemen and their not-to-be-despised co-religionists. The result was that at a Protestant meeting the mention of the viceroy's name was sufficient to fill the building with cries of derision, while at a gathering of the Catholics Lord Mulgrave was cheered to the echo. It was an undignified reputation for a man supposed to hold the scales of justice evenly, and William IV. protested to Melbourne about the conduct of his viceroy. ”

“ He must consult with the viceroy of Nueva España regarding the measures to be taken for the settlement of the islands; and the viceroy has been ordered to aid the governor therein. Acuña is directed to look after the defense of the coasts, and the maintenance of a garrison in Mindanao. He must do what he can to dispense with offices and salaries which are superfluous, for which the king makes various recommendations. The frauds which have been committed in the shipment of goods to Nueva España, and in the payment of duties thereon, must be stopped. ”

“ The viceroy sent a squadron of six ships, provided with one hundred and sixteen cannons and abundant ammunition, to disperse them, and when their scattered forces formed in groups and sacked the ports of Guayaquil, Paita, Pisco, Arica, and others, the duke sent out additional ships, a squadron of volunteers formed of merchants and capitalists gave their aid to the royal authorities, and the enemy was completely vanquished and driven from the coast. In order to be secure against disasters from future attacks, a wall was built around the cities of Lima and Trujillo, by order of the viceroy. ”

“ I am also informed that the Judges, by a royal decree, have ordered Gonzalo Pizarro to march north and drive{142} the Viceroy out of the country, that he may not continue devastating and destroying, but go to give an account to your Majesty. All the troops are got ready to march with him and all are starting. Gonzalo Pizarro has a great power, and I fear that all are hostile to the Viceroy, while Pizarro has not taken upon himself to defend the Viceroy that he may not be killed. By these feuds the country is lost and destroyed, and the natives perish. ”

“ Riots, and evictions, and murders, were common enough in the closing months of Marlborough's viceroyalty, but beyond giving his sanction to the various acts that dealt with agrarian crimes and the troublous land problem, the viceroy made no display of statesmanship or endangered his ducal equanimity. It was to the Duke of Marlborough that Disraeli addressed his letter asking the electors for a fresh mandate. ”