menced. The irons were broken; the ruffians seized every thing they could lay their hands on, and opened a passage for themselves. The troops arrived, fired on the insurgents, and subdued them; a great number of them were wounded.

During this attempt, the town not only continued calm, but a great number of the inhabitants took up arms to join the troops. The revolt was not completely suppressed, until five in the morning. While it was going on, the slaves cried out "Vive la Republique!" Others called upon the soldiers to make common cause with them, saying Joiu us-to-morrow we shall constitute Civita Vecchia a republic, and we shall be all right." We can excuse an attempt like this. Galley slaves may be forgiven for trying to elevate themselves into legislators and commanders.

There is likewise reason to be

lieve, that a plot of a much more dangerous nature was formed at Rome, early in the year. What the details of it were, and what its objects, is uncertain; but, in the month of April, several persons were committed to the castle of St. Angelo; and at the same time one individual of the highest rank and influence, the governor of Rome, who to a great reputation for political talent, added the advantage of being the nephew of a leading cardinalsuddenly disappeared, abandoned his dignified station, his hopes, and his family, and took refuge in the Brazils. The stories which were in circulation in Rome, concerning the nature of the conspiracy, and the mode in which it was discovered, approached to the marvellous. But no mention of it was allowed to be made in the public journals, and the true nature of the transaction still remains to be revealed.

TH

HErevolutionary history of the year is not yet finished. The government of Christophe, the black sovereign of Hayti, had long been odious to his subjects, for the capricious tyranny which marked every part of his administration, and the deeds of bloody cruelty with which it was often stained. The disaffection extended to the troops, who complained of the insufficiency of the rations of food, the smallness of their pay, and the severe punishments which were wantonly inflicted on them. On the 5th of October, some of the officers having organized a conspiracy, assembled the troops, who were stationed at Cape Henry, exhorted them to throw off their chains, and led them out to Haut du Cap, about five miles distant. This news reached the king at Sans Souci, where he then lay sick he immediately dispatched a messenger with orders; but the messenger was instantly sent back to inform Christophe, that they no longer regarded him as their ruler.

:

He now sent for the duke of Fort-royal, and ordered him to march against the rebels with the troops in the neighbourhood; and, to heighten their zeal in his cause, besides giving them a gratuity of

four dollars a man, he promised, if they succeeded, to surrender the Cape to pillage. On the 8th, they came in sight of the enemy. The insurgents hoisted the white flag, and Christophe's troops immediately went over to the independents. The general fled, but was afterwards taken prisoner.

When the news of this desertion reached Christophe, he resigned himself to despair; and, seeing himself bereft of the means of resistance, le, on the same evening, put an end to his existence. He was then in the 53rd year of his age.

About the same time, the garrison of St. Mark's had also risen in open rebellion.

It appears to have been the intention of the chiefs of the insurgents, to erect an independent commonwealth. But Boyer, president of the republic, which had been established in the quarter of the island that had never been subject to Christophe, took advantage of this moment of confusion, to advance with a considerable army. The several districts declared rapidly in his favour; and the only resistance which he met with was from the fortress of La Ferriere, near the Cape, to

which the remainder of Christophe's family had fled, and from some troops under the command of general Romain, prince of Limbe, who had taken post in the mountains of Gros Morne, near Gonalves, with the assumed title of general-in-chief. The fortress of Ferriere appears, however, 'to have been, at last, quietly given up to the republican troops, to gether with the members of Christophe's family, and the whole of the black king's treasures, &c. On this, Romain also made overtures to surrender to president Boyer, on condition that himself, and all with him, should be admitted to the privileges of citizens of the republic. To this proposition Boyer readily acceded, and a conference was appointed between Romain and the chief authorities of the Cape, on the one hand, and plenipotentiaries from Boyer on the other; the happy result of which was communicated to the inhabitants, on the 21st of October, by a proclamation, signed by a great number of magistrates and generals, with the name of Romain at the head, and announcing, that Hayti, united in one republic, was thenceforward to enjoy independence, liberty, and equality, under the presidency of Boyer. On the following day, Boyer, with an army of 20,000 men, entered the Cape, amid general rejoicings.

During this year, both the independents and the royalists made considerable exertions in Venezuela, and the adjacent provinces; but no event happened, that led to any decisive result. On the 25th of November, an armistice 'for six months was concluded between Bolivar and Morillo; and

soon afterwards the latter returned to Spain, resigning the command to general La Torre.

The provinces of the River Plata, after they threw off the Spanish yoke, enjoyed several years of tolerable tranquillity and prosperity; but in the present year, the scene was entirely changed. Two causes produced all their evils-the prevalence of a spirit of provincialism—and the factions into which the capital was split. The provinces were unwilling to acknowledge autho rities which had their seat at Buenos Ayres, and endeavoured each to set up an independent government. A variety of intestine wars ensued, of which the most remarkable was, that between Buenos Ayres and Sauta Fé. After several advantages had been gained by the troops of the former, an endeavour was made to settle the dissensions by negotiation, but without success. the mean time, the army of Santa Fé had received reinforcements, and, under the cominand of one Lopez, attacked the town of San Nicholas, in the hope of surprising the garrison. The attempt was unsuccessful, and produced the most lamentable consequences to those who made it. For a large body of Indians, who had been engaged by them as auxiliaries, deserted them in their change of fortune, and, taking advantage of the unprotected state in which Santa Fé had been left, entered it on their retreat - plundering, burning, and destroying many of the houses, and committing the most dreadful outrages.

In

In the province of Buenos Ayres itself, the dissentions of factions raged with so much violence, that

several battles were fought in the immediate neighbourhood of the capital, and the very streets of the city were the scene of bloody conflicts. Towards the end of the year, these convulsions began to subside, and the administration, which had been passing daily into new hands, assumed a more stable aspect.

In the mean time general San Martin, intent in preparing to invade Peru, remained with his army in Chili, which enjoyed complete tranquillity under the government of its supreme director O'Higgins and its senate. Lord Cochrane, with the Chilian fleet, annihilated the commerce and naval power of Spain on that coast; and distinguished himself by the capture of the strongly fortified town of Valdivia. At length, on the 21st of August, the expedition for the invasion of Peru sailed from Valparaiso, under the command of his lordship and of San Martin. As a prelude to this step, a proclamation was issued on the preceding day by the Chilian government, declaring the whole coast of Peru, from 2 deg. 12min. to 21 deg. 48 min. in a state of blockade. All vessels from Europe, or the United States, or European settlements in America and its islands, which might present themselves after the term of seven months, before any of the ports of this line of blockade, were to be sent to Valparaiso to be adjudged according to the laws of nations. Three months from Rio de la Plata, five from the Brazils, six from Africa and its islands, and one year from European settlements in Asia, were allowed as a kind of notice to all vessels coming to that coast. Vessels

carrying contraband of war, enemies' property, provisions or subject to the king of Spain, were to be sent to Valparaiso to be adjudged; and vessels with false or double papers, were to be considered enemies' property.

The army disembarked at Pisco, and advanced within a hundred miles of Lima. Negotiations then took place between San Martin and the viceroy, which terminated without leading to any amicable arrangement; and the year expired, before any decisive result occurred.

In the course of the present year, the United States imposed a duty of 18 dollars on the tonnage of French vessels, partly as a measure of finance, and partly as a retaliation for the disadvantages to which American vessels were exposed in the ports of France. But the event of most consequence in their foreign relations was, the ratification of the treaty by which Spain ceded to them the Floridas. This ratification Ferdinand had hitherto refused, unless the United States would bind themselves not to recognize or enter into relations of amity with the revolted provinces of South America. To such a condition they would not consent; and they were preparing to take possession of the provinces with a military force, when news of the Spanish revolution arrived. This event induced them to submit to another delay, in the hopes that they might obtain from the newborn democracy, what Ferdinand would not concede. Their expectations were not disappointed. On the 24th of October, the treaty for the cession of the Floridas was, with the approba

tion of the Cortes, formally ratified by Ferdinand.

In the old settled parts of the union much individual distress prevailed; most of the staple commodities fell greatly in price; the banks failed; and the paper circulation was exceedingly reduced. Foreign commerce, too, sustained a great diminution; and the produce of the customs fell to comparatively nothing. For details concerning the state of the revenue and the internal administration, we refer our readers to the message of the president at the opening of the congress. [See Appendix to the Chronicle, page 838].

In the beginning of the year, Constantinople saw the vizir displaced. Esseid Ali Pacha, who succeeded him, commenced his administration by equipping an army for the reduction of Ali, the old Pacha of Albania, who had so long defied the authority of the sultan. The troops of the Albanian chief were every where worsted; and after a defeat, which he sustained on the 31st of August, he was so completely deserted, that, exhausted by age and infirmities, he shut himself up with a garrison of 800 men in the citadel of his capital, Janina, abandoning the town itself to the mercy of the enemy. The general of the Porte prosecuted the siege up to the beginning of De

cember, when want of stores compelled him to retreat to Arta. Ali then issued from his strong hold, and, raising an army of mercenaries, again took the field.

Negotiations took place in the present year between the Porte and Russia, respecting Moldavia and Wallachia. While these were pending, some drunken soldiers discharged fire-arms, and commenced an alarining riot at the gate of the Russian embassy. Strogonoff, the ambassador, with the help of his janissaries, seized one of the rioters; and, though a tumultuous assemblage of his comrades demanded his liberation, delivered him over to the Turkish authorities. They yielded to the menaces of the mob, and permitted them to carry off the prisoner in triumph.

Next day Strogonoff insisted on immediate satisfaction. Some of the inferior functionaries were sent, to apologise to him in the name of the Reis-Effendi. This concession, however, was not sufficient; nor did the ambassador declare himself satisfied, till the Ischa baschi went to the hotel of the embassy, and there apologised in the name of the sultan for what had happened. Several of the soldiers were afterwards strangled; some of their officers were cashiered; and their commander-in-chief was displaced,