SAN MARTIN AND COCHRANE.
1821--1822.
History seeks in vain to blot from her pages the invectives hurled at
each other by the two heroes of the liberating expedition to Peru. They
themselves have perpetuated them in documents, in which each appeals to
the judgment of the world.
Cochrane has insulted and calumniated San Martin by calling him a
sanguinary tyrant, an incompetent general, a hypocrite, a thief, a
drunkard, &c., &c.
San Martin, through his ministers, accused Cochrane of depredations akin
to piracy, and of being an embezzler of public property, who made
traffic with the naval force placed under his command.
The Admiral, who thought nothing great but his own deeds and his own
hatred, extreme in everything, who had spoken of his own country as a
degraded nation, ruled by a parliament of scoundrels, looked upon the
South American revolution as a commercial transaction, carried on by a
set of intriguing, cowardly rascals.
San Martin, more prudent, returned him insult for insult by other hands,
but he did not descend to calumny, and when the angry moment had passed,
troubled himself no more about him.
The antecedents of this quarrel we have already sketched. Though seeking
to make common cause with him, San Martin never confided in Cochrane,
had a very low idea of his merits as a leader of troops on land, and
found reason to repent of such trust as he did place in him on such
service. This the Admiral attributed to jealousy.
In the squadron itself there was a party inimical to Cochrane. Guise and
Spry drew up a protest against the new name given to the _Esmeralda_,
and were tried by court-martial for breach of discipline, but San
Martin, who saw in Guise a future admiral, took him under his
protection, and made Spry one of his aides-de-camp.
In the inscription on the medals struck in celebration of the
Declaration of Independence, no mention was made of the fleet. At this
Cochrane took umbrage and would accept no excuse. From this time he
became very pressing in his demands for the arrears of pay due to his
crews, speaking clearly of the danger of a mutiny. These arrears dated
from before the sailing of the expedition; the foreigners were only kept
on board by an express promise from San Martin to pay everything and a
year’s pay as bounty, when he took Lima. He also decreed a donation of
50,000 dollars to the captors of the _Esmeralda_. Neither of these
promises were fulfilled.
On the 4th August, 1821, Cochrane went himself to the palace to urge
these claims, and alleges that San Martin refused any money except as
part of the purchase money of the ships which should be sold to Peru.
This is denied by Monteagudo and Garcia del Rio, who were present. It
was then that he was informed by San Martin himself that he had assumed
the title of Protector of Peru, upon which Cochrane, now looking upon
himself as the representative of Chile, reiterated his claims. San
Martin acknowledged his responsibility for the year’s pay he had
promised as bounty, and for the 50,000 dollars promised to the captors
of the _Esmeralda_, but denied that he was in any way responsible for
the pay of crews in the service of Chile, and told Cochrane he might
take his ships and go where he pleased, but regretting his hasty words,
he then stretched out his hand to the Admiral, asking him to forget
what had passed.
“I will forget when I can,” replied Cochrane.
The Admiral seems also to have regretted his haste, for on returning on
board he wrote to San Martin a letter in English, full of profuse
compliments, to which San Martin replied in similar terms, but neither
of them touched at all upon the question between them. The
correspondence continued, but no money was paid, and Cochrane wrote to
O’Higgins that he could not answer for the loyalty of his crews, who
were in want of common necessaries, and hinted his fears that they would
seize the ships and turn pirates.
When Cochrane returned on board, after the refusal of San Martin to
attack Canterac (see last chapter), he found his men on the verge of
mutiny. On the approach of Canterac, San Martin had, as a measure of
precaution, sent the coin and bullion from the mint and treasury on
board a ship at anchor at Ancon, and had given permission to private
individuals to embark their valuables on the transports, or on board of
neutral vessels. When Cochrane heard of this, he seized the whole of
this treasure, under pretext that they were contraband shipments, but
gave receipts for the packages. He received a peremptory order to return
them to their owners, but wrote to San Martin that he could not obey the
order, as he had no other means of preventing a mutiny, than by paying
his men with whatever money he could lay hands on.
If the blockade were raised Callao could not be captured, so San Martin
was forced to temporise, and insisted only on the restitution of private
property, to which Cochrane acceded.
When Callao surrendered, the Peruvian Government ordered Cochrane to
give up the rest of the treasure to an official of the War Office.
Cochrane regretted that his duty to Chile obliged him to prevent by any
means in his power insubordination and rebellion in the Chilian fleet.
San Martin then gave way, and Cochrane distributed one year’s pay to
all his crews, but kept the rest of the money for the general use of the
squadron. After this, many of the seamen deserted to spend their money
on shore, which occasioned so much disorder, that San Martin ordered
Cochrane to return to Chile and report to his own government.
Cochrane denied the right of the Protector of Peru to give any such
order, but some days after weighed anchor and left the harbour.
San Martin then wrote to O’Higgins, proposing to declare Cochrane an
outlaw, but O’Higgins was too clear-sighted to commit any such folly,
and acknowledged that they themselves were much to blame for what had
occurred. Besides which Cochrane’s conduct gave great satisfaction to
the Chilian people, and he himself had sent a despatch to the Chilian
Government, informing them that he was sailing to Guayaquil to careen
the _O’Higgins_, and to look for the two Spanish frigates _Prueba_ and
_Venganza_.
Cochrane was incapable of treachery to the cause he had adopted, he was
the same hero as before, with all his defects and all his great
qualities. His intention on leaving Callao was to complete his great
work, by driving the last vestiges of Spanish domination from the
Pacific. He sent the _Lautaro_ and the _Galvarino_ back to Chile, and
with the rest of his ships reached Guayaquil on the 18th October, where
he spent six weeks in repairing them.
On the 3rd December he sailed again, looking into every bay and inlet
along the coast as far as California for his prey. The two frigates had
been employed on transport service, by various Spanish authorities on
the Pacific coast, and on the 4th December had left Panama for
Guayaquil, where they capitulated to Salazar and La Mar, who were there
at the time as representatives of Peru.
The _Prueba_ was sent off by them to Callao to give herself up to the
Peruvian Government, but the _Venganza_ remained at Guayaquil to make
some necessary repairs, and she was still there when Cochrane returned
on the 3rd March. The Admiral sent an armed boat to seize her and hoist
the Chilian flag; the people manned the batteries and threatened to sink
her; upon which he consented to leave her with them, until the question
of ownership was decided by the governments of Chile and Peru.
Cochrane then sailed South, and touching at one of the northern ports of
Peru, was refused either provisions or water by the authorities, who had
special orders to that effect from the Protector. In great dudgeon he
went on to Callao, where the appearance of his ships caused great alarm.
The _Prueba_, now the _Protector_, under command of Captain Guise, was
manned by troops from shore, and anchored under the batteries.
Cochrane sent an angry missive to the Minister of Marine, complaining of
the treatment he had met with, and again demanded payment of the debts
owing to him. The Minister went off to see him, invited him ashore and
offered him the command of an expedition against the Philippine Islands.
Cochrane was not to be appeased by words. A few days after that, the
schooner _Montezuma_ sailed close past him without saluting. He
threatened to fire on her and compelled her to cast anchor, then
boarding her he hauled down the Peruvian flag and hoisted the Chilian.
It seemed as though the quarrel would culminate in actual fighting, till
on the 10th May Cochrane sailed for Valparaiso, where he was welcomed in
triumph, and his conduct received official approbation.
Soon after, Cochrane left for ever the shores of the Pacific, whose
waves will murmur the record of his glorious deeds to the end of time.
Having now one ship of war, the Peruvian Government commenced to
organize a navy, which they placed under the command of Blanco
Encalada.