war; for, whatever be the determination of the Spanish generals, they have no refuge but in flight, or in an unconditional submission to the standard of liberty. A few days more, and Europe will learn that the land of the Incas has devoured the last satellites of Spanish tyranny.

MEXICO.-Mexico now enjoys the most perfect tranquillity, and, if we except the occupation of the small fortress of St. Juan de Ulloa by the Spaniards, every vestige of civil and foreign war, has disappeared from this beautiful country, lately a prey to so many troubles. Besides this, we know with certainty, that there exist serious revolts in the garrison of St. Juan de Ulloa; that two attempts have been made by the soldiers to communicate with the independents, and, to deliver up to them the garrison. The news of this first attempt was received at Alvaredo the 26th of November. Twenty of the conspirators had failed in an attempt to reach the shore, and eleven of them had been saved by a merchant ship. The deserters declared that they were to make a signal agreed upon, when all the soldiers of the fort were to seize their officers, and deliver up the place. The news of the second attempt arrived at Alvaras on the morning of the 27th of November. Six soldiers had again endeavoured to pass to the independents, but four of them had been retaken, At this period, the governor La Moor was dangerously ill. St Juan de Ulloa is, however, the last refuge of the Spaniards in America!

The New York papers till the 8th ult. quote some advices from Havannah of the 15th of January, stating that information had reached that place from Barrawa,

of the landing of a body of troops from Spain, supposed to be destined against Vera Cruz, but whose services will, in all probability, be required for the protection of Cuba itself.

"The troops which sailed for the Havannah on the 7th, consisted of three regiments, amounting in the whole to about one thousand eight hundred men. They have been sent, as is said, at the urgent entreaty of the merchants and planters of Havannah, for the purpose of keeping the negroes in subjection, as it was apprehended that an insurrectionary spirit existed among them. They were compelled, however, to remit to Spain the money required for the equipment of the troops before their request was complied with. So little able is this degraded country even to furnish protection for the few colonies left her; although, if the Madrid Gazette could obtain belief, it would be inferred that Spain still possesses sufficient power to regain those which have thrown off their independence.''

BIOGRAPHY.

LA SERNA.

During the war which Napoleon carried on in Spain, La Serna was taken prisoner by the French at Sarragossa. He was then a lieutenant colonel of artillery. At the conclusion of peace, he returned to Spain, and though he little expected it, he was appointed colonel of his regiment with the title of Brigadier, as a recompense for his long services, and for having participated in the defence of Sarragossa. Ferdinand had, at that time, re-ascended the throne; but La Serna, who had resided many years in France, returned therefrom with liberal ideas, which he infused into the minds of several officers of his regiment. The government, on hearing this, thought of sending him into exile. Under pretence that the Algerines threatened to land on the Spanish shore, near Algesiras, he was ordered to direct his march that way with his regiment, which was in garrison at Seville. This was a step towards exile. La Serna, who suspected it, and who feared that his well-known opinions might soon bring him into disgrace, wished to prevent it; he solicited of General Count Abisbal, who was then charged with the direction of the American affairs, some employ in that country as major general. His petition met with no difficulty whatever. His wishes were even anticipated, since he was, to the great astonishment of all Spain, appointed general in chief of the army of Peru, with an order to repair immediately

to Cadiz, and there to embark; and what seemed rather strange, he departed without receiving any instructions, as if he were gone to occupy an inferior post. It was in the month of May, 1816, that he set sail; and he landed at Arica, in the month of September of the same year.

The state of disturbance and agitation in which he found Peru on his arrival, and the various events that succeeded each other since, might have furnished La Serna with opportunities of displaying firmness, military and political talents, had he possessed them. He showed, however, in every circumstance, nothing but weakness, irresolution, and inability to sustain the weight which he had to bear.

He has been seen, it is true, overthrowing Pezuela, and succeeding him in the viceroyalty; but it was neither by his talents, nor by the force of his mind, nor through any of his own means, that he obtained that victory; he was indebted for it only to the vigor of his principal partisans ; to the course of events, and chiefly to the wavering temper of his rival, who dared not adopt any of those strong measures which his situation required. These two men are equally wanting in energy, political knowledge and military capacity. They are both unfit to command in a revolutionary country.

When viceroy, La Serna constantly gave fresh proofs of his want of aptitude and of his timidity. He never knew how to take a decisive part, even when his own interest and his duties seemed particularly to require it. It was chiefly towards Olaneta, his subaltern, that he shewed himself irresolute, improvident and fearful. That general had formally de

spised his orders on the most important occasions; he even once usurped his viceroyalty; he represented him, in his proclamations, as a factious person, and as an enemy to the altar and the throne; he openly waged war with him, spilt the blood of the Spanish soldiers, because the latter had obeyed their viceroy, instead of obeying a common general, who had even no right to command them; and far from punishing him, in an exemplary manner, for those acts of so daring a rebellion, the viceroy treated with him; and not only forgave him, but he even maintained him in his command, with fuller powers, perhaps, than he had bes fore he had made himself so culpable. In short, but for the support of Generals Valdez and Canterac, it is very probable that La Serna would, long since, have ceased to be viceroy. *

* We are informed that the viceroy La Serna, after, without due authority from Madrid, abolishing in Peru the constitutional system, by a proclamation, dated Cusco, 11th of March, renounced by a subsequent proclamation, dated 21st of March, the vice royalty, and intrusted General Canterac with the command in chief of the army. The motives which he pleads in this last proclamation, are the dispositions of the deerees of H. C. M. which annul all the acts that had passed under the constitutional government-(La Serna had been confirmed in the viceroyalty by that government); but it is so much the less probable, that this was the true cause of his voluntary resignation, because those decrees had not yet reached him officially, and that, till then, he might lawfully have remained at the head of affairs in Peru. He even ought to have done so, till his formal revocation, which might not have taken place. It is then more rational to think that he, in this instance, yielded more to a sentiment of fear, than to that of his duties; which, notwithstanding the turn of his mind, seems at all events, difficult to be accounted for; but chiefly in the si tuation which Peru was in, when he adopted that resolution.