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 THE RE VOL UTIONAR Y PERIOD 1 97 assisted by the influential citizens of his district and the old Carrara partisans. The southern provinces were declared independent of the rest of Chile, the laws and constitution of O'Higgins's congress were denounced as illegal, for the reason that Concepcion had not been fairly represented ; the ministers were denounced as conspirators, plotting the ruin of the country. A local congress was assembled which coun- tenanced the measures of the influential citizens. An English emissary was dispatched to Coquimbo with a full account of the proceedings which had taken place in the south, and bearing an invitation to the Coquim- bans to join the movement; another Englishman was sent to Santiago to intrigue with the numerous mal- contents in that city. The governor of Coquimbo was deposed and an old Carrera partisan put in that ofifice ; the province was declared independent and the national congress de- nounced as an illegal body. It is worth)' of remark, however, that it was expressly declared that these measures were not directed against the supreme-direc- tor, but only against his ministers and congress, O'Hig- gins had been Freire's benefactor and hoped that he would be able to put down the revolt with little trou- ble and without a resort to arms. But he overesti- mated his popularity. Freire advanced with troops from the southern cities beyohd the river Maule, and the Coquimbans took up arms in his favor, proceeding toward the capital with a considerable force raised in the north. In Decem- ber, 1822, the northern force came to Illapel and at the beginning of the following year they occupied Aconcagua and Quillota without opposition, On the 28th of January, 1823, a movement took place in the capital. The supreme-director was waited upon