Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/585

Rh residents in Peru, fearing the enmity of the new j^overnraent, took refuge on board the " Nuinancia." After the declaration of war against Chili, 17 Sept., 1865, Nunez was called to enforce the blockade of Chilian ports, and after the suicide of Pareja, on 28 Nov., he assumed the command of the fleet. When the Chilian government ordered that vessels communicating with the Spanish fleet should not be allowed to enter Chilian ports, Nunez threatened to bombard Valparaiso. The American minister, Gren. H. J. Kilpatrick, and Com. Rodgers made, on 23 March, an attempt at arbitration, which failed, as the chief condition of Admiral Nunez was the return of the captured gun-boat " Covadonga," and consequently Nunez, notwithstanding the protest of the diplomatic corps, gave notice on the 27th to neutrals to evacuate the city, and on the 31st the fleet bombarded the port for three hours without the flre being returned, as Valparaiso was defenceless. The loss in public and private property was estimated at $1,000,000, and in mer- chandise at $9,000,000. On 14 April Nunez sailed with the fleet, consisting of five wooden frigates •and one gun-boat, besides the flag-ship, and on the 25th arrived before Callao. That port had mean- while been strongly fortified, and was defended by nine batteries and two iron-clad monitors. The bombardment took place on 2 May and con- tinued till 5 p. M., when the Spanish fleet retired, Nunez being severely wounded. He was promoted vice-admiral for this action. After the conclusion of active hostilities he sailed with the " Numancia '" for Manila, and returned via the Cape of Good Hope to Spain, thus being the first to make a voy- age round the world in a heavy iron-clad vessel. During the revolution in Spain in 1868, and after- ward, Nunez refused to take part in political move- ments, and later retired from the service to his home, where he died.

NUNEZ, Ignacio, Argentine journalist, b. in Buenos Ayres, 30 July, 1793 ; d. there, 22 Jan., 1846. He studied in his native city, entered the military service in 1800, and in 1810 was a captain, but joined the cause of independence, and served till 1813, when he was appointed chief clerk to the secretary of the constituent congress. He was secretary of war ad interim in Montevideo in 1814, in 1817 secretary of the general congress in Buenos Ayres, and in 1821 assistant secretary of foreign relations. In 1826 he was sent as a com- missioner to the Army of the Banda Oriental, and in 1829 he was elected to congress from the province of Buenos Ayres. He founded in 1822 the Literary society of Buenos Ayres and was also president of the Rural societv. Nunez was founder and editor of "El Argos"m 1821, "El Centinela" and "El Nacional," and a contributor to " La Revista Eu- ropea."' Being a constant opposer of the tyranny of Rosas, he was imprisoned in 1837, and afterward decided to remove to Montevideo, but was taken sick and died in the port of his native city. He wrote " Noticias historicas, politicas y estadisticas de las provincias del Rio de la Plata" (London, 1842), which also appeared there in English, French, and German translations; "Noticias historicas de la Republica Argentina " ; " Trabajos Literarios " ; and " Apuntes Biograficos " (Buenos Ayres, 1857).

NUNEZ, Rafael, president of Colombia, b. in Carthagena, 28 Sept.. 1825 ; d. there, 18 Sept., 1894. He was graduated at the university of his native city, and began his career in 1851, being elected to congressfor the province of Panama. In 1853 he was ap}>ointed to a cabinet office by Gen. Obando, but, disagreeing with the policy of the administration, soon resigned and joined the opposition. From till 1857 he was secretary of the treasury under President Mallarino. He was afterward elected to the senate, and was founder and editor of " El Porvenir," of Carthagena. and connected with " La Demo- cracia" and other journals of Bogo- ta. In 1861-'2 he was secretary of the treasury under Gen. T. C. Mosque- ra. and in 1863 he was elected to the convention of Rio Negro, which de- creed the new Fed- eral constitution. He then left Co- lombia and resided for some time in New York, where he was chief editor of "El Continental," in which paper he warmly defended the cause of the Union, and the independence of Mexico and Santo Domin- go. From 1865 till 1874 he lived in Europe and filled the post of Colombian consul in Havre and Liverpool, writing during this time series of inter- esting articles for the " Diario Oficial " of Bogota, " El Nacional " of Lima, and " El Federal " of Caracas, under the pen-name of David de Olmedo, which became widely known throughout Spanish America for their style, sound philosophy, and practical spirit of observation. While he was in Europe he was elected senator. He returned to Colombia in 1875, and in the same year was pro- claimed a candidate for the presidency by the ma- jority of the Liberal party and many members of the Conservative party, but, though favored by the popular vote at the polls, he was defeated through the machinations of the party in power. At the end of 1875 he was elected governor of the state of Bolivar, the assembly of that state elected him to the senate in 1878, and in April of the same year he became secretary of the treasury and public works under Gen. Trujillo, but resigned after three months. In 1879 he was again proclaimed a can- didate for the presidency and was elected. During his term of office from 1880 till 1882 he remodelled the administration of public affairs, promoted the construction of railroads, and increased political harmony by giving the Conservative party par- ticipation in the government. He restored friendly relations with Spain, which had never recognized the independence of Colombia, and a treaty of commerce with that nation was signed in Paris. He was succeeded in 1882 by Dr. Zaldua, who soon died, and the executive was occupied provisionally by Dr. Jose E. Otalora, but in September, 1883, Dr. Nunez was re-elected by a large majority. His second administration began in April, 1884, but, having committed himself and his party to consti- tutional reforms, he was soon confronted by a re- bellion in several states. That of Panama was suppressed only by the intervention of U. S. troops for the protection of transit on the isthmus, which had been guaranteed by the U. S. government. When finally peace was restored in August, 1885, Nuiiez said in a speech to the people of the capital : " The rebellion is ended and the revolution begins ; the constitution of 1863 is no more." A conven- tion of delegates met, and a new constitution, adopting the central form of government, was framed, by which the nine states were reduced to