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Rh was impossible. When offered his life on condition of serving under Quiroga, lie accepted only with the understanding that he was not to fight against his own party; and in him Quiroga gained a whole army.

Such was the man whom the Aldaos wished to put out of their way; not a very difficult undertaking, since Lavalle, the Aldaos, and Barcala himself were to unite in an expedition to overthrow Albin Gutierrez, who had declared against the national government. Barcala and Lavalle marched to join the army against the empire, and the Aldaos remained to oppress the people, and give themselves up to the pleasures of dissipation.

The triumvirate had made use of all parties, and had served all parties in order to rid themselves of influential men. The revolution in favor of the national government having succeeded, they joined with Quiroga for the purpose of destroying it. The Constitution arranged by the Congress of 1826, was offered for acceptance to the provinces. The agents of this Congress were received in a rather singular manner by Quiroga in behalf of San Juan, which he then occupied. Two or three hides, stretched over lances stuck down in the middle of a clover field, formed a tent to protect this caliph of the faithful—this divinely commissioned helper—from the rays of the sun; here Facundo was lying upon a black cloak, dressed in a crimson chiripa, red cloth mantle, and untanned boots.

Dr. Zavaleta, Dean of the Cathedral, and agent of Congress, was received in this palace, and stood embarrassed in the presence of the commander, who neither moved nor looked at him, until he stammered a few