He served with such wisdom that, in time, he was made Viceroy, or Vice-King, of Peru, the highest and most coveted office in all Spanish America.
So with pomp and procession, in a Vice-King’s garments, he entered the Cathedral doors of the very city where once as a poor homeless boy he had peddled his wares.
He died at a great age, full of honours, and left his estate to Bernardo his son.
Now, Bernardo his son was anything but a Royalist. He was a Patriot. He felt no deep loyalty to the Crown of Spain. He had been sent to London to study while he was only a boy. There he had met Miranda the Flaming Son of Liberty. Miranda had become his friend. Bernardo had joined his secret society to which Bolivar and San Martin belonged. Thus the boy, Bernardo O’Higgins, had enthusiastically pledged himself to help Spanish America gain her Freedom.
When his father died, he returned to Chile. He lived for a while on his farm with his mother and sister Rosa. But he was not content to stay there long. So leaving the farm, he gave himself completely to the service of his Country.
And while San Martin, the Argentine General, was mobilizing his Army at Mendoza on the other side of the Andes, O’Higgins and many Chilean Patriots were endeavouring to drive the Spaniards out of their country northward and back to Lima.
THE SINGLE STAR FLAG
It was the Fourth of July. The United States Consulate in Chile was celebrating our Independence Day. Over the Consulate floated the Stars and Stripes, and with it was entwined, for the first time, a tri-coloured flag, red, white, and blue, with a single five-pointed silver star in its upper left hand corner.
It was the new Republican Flag of Chile.
Soon one saw the Patriots of Santiago on the streets, wearing red, white, and blue cockades.