Spanish and Portuguese South America during the Colonial Period; Vol. 1 of 2Watson, Robert Grant
History
Spanish and Portuguese South America during the Colonial Period; Vol. 1 of 2
Watson, Robert Grant
America -- Discovery and exploration; South America -- History -- To 1806
Gasca, having sent an officer to _Cuzco_ to restrain the excesses which
were to be expected, had next to concern himself with the trial of
Pizarro and of Carbajal. It was of course a mere form, since they were
taken in the act of opposing the royal forces in arms; and there could
be no question of mercy, since they had both failed to avail themselves
of the offers of the royal clemency repeatedly made. They were
accordingly executed; Carbajal, who is said to have been eighty-four
years of age, receiving his fate with the utmost indifference, and
Pizarro meeting death with the dignified courage which he had ever
shown. The estates of both were confiscated. It is satisfactory to add
that the traitor Cepeda, though his head was not placed upon the block,
yet was not allowed to go free. The President was indeed urged to send
him to execution, since it had been by his advice that Pizarro had first
refused the offers of grace; but Gasca refrained from doing so on
account of the service which Cepeda had rendered the royal cause by his
opportune desertion. He was accordingly sent a prisoner to Spain, where
he was tried for high treason: during the progress of his trial he died
in prison. It may be of interest here to remark that the fate which
attended so many of the conquerors of _Peru_, spared neither Centeno,
Hinojosa, nor Valdivia, the three foremost leaders on the side of the
President, all of whom were soon afterwards cut off. The President
thought it sufficient, in the interests of justice and of example, to
execute Acosta and three or four other cavaliers who had surrendered
with Pizarro. He then broke up his camp and marched to _Cuzco_.
On his arrival at the late capital of the _Incas_, Gasca had before him
the task of winding up the affairs incident to the rebellion. Some dozen
cavaliers, having been tried and condemned, were executed, whilst others
were sentenced to minor punishments; but on the whole, considering the
dimensions of the rebellion and the obstinacy of the insurgents in
refusing grace, the President certainly does not seem to have acted with
undue severity: a stern example was needed. He had now to apportion the
rewards that were due to his followers, who, as usually happens in such
cases, were not bashful in claiming them. Retiring from _Cuzco_ to a
neighbouring valley, attended only by the Archbishop of _Lima_ and by
his secretary, Gasca now devoted three months to a patient examination
of the respective claims laid before him, and to elaborating a fair
scheme of compensation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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