This group was mainly composed of the followers of José Miguel Carrera, and were strongly influenced by European liberal ideas.

Not only more favorably inclined toward the church, the Conservatives were also more sympathetic than the Liberals toward the colonial legacy, authoritarian government, the supremacy of executive powers, and a unitary state.

One of them was the Federalist Party under the leadership of José Miguel Infante, who promoted a model of government based on the one adopted by the United States.

The first of these three essays is the Moralist system (1823) of Juan Egaña, which created a unitary state, democratic (with the franchise restricted to men of the upper classes) and Catholic.

In their impatience, the Federalist leaders forced Congress to adopt some laws giving federal rights to the provinces.

In 1825, José Miguel Infante was President of the Directorial Council that was in charge of the administration while Supreme Director Freire was away capturing Chiloé from Royalist forces.

He in turn was deposed by colonel Enrique Campino Salamanca, who called back general Ramón Freire.

In August 1828, Pinto's first year in office, Chile abandoned its short-lived federalist system for a unitary form of government, with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

The Liberal leader par excellence, General Ramón Freire, rode in and out of the presidency several times (1823–27, 1828, 1829, 1830) but could not sustain his authority.

On December 14, 1829, General Prieto and his troops met the liberal army under Francisco de la Lastra and defeated them in the Battle of Ochagavía.

A Government Junta was organized and took control, in order to avoid the continuance of hostilities, under the neutral figure José Tomás Ovalle, who was acceptable to both sides.

Power was retained by Ramón Freire who organized a liberal convention with the intention of calling for new general elections and the formation of a new Congress.

At the same time, the conservatives who were in control of Santiago also called for their own convention, where an agreement was reached which nominated Francisco Ruiz-Tagle as acting president.

Due to the chaotic situation nobody wanted to participate in the government, so President Ovalle named Diego Portales as his universal minister.

After the defeat at the Battle of Lircay, the Liberal side finally decided to negotiate and signed the Treaty of Cuz-Cuz, that brought an end to the anarchy and their political dominance and ushered 30 years of conservative governments.