The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-26
Republic or Honduras.
no nm .prroR on rur ura.tn.

III should comment on subject a which he IL who'll
ly ignorant. Being in error himself, he cannot but
cloud and render erroneous public opinion. II
he possesses any influence whatever tn influence Ia
delsterious More especially is this the case when
he ignorant Of the history and internal condition
Of the country about which he writes ar,using pre-
JUDGES stirring up snimosi.ies, and giving wrong
direction to the public mind.
was led To these reflections by the perusal Of an
article in the National Irtslligencsr of the 18th,
headed the Republic Of Guatemala" After copy
ing portion of the message Of President CArrera,
the writer proceeds to comment on Centra Ameri-
can affsrs In this he exhibits not only profound
but sulting ignorance ~ every friend Of Honduras
and every lover 0f liberal principles 10 Central Anne
RIGA.
] am rot ested with the "New York presses, y
nor smI Influenced by private ends bat write this
simply to correct the various misconceptions "anderro
neous statements" which appear in the Iteiltgerce.
! will speak Of what know, for was in Honduras
at the commencement Of hostiltties between that
public snd Guatemala, had every means Of inforna-
ton, and am familiar with the career Of the Indian
msraudsr Carrera.
The true cause OF the war was . dispute about
the northern boundary OF Honduras and con-
seqnenty the southern boundary OF Guatemaa.
ton over district Of country extending fro n
the boundary o. Salvador across the country
eastward TO the Malaga river, including the city
OF Copan, and some Of the best tobacco growing
country IN Central America. This district OF country
though narrow, is as extensive - the disputed Me-
silla Valley tract, and was well populated by An
agricultural people, who acknowledged Honduras rs
the sovereign power. This was no new claim of
Honduras. Her boundaries had been established
near three hundred years. by the Spanish colonial
government ana copfrmed by the Intendency General
of Guatemala. When the country was severed from
Spain by the revolution Of 1921 Honduras asserted
her boundary, and the formation of her cOnstitu.
tion it was re asserted. When she became member
OF the confederacy, which formed the republic Of
Central America in 1928, that boundary was again
asserted. During the existence of that unfortunate
confederation, that boundary had never been in
frnged upon, and not until the fall Of Moraxan
the final dissolution Of the e0nfederacy and the
quent rise OF Carrera, that any adverse claim was
ever let up.
Indeed, 1t was but recently that any active and po
sitive assertion If an adverse claim was made by
Guatemala Insgated by the emissares OF Great
Britain since 1851, constant aggressions have been
made on the territory OF Honduras.
The first active measures taken by Carrera was in
1852 waen he asserted jurisdiction over the disputed
territory by levying taxes therein. He also raised
considerable army, and moved forward to take
armed occupation of the country.
The forces Of Guatemala in January, 1853 In.
yaded the department Of Gracios, in Honduras
They penetrated as far as Copan and committed the
most horrible and revolving 0utrages the un.
armed and defenceless Inhabitants. Rapine, rob-
berry, and murder, stalked abroad under the sane
ton OF Carrera's officers. Women, without dis
EDctiOn OF age, character, or position, were yio
laHG by Carrera's brutal and savage soldiery.
Young girls--children Of tender years-were vio-
lated. torn, lacerated, too horrible to relate. Men
uDarmed and defence,ess we're shot without provo
cation men we're bayonetted for shedding q tear
or feeling emotion at . wiie's or daughters dis
honor. Property was forcbly taken, gardens and
fru,f fpaau Aor u1A md Auvoll, 80 xko
people burned. These were the first fruits of ~
gression in this atrocious onslaught on Honduras,
aud received the sanction Of that prince of muir
derers and savages, Carrera.
tory Of Honduras! IL was to destroy her indie
pendent existence. And why2 Because sne was
the home of the liberal and republican party Of
Central America because she stood as the city Of
refuge" for the old liberal and democratic party
which fell with the fall Of Morazan. The services
or monarchis!a are in power In Guatemala and the
other States Of the Confederacy, and there IS de-
cided rionarehical tendency in al their acts. The
republic Of Salvador may be regarded as an excep-
ton, yet she has just elected service to the Pre-
sideIcy.
Guatemala is armed entirely with British muskets
and caDncn. Great Bcitan l. her protector aud
Guatemala enters into all her political intrigues and
maDpuues, and is the main spring of the ruthless
wsr ard iDhuman aggressions un Honduras.
The aggressive movement OF Guatemala was simul-
txneous with the aggressions Of the British on the
Bay Islands II Il evident to my mind that the &C.
tion was concerted between the eissaries Of Great
Britain and the ubpriucipled government OF Guate.
maa. That government Is anti republican and anti
American in all its tendst cies. An American citizen
cannot expect common cvility any where in that
pries ridden military dessotism.
On the contrary, Honduras is American and re-
pubhcsn An American citizen Ia every where re-
spected and treated with kindness by the warm
ssaIed love for the Americans and American inslitu
tons among tine Hondurenos, and this country is
looked TO a. the last hope to protect them against
tyrannical foreign aggression.
The c1uelties aud excuses OF Carrera's army
aroused the Hondurenos to arms. Their force WAS
small, and the insrgues of the services of Guatemala
sowed among the troops the seeds OF discussion
AS retaliation for the robbery, rspine and
mola with small force. The whole department was
soon reduced, but excuses were committed by
the soldiers Of Honduras
The forces Of Guatemala marched against
Cahanas battle took place on the plains OF Es-
qoipulus With 400 msn General Cabanas kept in
check near 5000 OF the Guatemala forces. After
bravely routing the advance of the enemy, Cabsnss
forced to retreat by the treason of portion Of
his troops treason brought about by the m0narchsts
OF Custemaa.
The Gnatemaltscoe pursued the retreating forces
and re-enacted the same scenes Of rapne, robbery
and murder that were before committed in Copan.
Even the churches we're robbed, domestic animals
Killed wantonly, and everything destroyed which
they could not take away with them. The cowardly
asssssins and robbers then fed with Cabanas, rein
forced by few men from the department OF Santa
Barbara pursuing them.
The next effort Of Carrera was the surprise of
Oloa. Tnk act was mean and treacherous a.
any other committed by the brutal soldiery OF the
monster Carrera. The place was sacked and stripped
Of its ordnance contrary to 10
every ofthe cowardly rufians who entered
it, and against the remonstran,e Of the American
Consu
These sre the principal operations Of the war.
Who is TO blame? The sggression-the war, with
oil its crueltes and horrors came from Guatemala.
Was not Honduras bound to protect herself, her
owr integrity, her own territory? Aud shall an
ignorant pablo journalist pretend to decide ia favor
of Guatemala and endeavor To mould puollc opinion
to ction wrong and outrage
The assurances OF the Inieigemcc as to the causes
Of the var are wholly false II is not true that Hon
durss 1, the home Of political refugees; but she Is
the abode Of the friends Of free principles in Central
America o. contradistnguishcd from the "servils'
monarcbists Of Guatemala. II is not true that Hon
dnras has sent "maraudng parties OF political refu
goes into Guatemala. Bat ii Is true that Guatemala
usurped the territory Of Honduras and WAS guilty Of