The New York herald., 1868-03-23

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE HERALD.

PANAMA.
~~~
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE HERALD
Death Of the President Of the stnte-Sus.
pEcisus Circumstances-P Political Changes
Injected and Expected.
PANAMA, March 49, 1887
NE state Of afrairs on the Isthmus has been very
suddenly and Unexpectedly changed by the death Of
She President OF the State, General Vicente Olarte
Qalindo, the evening OF the Sd inst. General
Olarte returned towards the end Of last month from
of inspection the Isthmus of Darien and the
Pearl Islands. He arrived here sick took his bed
and expired as stated above after q few days. The
cause Of his sickness was at first ascribed to the
isugues Of his trip and his exposure to the sun,
together with the copious lbations he was
forced to make the Pearl Islands by the
chiefs OF the Mosquera party on the Isthmus
who were assembled there In great force apparently
nor the purpose OF making peace with the actual ad
minstratiOn and rendering homage to its head. The
appearance OF the sick man was that OF a yellow
fever patient, and the day previous to his death
the three physicians who attended him unanimously
declared this case to be one OF undoubted yellow
fever. But rumors OF suspicious nature had in the
meantime been whispered about, and certain crcum.
stances seemed to confirm them. 1t was said,
and up to the present moment Ii firmly believed
by majority Of the native population, that
the President poisoned. Among the num-
Der OF people assembled at San Miguel,
she chief village on the Pearl Islands, were
several individuals Of q notoriouSly bad character
and who had especial reason for taking revenge on
The President for what he had done to very near
Hiauds or theirs There was q mischievOus lad,
named Oazagarre, whose father had been banished;
Shere was the mistress Of the well known Sgurvia,
Who Was killed during the last revolution; there were
several others who had different grudges against
Olayte. Public rumor stated that some one had
mtxed arsenic in goblet Of champagne offered to
destined for the Secretary Of State, who however by
some lucky chance fniled to take the poisonous
one OF their own friends. II Is certain that the
lstsm was taken Ill about the same time with
eanerai OIarte, and according to rnmor was only
ssved by an immediate application OF cmetics and
OtAcr remedies On the other hand the three above
n eden da u
frOm poison aud adhere TO their first statement.
Isis may have been done BY their desire to hide
yellow fever, the symptoms OF which closely re-
seInbie those OF POISONING was the cause OF his
Was poison which killed him and rely upon the fol-
lowing two eorroborations Of their beIief:-
sssr partatns @ OF the offered ne wine sna ss
fsre the fever; and, secondly, that the
were ~ have been poisoned It is strange in the
extreme that under these circumstances no post
nortem examination was made on the BODY al
Slough such course was not only natural but urged
BY many respectable citizens. The brother OF the
deceased In printed statement about the death OF
the General says that he would to It, be-
he did not believe In the poisoning and be-
cause even II II should turn out to be true ne did
wish TO engender political hatred and to have the
day OF vengeance thrown upon him or his family
The funeral ceremonies were very impressive, and
gave proof not only Of the esteem In which the de-
ceased was held by the better portion OF the native
popu alton, but also Of the respect which the whole
tuegn community had for his personal Character
grave, In which simple justice was done to the mans
integrity, energy and patriotism. Although General
veat many OF his fellow citizens and his government
vas in more than one respect just OF coul-
aintto the foreigners yet his personal qualities de-
4 1ved and always received high praise He has
1ae great deal for the establishment OF peace on
q Isthmus, and, whatever may have been the
sh ortcomines OF his own understanding and the
"a, lx OF his subord mates and counseOfs, was
fri nd Of the foreigners; his memory win certainly
i the death Of General Oiarte the executive has,
see riding 70 law, deyoved upon pr. Amador
Grs Tero physician living at Santiago de veraguas
tha first ''designadon or substitute. Until he be
mott led OF the change, Mr.. j. J. Diaz the preect OF
the department Q. Panama, as second substitute,
unuh ely that Dr. Arnador viii decline TO enter upon
his utes as thereby he would forfeit his right to
run Or the Presidency during the next term, for
which he is candidate. II the Mosquera party
really were the cause Of olartes death, they
sre.4ay disturbances and obtaining posses
sion 81 tne government II was very for:
tinac tnat Genefm Ponce lust happened
" he pn sent al Panama when Olarte died. Ponce
was sent out here some time ago by the national
FoveInuh mt TO look after their interests lie IL
very mod ST man aud well liked by the troops
among whom he has lived for over twenty-five years
from com mon soldier up 70 his present rank Ii he
had not been here mutiny would have broken out
among the TROOPS, which. aided by a rising OF the
negro popus ton, m gt have done very serious mis-
eLlef But tlle Provisional President lad the good
sense to INN ediatey appoint General Ponce Com
nandern Chief OF the forces and SO everything has
remained quiai. II is entirely constitutional
HaF a tn
mand from the State OF Panama IL a question OF
minor Importance. Besides the maintaining OF order
the appointment az Ponce is expected to have still
another enect-nasnely, the eleCtioa or DR. Pablo
Arcsemcna as President Ponce Il great personal
hGuence % ~ secure ~. election when win e ~ .I1 ~
more certain his supporters fcel confident of n0k
only carrying the capital and surrounding diatrics
but ai least OF thc\ interior departmental DR..
Arosemena promises W reduce the number VI sol
diers thereby tightening Ale burden of the taxpaying
eazens and foreign reHj,lcnts, aud 10 introduce
many other reforms. | hope he will be willing and
ape 70 carry out all bis good Intentions.
, for solne on, aihe . funor was current here which
2teu una. u severe earthquake had been expert
enced in Chriqui, and that tha> town OF David was
10 ruins. Ihe report probably Originated with some
fer emily and felt the pay ement OF David nin him
the nose. BY the AontJo, which got IN here ON
the l0th ~ is now positively knoHt that no such
earthquake took place either In Davsl or any other
place on the Isthrnus which for centuries back has
been the only unshakea portion Of Ameica south OF
Mexico
The steamer Peru from the south coat arrived
here on tho 9Th. She brought the usual correspond
ence for the HERALD from Chile and Peru Among
her passengers are four olcersSf the Peruvian navy
who proceed by the Arizona W New York, apparent
~ on government mission.
The North American steamship Company's steamer
Nebraska, Captain HorDer arrived IN this bay ON the
.th, after passage OF nny-eight days-nny- two G
which were running days--from New York. She
experienced bad weather nearly on the whole trip;
mrs, from New York 70 Cape Rogue, then IN the
straits and finally In the South Pacific. She touched
~ no Janeiro on January 81 left the day after; ar
n Sve e., a. .Sfa Chile on February 10 and LEFT there
! canngt cppclude without again complaining
/,