The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-13

TIE ARMY or san SALVADOR
occupies the town Of Santa Ana, naturally strong
place with $4,000 Inhabitants, some seven leagues
south OF tho Guatemala frontier This strong strategic
position which lies twenty leagues to the north OF the
capital Of San Salvador is strongly fortified ard the
works are armed with Napoleon gun howitzers-car-
non which long ago rejected from the Frenchs
service give place the rined gun In almost
everywhere. The saivadoreans have committed the
grave error, at the start. OF occupying
vgRy KxrExsrvS LINE
along the loy ridge OF mountains which lies contigu
the left OF Santa Anna They have also extended
their right to great distance from the centre. This
places the respective divisions Of their small army be-
yohd supporting distance OF each other and leaves Il
open 10 be assaulted and defeated IN DETAIL as the
French army OF the Rhine was In 1870 from the very
same cause. Whether Salvador has any reinforce
ments yet to bring to the front remains to be seen.
SAvAi.
Guatemala lately purchased from the Pacific Nail
Steamship Company the steamer Chriqui, which 10
being fitted out in the port OF San Jos6, as man
complement OF tho vessel will be despatched to
blockade the coast OF San Salvador.
INVASION or SALVADOR.
ON the 4th inst President Barrios marched from the
Hacienda OF Chngo with force Of {, 900 men Of all
arms; leaving " the same time the whole extension OF
the line occupied in his rear we'll covered by chosen
mon under General Soaris had been long
ago despatched to Honduras by President
mcnts OF the Church party that Republic and aid
establishing liberal form OF government there. This
force has made one OF the most remarkable marches on
record traversng has done the entire distance OF
more than 300 leagues from the capital of Guatemala
the frontier OF San Miguel IN san salvador Cen
eral Sclaris tho route during part ofhe months
OF February and March. He arrived at San Miguel on
the LIST inst and is expected that by this time he will
have commenced operations against the communica-
tons OF the Salvadorcans IN their
4 VICTORY FOR rIE GUArExALASH
The result OF the movements OF the 4ih inst was the
Chalchuapa and Atiquzaya. Tho village of Platanar
on the frontier line between the bell gerent Powers
received garrison OF 800 Guatemaans under Licuien
ant Colonel Don Bruno Morales. This place was attacked
on the night Of the 9Th, rather morning OF the
7th inst, by body Of 900 salvadoresns under GEN
erals Nuela Molina and Bar, iente. Morales had
teray his position by raising strong bar
ricadcs and lines Of breastworks; behind which, IL
but Just say that he and his fought with signal
valor The Salvadorians also behaved bravely and
numbers OF their dead atterward found within
few PAGES OF the assaulted works The firing lasted
about five hours at the end OF which period the Saliva
had 10 beat retreat leaving their dead and
some OF the wounded on the field.
PoRcRs
left The ground hfty-seven dead bodies and their
loss in wounded set down at $50. few prisoners
over zoo American brccchosd,ng rifles, together with
q considerable amount OF metallic cartridges, which
scattered In various directions over the OF
The garrison under Morales lost one lieutenant and
buglcr killed and twenty live rank and no wounded
President Barros has raised Morales to the rank Of full
Colonel.
LOPEZ uRAGA,
who is well known both IN Europe and America as an
asuto strategist and all able organizer Major Cen
cral or second in command Of the Guatemaan army
HIS headquarters are NJ present in Chingo where
actively engaged In giving form and order the
levics Of Guatemala they como gradually 10 the
front General Uraga has written number OF text
books on military art aud science, works which are be-
ing extensively circulated throughout all the States Of
Spanish America new edition OF these volumes is
now being issued in Paris and large numbers OF them
their way here to DO circulated among The army
officers
At present there Is ull in military movements
around the headquarters Of the Guatenaan army Gen.
era Barros cautiously feeling his way to the strong
hold Of his enemy Marshal Gonzalez, who strongly
more likely to be ono OF positions than campaign in
the open field. The nature OF the theatre Of the war;
which is that Of country crossed and ridped BY
tains OF considerable altitude, promiscuousy tossed
the with rich and beautiful valleys but not
large between them, admits Of no other system
fare.
THE ESPRIT DE CORPS
or the organization and discipline which charac-
tcrize tho hostile armies II better say little il any
thing. That discipline Is lax and organization imper-
feet must be expected from the very nature OF things
in Central America So Tar as | can judge the
fighting They armed With tho best American
breech loading rifles aud their artillery Is equipped
ana German officers have been received INTO the artll
ery with the view of lending to the native officers the
benefits Of their experience such as It may be- prcsi
dent Barrios, who personally commands the army Is
General OF great experience, nndoubtcd bravery and
much natural capacity for military affairs. BY his own
ability seconded by the spirit Of liberalism, which
largely permcates this Republic he was able to over
Ia row the retrogressve church party Guatemala ut
that time represented by General Cerna Since
THE ACCESSION OF BARgl0s
power his government has given great impetus
public Improvement and private enterprise. He has
established very acceptable system OF public educas
ton and made the attendance of children between GER
tain ages compulsory He has opened long lines OF
telegraph in several directions and commenced the
struction OF excellent road between the city OF
Guatemala and tho port OF Isabel, the Carribean
Sea, distance OF sixty leagues, more or less. When
the present broke out the government had over
], 900 men employed upon this useful aud important
work AZ present II is OF course, paralyzed When
this road Is finished win place the city Of Guatemala
within ten eleven days travel from New York while
at present. under the most favorable circumstances
the traveller occupies eighteen or nineteen days to
make the trip through The new road Will also obviate
the necessity OF passing shipments Of coffee and the
other rich products I'll Guatemala over the Panama Rail
road Rates % ssA ,n will thus be
Shipment entirely done away with. New
York and other American ports will thus
be most favoraby placed with regard TO the greatest
coffee market IN Central America field will be
opened for American commercial enterprise and man.
u.ucturcrs who are now successfully shipping their
fabrics TO Manchcscr-whch seems like carrying coal
TO Newcastle'i-will nnd much more lucrative and
quicker SALE not only in Guatemala but also IN tho
other tour Central AmcrcanSiacs
PUBLIC LOSSES MILITARY POWER.
No ono gainsay the fact that the present war,
which seems 10 DO the work 81 Vice President Gonzales
OF Salvador great misfortune TO all this beautiful
portion OF America, and that II operates considerably
10 the dctriment VI trade III general yet notwihstand-
ing all this foreign merchants aud others remain
tircly undisturbed In their respective interests Occa
sionally, though not in the present instance, the
native merchant may be troubled with forced
loans but the rights OF foreigners are uni
vcrsaly respected by the authorities; SO far as
my knowledge and observation lead TO
Judge. There isolated instances wherein the inso
hence and foolish pretcnsons Of Aliens these
have been severely caasiiscd but i must be con-
coded that in nearly every instance the suffering
foreigner has been blame. And when II happened
that property persons OF citizens belonging To
other have been injured Ia this. universal
cutlery the part of foreign merchants followed not,
ind sed that they cared button about the injured party
wrongs but that they were glad to get hold or
some excuse 10 apparently justify the outragcousy
false reports which they continually writing home
concerning lawful condition. o. these States, only
with the object OF oeerring other commercial men
from entering the field and competing Tor share Of
the large fortunes thai almost invariably realized
from trade in Central America.