The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-05-15
The war Of the Three Republics.


coast republics in South America ap-
pears to be at last approaching climax
which must result either in Peru's vol
untary submission or the country's entire
conquest and pillage by the victorious
CHILEAN troops. The Peruvians, how
ever, declare their intention of holding
out to the bitter end, and " On to Lima"
is the war-cry of the Chilenos. If the
capital is taken it is believed that
nothing can save it from thorough
sacking, SO enraged are the Chilians at
the inhuman treatment of their wounded
who have CHANGED to fall into the hands
of the allied forces. Terrible barbarities
have unquestionably been practiced by
the hordes of half-savage soldiery of
Bolivia and Peru. They have murdered
helpless and wounded prisoners without
conjunction, and after the battle of
Tarapaca two women found upon the
field mercifully ministering to MANNED
and dying Chilians were first subjected,
it is said, to the most ingenious tortures
and then thrust into fire and roasted
to death. The Chilians, on the con-
trary, have treated their prisoners ex-
tremely well.
The whole war has been badly gener-
aled on both sides. The allies have lost
largely because of the capacity of their
commanders for greater blunders than
their foes. Chill had long been at peace
when the war broke out, and her troops
were unframed and unaccustomed to
field service. But the raw material was
excellent, and with plenty of funds for
equipment it has developed well. AS
the struggle progressed the marked SUI
periority of the CHILEAN cavalry and
artillery has told disastrously on the
allies. At the outset Peru had great
advantage in the ownership of several
powerful war vessels, but since the loss
of the Huascar the naval aspect has
changed, and now every Peruvian sea-
port is at the mercy of Gillian block
aders.
That the Chilians would achieve bril-
liant success in naval warfare seemed
quite improbable at the start. The
country's navy was small and antiquat-
ed, and one of the big Peruvian IRON
clads was supposed equal to sinking the
whole fleet. But the Chilians have dis
played a rare pluck in fighting from the
decks of their wooden vessels, and the
indomitable grit of the commander of
the Esmeralda in the early combat with
the bullying Huascar fired the CHILEAN
heart on both land and sea as no other
one act of the war. The story reads
like chapter from the dare devil ex-
PLOTS of John Paul Jones. The Es-
meralda, a wooden corvette with
smooth-bore guns, was fiercely assailed
by the Huascar. The great iron ram
crashes once into the splintering sides
of the corvette and Commander Pratt is
killed at the head of a boarding party
on the decks of the Peruvian. Lieuten-
ant Serrano is killed moment later.
Second Lieutenant Tribe is now Cap
tain of the Inflated Esmeralda. His
crew is frightfully decimated, but he
dreams not of surrender. Twice the
pondrous ram backs off and repeats its
terrible onset. The corvette careens
and rapidly fills with water, but her
batteries continue their desperate fire
till the guns are submerged. Uribe
keeps his post on the quarterback and
sinks with the vessel. The flag flutter-
ing defiantly at the masthead is the
last seen of the Esmeralda. Not SO
however of its brave commander. Com
ing to the surface, unconscious and ex-
hausted, he is denied the final glory of
death under so heroic circumstances
and becomes prisoner of war.
According to the latest advices the
Chilians were investing the port of Ar
lea, part way up the coast to Lima,
near which they have landed 10000
men. When this is captured, nothing
of Importance hinders further advance
to the capital itself. The end for which
the war was begun has been practically
won for some time by Chili's control of
the nitrate deposits in the district of
Tarapaca. The guano trade, an
other of Peru's most profitable
sources of revenue, has also been filched
by the Chilians. With victory over her
enemies assured, business in Chill has
of late wonderfully revived. The pros
perity is in striking contrast with the
utterly collapsed condition, financially
and industrially, of Peru, where general
anarchy seems rapidly assuming sway.
Springfield Mass. } Republican.