Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-01-25
A Crushing Blow.


For long time past there has been
no doubt as to how the war between
Chill and Peru would end. Very soon
after hostilities were begun, it became
evident that the Peruvians were over
matched. Though on paper they had
larger army than their opponents. when
the time came for putting it in the field
it was not there Only small part of
the nominal force was found available,
while, owing to the dearth Of executive
ability, it was impossible to make
the most of the material at hand
The Bolivians, on whose behalf the Peru
Wan Government had taken up the cud-
gels, and who were expected to render
substantial assistance, were quite I'M
equal to the occasion. They could not
even defend their own territory, and
were quite incapable of acting upon the
aggressive, or of effectively cooperating
with their allies in movements against
the common enemy. So the Chilians had
everything their own way. On land they
have scarcely encountered any serious
check since the campaign opened, and
had they been able to follow up their
successes with proper energy, the Peru
VANS must have collapsed long ago.
Their only victories have been won at
sea. Under the command of its able
and gallant Captain, it looked at one
time as though the Huascar would Of it.
self hold the Chilians at bay, and even
change the fortunes of the fight
But at last the Huascar was taken, and
since its capture the Peruvisns have had
no luck at ALL Their circumstances
have steadily gone from bad to worse,
until within the last few months they
have been vainly battling for q cause as
hopelessly lost as was that of France
after Sedan. Now it seems as though
the beginning of the end had come.
After the fashion of the defeated, the
Peruvians had fallen back upon their
capital. Driven from every other point
of vantage, they rallied their broken
forces behind the walls of Lima, and
prepared with the energy of despair to
make final effort to retrieve their ruined
fortunes The dispatches indicate that this
attempt has been made and that once more
failure has been the result Having to
some extent recognized and recruited
their army, the Peruvian Generals seem
| to have decided upon the adoption of
aggressive tactics. In their retreat the
Chilians had been close on their heels.
They were advancing upon Lima, and
as that city could not sustain a long
siege, the Peruvians could not afford to
remain inactive. Unless they wished to
be caught like rat in a trap, they had
no alternative but to give the enemy bat
tie, and of this necessity the CHILEAN vic
tory at Chorillos has been the conse-
quence.
This may be regarded as virtually end.
ing the war. The Chilians have follow
ed up their victory by taking Lima, and
with the capital in their hands, they be
come the masters of the country, and are
in a position to dictate what
terms they please to the con-
Quered enemy. Such juncture
as this calls for the friendly interven-
ton Of the neutral Powers, and especial.
ly of the United States. 1t is no longer
any question of mediation, for il the re-
ports transmitted are worthy of credit,
the overthrow of the Peruvians is utter
and irretrievable, and the conquerors
may reasonably insist upon their right to
demand unconditional surrender. But
we should make it our business to take
care that the terms of peace to which the
defeated may be called upon to subscribe
are not so unreasonably onerous as to be
inconsistent with the continuance of
Peru as free and independent nation.
1t is not to the general advantage that
Peru should be turned into a Gillian
tributary.