Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-07
. Calamitous War and Humi,,ot,,.
Peace.

Although the terms of the treaty q,
peace between Chill and Peru are ~
most crushing character to the lattoa
country, anything must be considerea
a deliverance from the reign of terros
which has prevailed there since Pew,
was placed completely at the mercy Of
its conqueror in 1881. No unprovoked
war of national ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ba.
been as savage, as unrelenting, as snc'
cessful as this descent Of Chill unon
Peru. The discovery of large beds q
nitrate of soda and of borax, and al.
most inexhaustible deposits of guano in
the Province of Tarapaca, excited tho
cupidity Of the Gillian Government
With a desire to acquire this rich terri.
tory from a weaker neighbor it was not
difficult for Chill to trump up a pretext
to declare war. This was found in tho
consummation of a secret treaty of mn.
tual defense against Chill entered into
by Peru and Bolivia. Although this did
not threaten any offensive war against
Chill that country seized upon it a.
cause for val. Her demand that the
treaty should be abrogated not being
complied with, Chill declared war
April 5, 1879. Peru had nominal army
Of 40, 0 poorly equipped, while Bolivia
had virtually no army at all. Chill, on
the other hand, was in good fighting
trim. Her fleet was formidable, her
cavalry well-mounted and armed; her
artillery consisted of the best modern
guns, and all told she was able to put
about $4,000 men in the field. On land
Peru made a stand against her enemy,
but at sea her two ironclads, the cele.
brated Huascar and the unfortunate In.
depencia, held their own against superior
numbers until the latter was wrecked.
Even then, for four months the Huas-
car was a terror to the entire fleet of
Chill. The terrible engagement in which
she was finally overcome, after the CON-
mand of the vessel had devolved on five
officers, who died at theirposts, was the
greatest naval fight of modern times.
Her capture left the entire Peruvian
coast line of 1,400 miles open to the
Gillian feet. Then disaster trod upon
the heel of disaster, until Lima fell and
the whole of Peru was overrun by the
merciless invaders. All the industrial
and commercial pursuits Of peace were
Frustrated by this ferocious and pro-
tracted war. Chili's loss was 1926
killed and 500 wounded; Peru's, 1852
killed, 4,431 wounded and 1920, taken
prisoners, and B%olivia's, 92O killed, 1,21O
wounded and 800 taken prisoners. Chill
has gained everything she wished. The
treaty provides that Tarapaca shall be-
come the territory Of Chill. Also that
she shall occupy the tiourishing towns
of Tacua and africa for ten years. At
the end of that time they are to decide
by a popular vote to which country
they will belong, when the country Sc
curing them shall pay the other $40, OOO,-
600. Chill has to assume on the best
terms possible for her the arrangement
of the Peruvian foreign debt, for which
the guano deposits Of Tarapaca were
mortgaged long before the war, but
from the territory which passes into her
! control she will be able to do this and
quickly repay herself for the expenses
of her costly campaign. Peru is reduced
and humiliated almost beyond recovery.
-Chicn0O Herald.