Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-06-17
TFrom the New York Times. ]

Barrios, and Says He Stands Well with
His People.
TFrom the New York Times.l
DR.. Rafael Zaldivar, president OF the
Republic of Salvador, arrived In this
city yesterday from Panama on the
steamer Acapulco. In his company
were Carlos Salozar, a companion,
and Col R. Cobos, his adJutant.
They were driven to the Hotel Dam,
and paid Bernard Biglin 81 to cart
up their baggage. Then they gave him
another 81 to take it to the Windsor,
and thither they followed it. Presi-
dent Zaldivar took a suite OF rooms
on the ground floor, and when q re-
porter for the Times called he was en-
Toying q cool draught behind the lace
curtains of Il window fronting on
Fifth Avenue The President looked
anything but the treacherous villain
which some Of the press dispatches
represented him to be. He Is OF medl-
UNI height and rather stout, with a
frank face, dark complexion, and dig
nifed bearing. The account which
President Zaldivar gives ofhimself and
recent troubles in his republic does
not agree with the stories sent out
from Salvador.
THE relations" said he, "between
Barrios and myself were, until
quite recently, friendly, personally and
officially In 1888 there was a con-
fecence at which we were both present
in addition to commissioners from the
governments of Honduras, Nicaragua
and Costa RIGA. At that meeting
there was a printed proposition drawn
up by which it's subscribers agreed to
do all in their power to bring about
the confederation of the Central
American states peacefully and with
out resorting to force of arms, and
pledging themselves that no president
of an independent republic should, for
the first term, be made president of
the confederacy. Barrios and myself
signed the agreement. The commits
sioners of the remaining republics re-
fused to do so, for the reason, / have
sincelearned, that they did rot believe
Barrios would keep his promise to
leave the presidency to another man
for the first term. This opinion was
formed Judging him from past political
conduct in part, and in part from the
fact that he was of great ambition and
had made the union of the states his
hobby. After our agreement | had
many interviews with Barrios, and he
always expressed his faithfulness to
the terms of our agreement.
IA few months previous to the
trouble between our governments
Barrios secretly prepared himself by
importing large quantities of ammu-
milton and arms, and by increasing his
~ No11, Of
he privately issued decree declaring
himself chief of the Central American
Union. The decree was sent to his
Congress on March 5, where it was ap-
proved. The following day, when least
suspecting anything OF the kind, |
learned of his action through public
dispatches, and on the day after I re-
ceiVed q telegram from him which con-
tanned list of men whom he had APP
pointed to prominent offices In my re-
public, and which he asked me to
recognize. [ summoned my congress,
informed them of the condition OF our
national affairs, and asked their Opln-
ion as to the best course of action.
They responded by giving me unlimited
powers for the defense of the country.
[ proceeded to raise a volunteer army
on a small nucleus afforded by our
standing army, and IN eight days, |
had a force of fighting men $4,000
strong. Meantime | had sent COM
mission to Barrios begging him to use
only peaceful means, and to call a
congress OF the republics looking to
peaceful settlement on the question of
confederacy. He refused because he
fo1+ opr+ q In Of his Success
After this commissioners came to
me from Nicaragua, Costa Rlca, and
Honduras, Offering assistance to re-
pei the threatened invasion, which [
accepted; but before they could get
their armies to me the invasion had
been accomplished without even the
formality of a declaration OF war, and
was obliged to meet them alone.
Our armies first met on April 1 in the
Province of San Lorenzo, where the
first battle was fought. When thesun
went down we were still hard at work
in the field, and only darkness COM
nelled nv men to cease. Thefrst and
second chiefs in Guatemala's Legion of
Honor were numbered among the
MANY killed on the side of Barrios, while
nv men. having the advantage of posi-
ton, suffered littlelOss. In the second
davis battle, some of Barrios' lead
ing men refused to fight, and he was
compelled himself to go to the front,
where he lost his life. 1t was about 8
O'Clock in the morning when he died,
but his men fought on until dark and
then retired under cover of the night.
cater their departure | offered to
make a treaty with the government
of Guatemala, with the sole condition
that her ministers be deposed and
others substituted. My conditions
were accepted and the treaty made.
Later there was an attempt to carry
out the first idea of a peaceable con-
federacy, but Guatemala thought it
would be impossible on her part, and
the scheme fell through.
Then | called my Congress and sent
in my resignation as president, which
was refused. | repeated it time and
again until | was given an extended
leave OF absence with no definite limit.
Before leaving | called my highest sub
stitute, Gen. Figueroa, minister of
- 4oI~a NV 1olao ubi1o T vvoc q h