The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-20
CENTRAL AMERICAN CONSTITUTION

The new President of Costa Rica has re-
considered his refusal to join the Central
American Union. He agrees, subject to
the ratification of his Legislature. that
Costa Tca shall be represented at the Sep
tember Congress; but he has simultaneous
ly dispatched an envoy to the other States,
suggesting that the Constitution of the
Union should contain some provision guar
anteeing personal liberty and the freedom
Of the press. Thus, the only State which
now holds out is Nicaragua.
From our standpoint it would seem that
Rodriguez Of Costa Rica shows good judg-
ment in insisting On a bill Of rights. OHe
of the chief drawbacks TO the development
of Central America has been the general
feeling that there was no security for life
or property there, and no press which dared
to expose outrages by the Government In
Guatemala, which has been perhaps the
best governed of the Central American
States, citizens have constantly been jailed
or cXiied without trial, merely because their
presence was deemed menacing to the party
in power. The least allusion TO these mat
tiers in local newspapers led to the sup
preston Of the indiscreet journal, and to
the confiscation of the editors property.
Foreigners-unless by chance, they were
ngiishmen-haye Jared not much better
than natives. Not many years ago an
American undertook some works Of i'm
proyement in Guatemala, at the request Of
the native Government. AS soon as the
works were completed the Government
seized them on some frivolous preteXt, and
the owner has never been able to recover a
penny. The English have way, when a
British subject is robbed, of sending a ship
of war To the scene Of action, and insisting
on reparation in money, and exemplary
damages. under penalty of bOmbardment
Americans have not enjoyed so ample a
measure of protection from their Govern
ment and Central American Governments
have robbed them as impartially as they
robbed their own people.
The consolidation of the five States into
one nation affords a convenient occasion
for turning over new leaf. The Central
American Union would do nothing that
would raise it so much IN public esteem or
create more confidence in its stability as by
adopting the guarantees for the safety of
life and property which have been accepted
by free countries everywhere. A bill Of
rights framed on the provisions Of our State
Constitutions and our Federal Constitution
would inspire the public at large with the
conviction that this section of the world
had at last fallen into iudicious hands. a
solemn covenant in the organic instrument
that henceforth no man should be deprived
Of life, liberty and property except by due
process of law, ana that the press, within
proper limits, should be free to comment on
the actions of the Government, would do
more to raise Central America in the esti-
nation Of the world than any occurrence
which has taken place since the accom-
plishment Of Independence.
People of our race have always regarded
the unwillngness of the Latin races to EN-
body the remedy of the habeas corpus in
their codes misfortune. That remedy
is certainly SIM Ter and more reliable than
the substitutes which are in use in Latin
countries; though, to be sure, in such coun-
tries as Mexico and Chile the people have
the benefit of appeals which are almost
tantamount to the old English writ. The
object accomplished by the habeas corpus
in preventing arbitrary i'm Iis0nmrnt
without color of law can be reached in
other ways, and it matters little which of
them is employed so the end is attained
What the world desires to see in Central
America is a judicial system under which
every one, native or foreigner, is secure
against arbitrary arrest and Imprisonment
at the caprice of officials; which shall
secure to every man the ownership of his
property free from molestation until 1t is
seized under a Judgment of court, and
which shall protect a press with the right
Of denouncing wrong without imperiling
its existence.