The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-09-06
PATRIOT OR TRAITOR.

That nothing succeeds like success re-
ceiyes anew the confirmation now historic
in the events which have occurred within
the past ten days in Chill. For many
months a civil conflict has been waged
among the warlike inhabitants of that
country between Congressional junta on
the one hand and would-be dictator on
the other. Conflicting reports have filled
the press in relation to the progress of the
struggle. If one party has claimed to be
successful to-day, tomorrow the other
party ould contradict the statement and
claim the success for itself. Now the die
tator is hailed the master of the situation,
and the whole country is sustaining him; he
is the representative of legally constituted
authority; he is maintaining the integrity
of Chill; he is doing no more than LINCOLN
was doing for the United States, and
the Junta is wretched coterie of
rebels bent on senseless reyolut-
ton. The next batch of dispatches
contradicts all this: The Dictator is
tyrant and usurper, determined to set up
on the ruins of liberty, absolute authority
The Junta is band of patriots fighting for
praiseworthy and loyal in the republic.
So it has been throughout. Now this
party has all the virtues, now that, and
statement and counter statement, crimina-
ton and recrimination, have Offset one the
other for many months, with all the nations
witnessing the struggle sorely perplexed
which party to recognize, which to ignore
which to treat with, the Dictator or the
Junta. Suddenly however the forces of
the respective parties concentrate about
! Valparaiso. Events have reached a crisis
Both Dictator and Junta resolve to trust
all to one desperate throw. 1t is heroic
thing to do, and it is time it were done:
for the world as well as Chilli is weary of
this protracted struggle. The forces of the
Dictator brevely assault the entrenchm en- is
of the Junta, but are driven back with
shattered columns well nigh unofficered.
for the fatality among them in the brave
charge has been fearful. The remnants of
the army are collected for another charge,
to try one more desperate chance But
this time instead of fighting the foe several
companies in the charging column march
over to the enemy and turn their guns on
their erstwhile comrades. A despicable
thing that! Treachery most das tardly
The charge of the rest is useless. The
troops retreat, and the retreat is soon
turned into rout. The dictator has failed
henceforth he must wander through the
world an exile with the assassin or the
headsman ever stalking behind him. Had
he succeeded he would doubtless have been
hailed the savior of his country, the pre-
server of law and order; but as he failed he
will most likely die in obscurity and exile
if he escapes the executioner Of the as
sassin.
And the Junta? Why, Junta no more: il
was successful and henceforth is the
Congressional party until it be con
verted into the government. Hence
forth the Junta will be hailed as band Of
patriots, who, in Chill, will rank with the
men of the American colonies of 1776
Had it failed Then the patriots would
have been traitors and hang ed or shot
What a difference success makes
Thus it goes; we of this generation d.
just what the generations of men which
preceded US have done. To go on further
back than old Roman days, the junta tina
organized to strike down the Dictator
CESAR, the foremost man of all the world
though it killed CESAR, could not maintain
, the footing it had gained, and our histories
write the members down madmen for max
ing an attempt to free Rome, led by an i'm
practicable moralist and Jealous Cynic,
, BRUTUS and CAssIUs. Had they sue
, ceeded against AUGUSTUS and ANTONY a
well as against CESAR, then doubtless tn
dream of the past would have been realized
AS N any times as that their lofty scene wa
. acted DER;
, AS oft as CESAR should bleed in sport.
l So oft as that should be,
So often should the knot of them
Be called the men who gave their countr
liberty.
5 But they failed and we dub them ma
7 men.
One trembles when he thinks what tn
fate of our American patriot fathers nigh
3 have been had they failed In their reyo]