The morning call., 1891-02-28
PEOPLE WHO ARE IN TROUBLE.

If as La Rochefoucauld snid, the chief
pleasure of a comfortable home and cosy
fire is derived from the reflection that some
poor devil is shivering in the cold outside,
the American people should feel particu-
larly happy just now, for some OF their
neighbors are having an uncommonly hard
experience. The condition of Chile and
Argentine is calculated to touch the heart
of the compassionate and to rouse the anger
of those who believe that self-government
is all that is necessary to insure human
felicity
The instruction which broke out few
weeks ago in Chile appears to have spread
throughout that republic and thus far the
Government of Balmaceda has been unable
to cope with the insurgents. The movement
seems to be purely personal, and merely de-
signed 10 overth " a President who had
only few more months to serve. But it
consequences to tie Chilean people are
proving rs disastrous as an invasion by
foreign army. OF the two great seap0rts of
Chile one Qqn!que) was captured by the
insurgents on the 18th inst, and the other
Valparaiso has now been blockaded by the
same force, if it has not already been b0m-
barded and seized. 1t is hardly possible to
exaggerate the misery which these opera
tionS have entailed. At 1quique, when the
Government forces retreated and the inSnr-
gents en-: cred the place, scenes of horror en-
sued which recall the darkest pages in
history Stores and residences were sacked
and plllaged; persons found with arms in
their possession were slaughtered outright,
and some two hundred women and children
lost their lives in the melee. a stop was
put at once to the valuable trade in nitrates,
which is chiefly conducted at Iquique, and
on which the sOlvency of Chile depends.
In order to wreck Balmaceda the rebels are
wrecking Chile.
Nor IS the condition of Valparaiso
much more cheerful At latest dates
the town was still held by the Gov
eminent forces, but the insurgents were
| gathering a naval force to lombard it, and
foreign vessels which did not get out of the
way fast enough were damaged by the open
ins fire. Valparaiso is a city of over one
hundred thousand population, with splendid
public buildings and opulent private resi-
dences. If it becomes a theater Of conflict,
| and hand-to-hand fight ensues for the pos
session of the city, the scenes that must take
place Will be dreadful The residence and
business portions Of the place are both COM
manded by the forts and by the guns of a
squadron lying in the harbor. A lombard
ment of few days would reduce the town
to ruins, and what would follow is familiar
| to those who remember the sack OF Ciudad
Rodrigo.
If the observer crosses the Andes to
Buenos Ayres he will find state of things
which is only one degree less sad. No fighting
has yet taken place between the Provinei-
! amos and the Buenos Ayreans, but it IS cyl
IDENTIFY coming. The financial crash which
broke down the Barings is now reacting on
Argentine. Artificial prosperity, based on
borrowed money and future too Tashly dis
counted, has collapsed. The paper money
| of the Confederation is going to meet Con.
| federate shinplasters-ap paper dollar is worth
! 50 cents of our money Hence a frightfu
monetary stringency has paralyzed business
| and enterprise. Building and other labor
! consuming emplOymentS have come to {
standstill. The enormous bodies of Italian
| and Spanish immigrants who were induced Il
move to Argentine by free passage, free land
| and Government ASST tlnce after landing
are now standing idle IN the streets OF
| BuenoS Ayres, unable to earn the price of g
dinner. The merchants of that fine seaport
| write to their American correspondents thai
| they do not know what is coming. They
have read history to little purpose.
| / ne trlDuiauOnS OIL these nelghDOrs o.
| OURS should command our sympathy. We
have nothing to gain, but much to lose, by
the troubles of our c0-tenants in this hrmi
sphere. Bankruptcy and disorder in Souti
America will not accelerate the development
| Of Pan American trade. But Americans ar
powerless to offer assistance; they can onl,
bestOw the miser's dole-advice; and tina
will hardly be likely to command attention
among the clash of arms and by hungr!
crowds. Itseems strange that the possess or
of such magnificent countries as those which
constitute the southern portion Of this hemi
sphere should not become prosperous ant
live contented Chile has the richest mine:
in the world, and a climate which enables +
to grow every plant that lourishes on thu
earth: Argentine has millions of square
miles of soil that will grow year in and yea
out thiIty-five bushels of wheat to the acre
aud system of water communication tha
is only surpassed on Puget Sound. And We
the people of these countries seem to divide
their time between starving and cutting
Threats.