St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-30
THE DICTATOR's CASE.
Lawyer WINS Makes an Author
lied Statement.

1AS0 , 9l6LGlnCUIs
New YORK, Aug. 29.-William NJ.
WINS, counsel Cor the CHI lian legation,
has been authorized to make a state
ment to the merchants doing business
with South America. as follows:
From the outset the Chilian insurgents
have been very much such people as Mr.
Lincoln described the SOutherners to be in
his famous Cooper institute speech. He said
that they were holding pistols 10 our heads.
and claimed that if we did not throw up our
hands we would be guilty of murder This
has been about the position of the Chilian in
surgents from the time that the controversy
between themselves and the president first
arose. President Balmaceda was elected i've
years ago by the Liberal party, which con-
sisted of a number of factions, which fOu nd
great deal of difficulty in getting together
and agreeing upon candidate, Their differ
euces were finally compromised. President
BaImaceda was put IL nomination and
elected.
Since his election he has had eight or nine
distinct cabinets. His first effort did not
please the Liberal party, and to please every
one ne appointed cabinet after cabinet. but
found 1t impossible to satisfy all the different
wings of the party. There were in it num-
Der OF men who were determined either TO
rule or ruin. and who regarded the president
as their creature, much as some of our Ameri-
can bosses are in the habit of regarding Office
holders whom they have assisted as their
men. President Balmaceda is an even-tem-
pered. broad-minded man, of great forbear-
ance and urbanity, which is so unusual as to
have made him remarkable even among his
OWL urbane people. He acQuiesced in the
demands OF several of the Liberal leaders as
long as it was possible for him to do so con-
formally with the provisions Of the consti-
tuition.
Now, the Chilian constitution, while it is
very largely patterned after our own, is nev-
ertheless distinctly unlike It in several feat
ures, and it IS equally unlike the English
constitution. The president is elected for
term of five years and has absolute command
of the army and navy, as well as the power
to nominate his ministers without reference
TO congress. He may appoint and remove
MS ministers. as the constitution says. "at
Will" Notwithstanding the absOluteness of
the power accorded to the president By the
letter of the constitution, 1t is true that it
had been customary for Chilian presidents,
almost from the organization Of the republi-
can government. to voluntarily remove the
ministry on vote of censure or want Of
confidence.
It Is equally true that congress had never
cautiously and from improper motives de-
termined to avail itself of this constitutional
custom for the purpose of compelling the
president TO submit to its dictat1On. 1t was
at all times within the power of congress,
had any proper reason existed, to have i'm
peached ministers. They did not see fit to
pursue this course, but insisted that the pres
ident should appoint only such ministers ss
were satisfactory to them, and should ImIne-
dlately, on a vote of cenSure being passed, no
matter Tor what cause, remove any existing
ministry. President BalmaeedR was acQuies
cent TO their demands up to the point where
1t became evident TO further submit to the
congressional despotism would be virtually
to abdIcate his Office. II was at this point
that serious difficulties began.
Congress refused TO pass appropriation
bills Tor the army, navy and the civil service,
and T. h IA god fhat hl h1n off
eial candidate for president whom he was
trying to force upon the country. President
Balmaeeda, to settle this difficulty, appointed
the gentleman in question to cabinet Office,
thus removing him from the list of candi-
dates. Their next important step was to re-
move the president. It so happens that under
the Chilian constitution the president is no
subject to impeachment during his term Of
Office. He may be impeached, however, after
the expiration of his term of otiice, ana pun
ished If found guilty.
Notwithstanding congress had no power of
impeachment the majority passed resOlu-
ton declaring the presidents Office vacant
because of his failure to submit to con-
gressional dictatiOn. Then, on Jan. z came
the open rebellion. The opposition majority
in congress declared itself TO be the govern
ment, went on board man-Of-war with the
mutinous navy officers and began securing
the coast for place to land.
During this entire controversy a subsidized
press has descended to the depths of sour
rility with attacks upon the president such
as have never teen known. Once the navy
mutinied ii became necessary to maintain
order at any price. The result was ultimate
ly much the same as ihe result in this cOuu-
try during our war-the declaration of mar
ual law and the suspension of ordinary ju-
dicial WT1tS IN certain classes of cases. Tie
majority in congress having disrupted the
government, the president was left without
one Of the constitutional branches but be-
cause these members of congress had them
selves violated the constitution, debauched
the navy and abandoned their posts, it did
not follow that that the president should
abandon his, But the obligation on him was
the greater to remain and protect the na-
uOnal order and external safety of the stale