Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-06
From The Stars Travelling Correspondent.

1 "AIA'A1 10 aLhOcI NJ NEWS III COM-
i municate regarding the war in this I'M
| happy countsy, because during some weeks
past nothing Of account has been accomplished
by either side. The president is awaiting the
completion Of some war ships which are being
built In France to carry on the conflict by sea,
meantime remaining merely on the defensive;
while the rebels, resting upon the questionable
laurels already won, are striving by hook or by
crook" to secure more arms and ammunition,
for want Of which they are greatly hampered
in their work of destruction.
Happily-as all lovers of law and order will
agree-the federal government has yet very
much the best Of the situation. The greater
portion Of the country, including all the
territory between the desert Of Alta
CANA and the Strait of Magellan, remains
loyal to Balmaceda, while the revolters
have possession only Of those north
ern provinces that were recently wrested from
Peru. holding them por razon de fuerzs (''by
right of force" the characteristic motto that is
stamped on the silver dollars Of ChilD, from
having bombarded into subsection the cities of
that section and massacred all the opposing in
habitants.
THE uNHoLY CONFLICT.
There is nothing heroic about this unholy con-
fict on the part of the rebels, since no ques-
! tons of principle or national honor are at
! stake. the motive being merely personal ag-
grandizement and the vicious determination Of
political faction to rule or ruin. The disturbers
of the coGntry's peace, who do not deserve to be
dignifed by the name of revolutionsts, called it
war when they wantonly devastated prosper
Gus cities, murdered unoffending men, women
and children by thousands, cut the throats of
wounded soldiers and butchered every officer
of the government forces who fell into their
I L. L,,% A,n1h
rate their deeds by less honorable name. The
insurgents began the shooting OF captured
officers and latterly the government has re-
taliated by serving in the same manner the few
rebel commanders that have beeL taken prison.
ers. There is some show of justice in the
latter proceeding, especially in the of
those who, while in the pay Of the government,
turned traitor and misused their position as
the means OF working greater harm.
HANGING OF CAPT. vEL.sco.
A doleful cry has been raired by the insur-
gents and their sympathizers over the hanging
of one Capt Velasco, an officer IN whom Bal
maceda repcsed entire confidence. and who
while in commaLd at Atacama, betrayed that
important post into the haI.ds of the enemy.
Balmaceda's army numbers about A.. 900 men,
including the militia, and although many Of
the so-called aristocrats are in league with the
belligerents, the "bone and slnew" of the coun-
try-the middle and laboring classes, which
comprise the most useful part of the popula-
tion-remain faithful to the constitutional
government As a rule the Gillian aristocracy
are as arrogant, hot-blooded and unstable set
of people as can easily be found possessing more
vanity and pride than good grounds for the
same, and whose riches were inherited, as well
as the tendency to treachery and rebellion
which seems to belong to q prepOnderance of
Spanish blood.
The rebel troops do not number more than
5000 and their leaders have not arms and
ammunition enough on hand to properly
equip SO many, though means both fair
and foul are being energetically employed
to gain fresh supplies. 1t is stated on
good authority that emissaries have been
dispatched to various countries with in
structions to buy, beg, borrow or steal, if need
be, munitions wherewith to continue this hope
less struggle; but to carry out their instruc-
tions will doubtless prove difficult matter,
considering the unwritten code Of honor that
exists between civilized lands in addition to
the neutrality laws.
NEW GOVERNMENT OF THE INSURGENTS.
The Gillian insurgents have set up what is
practically new government in the northern
Provinces in opposition to that Of Balmaceda
and have taken for their capital VIVA: remains
of conquered Iquique. The business portion
Of that once prosperous city was COM
pletely destroyed in the recent battles
but few streets escaped serious
damage. Provisions are now coming in, SO
that the horrors Of threatened starvation are
abating, though all but the barest necessaries
of lite still remain far above the reach of the
poor. The railway, too, which was entirely
torn up, has been again put into working order
By the way, who ever heard of utilizing loco
motives and trains as battering rams and en-
gines of war? At this point. when the amnuIi-
ton of the rebels ran low, they adopted the
shrewd scheme of making UP a long line of cars
crowding on full head CT steam and then, leap
hair, n.
let the locomotive run away" and go crashing
into the government train OF the track ahead
with which they haG been fighting. Rather
expensive warfare. both as regards life and
property, but for the moment effective. Tie
railroad was an important factor in the battles
of this section. Both armies used it whenever
they couiu. making new sort Of men-of-war
on land by mounting field and gatling guns OF
fiat cars, and fighting as long possible from
the train.
HOW BALMACEDA MET THE FINANCIAL EMERGENCY
Having secured control OF all the ports from
which nitrate of soda is shipped, the rebels do
not lack for funds. as the export duties on that
valuable commodity are not less tLan $40. OOO.-
900 per annun. Of course the public treasury
is sadly crippled by the loss of this sum; but
there is still considerable revenue from the
custom houses ut Valparaiso and Taca-
huano. and Balmaceda has met the present
emergency by issuing paper money to the
amount OF 1000, 900, which is received by the
people and used to pay the army. The regular
currency of Chilli consists of notes issued and
guaranteed by the government. When the war
began these notes were worth only about 80
cents on the dollar and have now dropped to
2S cents.
recent dispatch. which, it is needless to
say. was Of rebel origin, has gone abroad to
the world stating that many leading families
have been forced to leave Santiago and 20 into
the Argentine Republic and other countries to
escape persecution. from the dictator Balma-
ceda.' Does any reasonable person suppose
that the harassed and hard-pushed president is
going ont o. his way in these trying tines
when friends are none too numerous, to per
secute" respectable citizens? The truth is that
Balmaceda discovered among his closest asso-
ciates in the heart of the capital number of
families called leading" because of official
positions which he himself had bestowed upon
them, who were secretly abetting the rebellion
while publicly enjoying the pay and emolu-
ments OF the federal government What course
would any ruler in a similar case have taken
with such double-dycd traitors? The 'perse-
cution" has consisted in their being allowed to
leave the country unharmed. instead Of being
imprisoned as they deserve, that they may dis
seminate evil reports about the too lenient Bal
maceda.
Another allegation against the president,
which is being copied from newspaper to news
paper as though it were u crime, Is that Bal
maceda has cancelled the commissions of those
officers of the army and navy who arraycd
themselves against the government, and that
he has promoted soldiers who have resisted
the brides OF the opposition and remained loyal
AS If any sane ruler would not do the same