The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-27
BALnIACEDA's MANIFESTO.


sympathy should have sided with the Con-
gresSiOnals in Chile, when so little was known
OF the causes Of the revolutionary movement.
President Balmaceda in his address to the
Chilean people has supplied the reason.
To comprehend that address it must be
borne in mind that Chile has been governed
for filty-eight years under constitution
framed on the model of the Constitution of
the United States, and that the country has
been singulaTly free from the revolutionary
movements which have occurred IN other
Spanish-American States. Every President
at the end of his term has laid down his
power, and been replaced by his success
sOT without commOtinn. The constitution
varies from ours in some imp rtant particu-
lars. The President serves for FIVE years
and is not re-eiigibe; the Council Of Minis
tiers consists of eleven members, five Of
whom are chosen by the President and six
by Congress.
This was the fundamental law Of the re-
public at the close Of last year, when the ac-
Ii Ons Of the President began to alarm Con-
gIeSs. Ii was the intention Of the constitu-
ton that political power should be divided
bet ween the Executive and Congress. Bal
mactda began to usurp it all He filed
every Office, and administered every law
without consulting the other branches of the
Government To the protests Of Congress
against his arbitrary course he offered a con-
temptuOus Indifference. He initiated an in
trigue in Congress, with the intention of
building up in that body faction devoted
to his personal interests. As his Presiden-
tial term expires next September these acts
hoo Int
foresaw coup d'etat, and refused to pass
an appropriation bill until guarantees had
been secured for the public liberties. On
this Balmaceda dissolved it. The Speaker
of the House and the President Of the Senate
took refuge on the flagship Of the Chilean
fleet and war began.
President Baimaceda now SAYS that the
acts which alarmed Congress were parts of
a policy calculated 10 avoid at the end OF his
term the dangers which have threatened
previous administrations. To this i: is
enough 10 reply that no previous President
had any difficulty in being inaugurated. He
says that as soon as a struggle began be-
tween the majority of Congress and the
Executive lie felt it to be his duty TO close
the former. This is just what the two Ma
poleonS did when they overthrow the liber-
ties of France. He adds that he also de-
cided to suspend the high tribunals as pTeiu-
dicial to the country. This also was done
by the Napole0ns, and in their case, as in
Balmaceda's, it was violation OF the con-
stituti0n they had sworn to support He
winds up with saying that he has not lost
his serenity nor the self-TeSpect Of his con-
science, but that he trusts in God. He may
have preserved his own self-rpspect while
he was trying to overthrow the coordinate
branches of the Government of Chile, but
he certainly forfeited the respect of foreign
observers, and it is doubtful whether his
trust in God will compensate him for tie
loss.
The address is the customary apology of
baffled usurpers. 1t is impossible to read it
without arriving at the conviction that Btl-
maceda's purpose was to establish mill
tsry despotsm on the ruins of Chilean lib
erty, and that the Compassionate In this
fight represent the Chilean people. 1t may
be- as he says, that the sOldiery whom the
President has gathered round him hold a
larger portion of Chilean territory than
their opponents. That is neither here nor
there. In these Spanish American wars
hordes of adventures, lured by prospects Of
rapIne and plumber, Will 10cK TO any pan
Der which seems likely to place at their
mercy districts full of defenseless AMI pros
porous people. But the raids which the
Presidents followers have made upon the
cities and villages of Chile, and the shock
ing scenes which have ensued, by no means
insure the victory of Bamaceda, or the
definite overthrow of freedom. The Chill
cans are tenacious fighters, and on the side
Of the CoDgressiOnals are enlisted the best
men in the country.
If. as seems probable. Balmaceda should
be compelled to accept the suggestion of for
eigu nations and to submit his claims to the
srbitrament of the High Court of Justice at
Santiago, the world will then know who are
in the right, and those who know Chile best
will be surprised if the award is in favor of
the President