Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-11
CHILI'S REBELLION.
Injustice Done the Government by
Newspaper Misrepresentation.
A SISTER REPUBLICS TRIAL
Atrocities Committed BY the Rebels-Bal-
maceda Maintaining the Dignity Of the
Legal and Authorized Government-Execu-
ton of Naval Deserters . just Punishment.
From The stsih Travelling Commissioner.

| soldiers are being canopied with fowers-was
| a very sad one in Santiago, for on that morning
were executed the deserving officers and sailors
of the torpedo Ganeda Everybody knew
in these dark days when hydra-headed rebel
lion is tightening his Shiny coils about the
capital and the whole country is suffering 30
bitterly because Of the strife fomented by
| few-that the men must die. That would have,
been foregone conclusion in any other
country, even had our own proverbially
soft-hearted Lincoln been at the helm:
| for when a government vessel deliberately
turns traitor in time Of war and goes over to
| the enemy, the deserters. if captured expect
| nothing less than the death penalty But it
was sad, nevertheless, as executions ALWAYS nre
however much the condemned may deserve
| their doom, and in this instance it was particu-
| larry narrowing because not one trembling
| wretch, but many, were sent into eternity by
their own countrymen. Some of the prisoners
| had families living in the city. Most of them
were personally known to many people both in
santiago and Valparaiso, and it was whispered
that among the sharpshooters who were de-
tailed to fire the fatal vollev we're more than
one brother, cousin and intimate friend of men
| to be killed
THEY WERE NOT FLoGGEp
The deserters had been kept some time in
the Santiago prison, but the stories that rebel
sympathizers have circulated in the north, to
the effect that they were logged, starved and
tortured, are entirely false. This can youch
ior, on the authority of relatives of the con-
demned men, who visited them often during
their incarceration. The prisons of Chilli at
pest are horrible places and the keepers of
them, like others of their class the world over,
are not the most refined and tender hearted
individuals. Indeed, believe that in all coun-
| tries Jallers, as rule, are not selected with
view to those virtues since prisons are es-
peclally designed as places of punishment for
persons presumably meriting the same
AT daybreak on the morning of the 30th the
deserters were led out into the plaza, where
troops were already formed in hollow square:
those about to die were ranged In line with
| their faces toward the Frightening east, pray
ers were said, and each man kissed the crucifix:
| then, while their hands were being tied a com
pany OF infantry stepped quickly to the 'front.'
presently the word of command rang out sharp
| and clear, a quick rattle of musketry was heard
| and all was over.
JUST PUNISHMENT.
VI course the insurgents characterize this
awful but necessary proceeding as ''infam-
Gus butchery" on the part of Balmaceda:
out II Is precisely what would have happened,
under similar circumstances. in countries
Tar more civilized than this. and it is nothing
TO what may be expected should the rebel horde
succeed in their mad design of capturing the
capital, overturning the federal government
and carrying out their oft-repeated threats of
hanging the president, his cabinet and the
most prominent of the loyal citizens to the
lamp posts OF Santiago. Should that dies irae
arrive, may none of my countrymen or coun-
rywomen be here to see!
BRUTALITY OF THE INSURGENTS.
Within week bombs have been thrown at
midday In the crowded streets of this once
gay capital, with the design of numbering the
cabinet ministers as they were leaving the hall
OF congress Another bomb was hurled at
WINDOW OF the Moneda where the presidenire-
sides; and others have been exploded in the
pubic promenades, regardless of how MANY in
nocent people may be killed, if only rebel hate
may be gratified by the injury of ANYBODY be-
longing to the federal government. Internal
machines without number have been sent in
various guises to the president. and also to the
gentleman who has been named as his success
sor; and poison has been introduced into both
their houses, In fruit, flour and even in canned
goods. SO that every article of food to be con-
sumed by themselves and their families must
be carefully anal zed before it goes to their
tables. Think OF it-you who are peacefully
dwelling in Goods country What do Won
suppose the President of the United States
would do were such things happening at WASH
ington? Would he be likely to allow deserving
naval officers, bomb throwers and other trait.
ors go free and unpunished?
BALMACEDA NOT A MONSTER OF CRUELTY.
No means are too INSCRIPTIONS for the des-
",
because they have now gone so far that defeat
means destruction or perpetual exile for the
leaders; and should they win, even to the ex-
tent OF holding possession of the capital for one
day. the scenes in Paris during the commune
could not hold a candle to the atrocities that
would be perpetrated-as then in the sacred
but often abused name Of liberty. With all
these horrors enylroning him and the friends
who yet remain faithful, it is no wonder that
Balmaceda is sick at heart He is by no means
xbas - ,alt rhs Oh
newspapers Of the United States have repre-
sented him in big type and glowing
head lines to be. On the contrary. he
Is an exceedingly mild-mannered, we'll
educated and peace-loving gentleman who
has lived all his life among these people
Che is now in the neighborhood of forty years
old, and has never before been accused of
more arrogance or cruelty than is the natural
heritage of the native Chilian-whose dollars
even, bear the characteristic motto. ..por
razon de fuerza." The present struggle is not
Of his seeking, for certainly nothing could be
more detrimental to his personal interests:
and SO far from prosecuting honest citizens as
has been alleged, it is eninently his policy to
make no new enemies But this gigantic rebel
lion he must put down if possible, though such
CHASTITY scenes as that enacted in the plaza on
the last day Of Nd OCCUR again and again
VICIOUS GILLIAN FIGHTING.
It should aforementioned that Chilians do not
fight like northern soldiers. They are venge-
fullot and cruel as grim death when once aroused
by taste of blood; and the fact of being on
one side or the other Of this unholy conflict
has not changed their natures. The govern
ment troops, far, have committed fewer
atrocities than those Of the rebels principally,
no doubt, from lack Of opportunity, but the
history of all past wars in which Chill has fig
ured victoriously is an appalling one-of
butchery worthy of Sepoys, cutting the throats
of the wounded, toTturing prisoners dishonor-
ing women burning and sacking cities and
wantonly numbering the helpless and I'M
offending. In this latest struggle it prob
ably wants only the opportunity Of
victory in any engagement to prove that one
side can be as barbarously cruel as the other.
Civilized soldiers would stand small chance in
a battle with Chilians and will do well to re-
main at a respectful distance from the terrible
curvos or crooked knives-made to fit human
throat and sharpened on the inner side-which
every Chiian soldier carries. South Ameri-
cans must indulge in their little advertisements
of revolution now and then. 1t is 'born in the
blood and bred in the bone" and Chilli has
not had war in several years some pretext
must soon have served for getting up one, if
not that seized upon by tho disafected con-
gressmen.
GROSS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. By NEWSPAPER.
By the way, the information CD concerning
these affairs which is being industriously dis
semnated in the United States by rebel ennis
saries is standing joke among the American
IL ~EN .l~~ r,.A c.