Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-05-22
THE INCA REPUBLIC.
ABIRD's-EYE VIEW OFPERU AND
ITS RESOURCES.
Throwing of the Spanish Shacklcs
disastrous War With Chile
The System of Government
Mineral Products.

The Republic of Peru, the capital OF
which is Lima, stretches along the Pacific
Coast from Ecuador to Chile, having
Brazil and Bolivia on the eastern frontier.
1t revolted from Spain in 1921, and its
first Constitution was adopted in 1928.
In 1929 it fought with Colombia. In
1S64-67 there was a desultory effort on
the part of Spain to renew her domina'
ton, when Chile came vigorously and
heroicaIly to the rescue of Peru.
In 1881, after forming a secret al
lance for the purpose with Bolivia, Peru
fought desperate war with its quondam
friend, Chile, and in consequence lost the
province of Tarapaca and Professionally
the department of Tacna.
The area of Peru is about 465 TAI
square miles, and its population approxi-
mates 3, 500, 900, of whom considerably
more than half are aborignals.
The present Constitution of Peru was
adopted in 1856, and was revised to some
extent in 1860.
There are in Peru, as in most OF the
other South American Republics, an ex-
ecutive President, Senate and House Of
Representatives but the conditions of
Government are not so liberal as in the
majority Of Republican States. The Presi
dent is assisted by two Vice Presidents,
one senior to the other, with the first
right of succession in case OF vacancy.
These three office-holders are elected
every four years. An Executive Coun-
Gil of five Ministers, directly responsible
to the President, is nominated by him at
the time of his entering on his term of
Office and he, not the Congress, has the
power of removing them.
Tie twenty departments nominate two
members each to the Senate, which also
includes Representatives OF Tacna,
The House of Representatives contains
40 members, returned by indirect cleo
tion-the districts choosing electors,
who then meetin the chief towns of the
department and select Deputies in the
ratio of one to every 20, 900 inhabitants.
The local government of the depart
ments, like the central State Govern
ment, has been somewhat disorganized
by war and internal discussions, 50 that
the Constitution may be said to be in a
large measure dependent upon the popu-
lar caprice. The established religion is
Roman Catholic.
The finances Of Peru arc greatly de-
moralized and disorganized, and no re-
cent returns of revenue and expendit Ire
are either reliable or available. The
public debt approximates $3.50, 900, 900,
the interest on which is not paid, and in
consequence the expenditures are con-
siderably in excess of the income. In
short, Peru has been practically ruined
by the wild policy which it has adopted
through the Intervention and influence of
foreign capitalists.
Peru is perhaps the best known of all
South American countries. 1t is the seat
of the ancient civilization Of the Incas
and contains some of the famous silver
mines worked for SO many centuries. 1t
is divided by its mountains into three
regions-the coast, the central plateau
and the Amazon region. The coast
line of Peru presents an almost uu-
broken front of arid ridges Of sand or
b'eak ranges of rock running some.
times to the sea, yet behind those ridges
and between those bare mountains are
valleys of unparalleled fertility, through
which wind streams of water fed by the
unfailing SHOWS of the highest peaks,
streams whose volume and force abate
as they reach the wall of sand toward
the sea and in which they are finally
lost. There are few rivers OF the multi
tude along the western slope of the Cor
dilleras that fud their way unbarred by
sand TO the ocean. In these valleys the
products of the field are exuberant and
varied, corn, cotton, sugar cane, alfalfa,
rice, with grapes, apples, pears, peaches
and other fruits, abound The maturity
of the crops depends upon the time of
sowing and planting, so that they may
be arranged to mature consecutively,
thus keeping the mills always at work.
The mineral resources of Peru are very
abundant. Silver is found throughout
her territory, also gold, coal, copper and
many other minerals.
The plateau is an agricultural country
broken by many rides. In the south is
portion of the great basin Of Lake
Titicaca, the remainder being in Bolivia;
the whole is entirely surrounded by hills,
thus cutting off all escape for its waters.
North of this basin, in the valleys, flow
the tributaries of the Amazon; on the
plateau they flow due north, and then,
escaping through the ridges, pour their
waters into the Ucayali, the Hullaga and
the Maranon. These again, increased by
the streams rising upon the eastern slopes
of the Curdilleras, enter the Amazon.
The greater portion Of the population
live on the central plateau, the province
OF Jauia being the most thckly inhab-