Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-09-14
THE OVERTURN IN CHILL.

People who have given but passing
attention to the rather desultory and
confusing reports from Chill since the
opening of the present year, can hard
ly realize that abuses there have been
/ followed by a revolution with war and
/ the establishment of wholly new
/ government, and especially that the
/ action has been deliberate sub
/ stantial and reasonable, but such is the
| fact. Balmaceda, the dictator, is gone,
and popular form of government is
adopted.
It is now a little more than eight
months since hostilities began. In
this brief time it was necessary for the
revolutionists to recruit, organize and
discipline an army, and to provide
| themselves with money and munitions
OF war. AS the result of the victory
beforeIValparaiso, Friday, they are now
in possession of the capital, Santiago,
and Balmaceda is a fugitive from his
country.
1t is now evident that Balmaceda's
dictatorship had no substantial hold
on public opinion in Chill. In fact,
Balmaceda occupied the position of
a lawless dictator from the outstart of
the conflict. The Congress had de-
posed him because he had violated the
Chilian constitution and thus forfeited
his official rights as president. 1t is
expressly provided by the Chilian con
stitutionthatexpen can be made
only by authority of law, and that the
government cannot dispose of the
smallest sums for army and navy with
out authority of the two houses of
Congress, but Balmaceda had by an Off
cia1 decree assumed the right to dis
pose of the military forces, and to eX-
pend the public money for their main
tenance according to his own dis
cretion.
A junta was therefore organized,
with headquarters at Iquique; and to
this provisional government several
of the northern provinces, embracing
one third of the area of Chill, gave
their adhesion. The most of the Chill
ian navy also supported the congress
sional party. There were few armed
conflicts. These were mostly naval
and in or near Valparaiso harbor. Bal
maceda's torpedo boats attacked and
sunk the cruiser Blanco Encalada, and
later made unsuccessful attempts to
sink the cruiser Magdalenes in Chana-
raj bay. This latter vessel in turn then
visited Valparaiso, and after an incon-
elusive engagement with the torpedo
boats withdrew. These events occur
red mostly in April.
The efforts of the American minister
to Chill to mediate in this unhappy
trouble finally failed of result. Ger
tain other Overtures to the Washington
government were made by agents of
the iunta to the American minister in
Paris, who informally listened thereto
and reported the case to Washington.
Resort was then had to force once more
and the insurgents took the aggressive.
Their forces made a descent on the
coast of Quintero Bay, a few miles north
of Valparaiso, week before last, Thurs
day, and advanced southwark immedi-
ately, encountering vigorous opposi-
ton. Fighting lasted from Friday un-
til Tuesday.
Valparaiso itself is situated on a deep,
fine bay, and constitutes the most i'm
portant seaport on the Pacific coast of
South America. 1t is the capital city
of Chill and has a population exceed
ing 100000. The commercial part of
the city, of course, is near the waters
edge, but fine villas adorn the steep
slopes and overlook the harbor. Vina
del Mar, particularly beautiful sub
urb of the city, was the scene of the
final battle.