New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-19

1890 AND ITS RIGHTS - THE
FINAL APPEAL TO ARMS.
TO the Editor of The Tribune
sir; In today, Tribune have read dispatch CIV
ing an official version a. published in "Ihe Lohqoh
Times of the recent battle lququc, in chill ana
inasmuch a. all official versions of everything wmch
has occurred since the revolution broke out have been
flse have every reason believe that THIS account
:. like other official versions. According To THIS
version Colonel Robes "riddled with bullets De-
side, being hacked with bayOnets, and ndescrlDaby
INITIATED and "a general massacre OF wounded
officers Sucdn This is simply an attempt OF Dctdior
Halmaceda TO arouse sympathy in his behalf The day
afer the battle received cablegram from Adhilfdi
Moult telling o. the victory and Of the Colonel having
been wounded. If he had been killed the Admiral
UouId have informed me Of it at the time. HdNlhS
been present at some Of the engagements "hch nave
taken place. and knowing the officers IN cohihhu'
have no hesitation in pronOuncng this version as aoso
lutoy false and trust that your readers VIII "iuoiu
their judgment to what is taking place Ill oiih
until they shall obtain impartial accounts
Some New-York papers have published an account
of the battle which took place at Pisagua on inc "
of February last, giving the most heartrehuiis az
count Of bombardment, in which the SHIPS hianeo
and Esmerada did great havoc. IL describes h'Vio
children as running about crying for their mothers
and painting the awful scenes I'D "Ihoh ui0
means of the wounded, the crash OF falling tnDer inc
whistle of shot and shrek of she'll alone were heau
IL gives the number of dead as 2OoO, ana says '"'
the town was destroyed by fire, and nothing renamed
hut a mass OF ruins. Now the letter Whch contains
all these facts was dated at santiago, February H.
and the writer undoubtedly obtained his niorlha'oh
from an official version there being no other source
of information as the telegraphs are only used lo
Government purposes.
I took fine steamer at Pisagua for Panama on the
morning of February H. the same day that te le''or
was written. and as cable communication with inc
south was cut OIL this letter certainly refers 10 ule
hattie a. the 9Th of February, when the Congressional
torces landed 400 men and took the town. when was
defpacd lay about 2G5 men. The fleet did not bomDalu
Tho TOWN. nor were the vessels EsmeIdlda ana bldhoo
AT Psagua. The number of killed did not eAceeu Nv
in all Not house in the town was burheu. ~ -
evident that this version was also puOIished ny Nv
tailor BaTTlaceda in order to get sympathy and as
bearen the partiSans of Congress ms same ie''e.
of February il states that Bishop Tontecina' Oh
coron, with other clergymen, is held prisoner Oh
hoard The Blanco. This also Is untrue "he" "'
Serena the representatives of Congress called on inc
Ebop who returned their CALL and the most ilehuil
roI,tions existed But This is another Governmental
lie ppished In the official papers to try to take away
the ccrgy's support from the Congressional cauSe'
, have also seen an interview with senior Prudenclo
7 ozcano who represents Senior BamacedaS Govern
mont nj Washington, in which this gentleman tries 10
explain the cause o. the present revolution ana i'o
an ATTEMPT (, defend the conduct OF senior bailid
coda the present Dictator Of Chilli Mr.. Lazcaho mas
,,oda statement which is incorrect and misleading
Mr. Ralmaccda's manifesto to the country, portions
90 which have been Published, is even worse IMAM
senior Lazcanos statement eOr IL is medley Oh laiSe
hood ard misrepresentation from beginning 70 Gnu
As a Gillian citizen, and as member Vi Inc PVS0O
Congress Of Chill, which is at present ehGascu Ill "
rurr,c for constitutional liberty, and in an endeaVo
IN crush Caesarism and corruption, reel that II -
my dutv 10 correct the misstatementS mace anu u
of he
AZ a Gillian who feels proud of his country past
,i.or, and of the enyiable place which she had
secured among the law-abidng nations OF the "oiu'
Il mains me to have to refer to acts conlmU'cu W
Mir Ealmaceda's Government, acts WHICH "ouIu W
rerarled as dsgraceful and Infamous even III INC
most uncivilized country. But prefer 'nd' '0
whole truth should be known. 10 is sorrowiul uuty
IN he Obliged to refer TO the treachery ana deceit Oh
one who has had the honor Of being elected fres
dent of Chilli but it is satisfactory to feel that her
hest citizens are not accompices in the Presidents
dastardly designs, and that the day Is not Idr
distant when peace and order will again be restored
The present revolution in Chill has very dlsuneuy
drawn the line between the honest and patriotic
citizens who desire their country's good and those
who rather than be thwarted In their schemes OF
personal enrichment prefer their country's ruin.
THE GILLIAN CONSTITUTION.
For more Than half century Chill had enjoyed
constitutional government. Under the Constitution Of
1888 she had enjoyed almost uninterrupted peace and
had made wonderful progress in civil and religions
liberty The sway Of that Constitution had during all
these years never been interrupted. Chilians, al
though they recognized its deficiency, had learned
t rrp meet and love il as well the traditions which
had grown up under it, Every President had re
lgiousy observed its provisions and caused them 10
be maintained. II reserved for Senior Balmaceda
10 violate that Constitution and to trampe under foot
all precedent and tradition. on the 1st Of January
bCrnlip 10 maj n W1
declares that he has been obliged to violate that
Constitution: that he will continue to violate it, and
that for the purpose he counts with the support Of
the army and navy, who know that am their con
stitutional chief and that they are essentially obedient
forces that cannot deliberate"
senior Julio Zegers, Of the ablest statesmen Of
Chill, answered the manifesto, and l quote some ex-
tracts from his apswer: Senior Balmaceda recOgniz
ing the necessity of attempting to extenuate his crime
and his responsibility alleges that what he is dOinc
is what has been done by all the Presidents of Chill
excepting only one because they all have governed
for some time without the law fixing the land aud
naval forces and without the law of appropriations
and he pretends that he finds himself in the same
constitutional situation in which Presidents Prieto
BuneO Perez, Errazurez Pinto and Santa Maria found
themselves
However manifest may be the In which Mr.
Balmaceda cOncurS however jncXplcable may be hi:
attempt falsfy historical TRUTH it is necessary Il
explain the and the falsehood.'
"NOt of those Presidents believed himself usff
fed in making any expenditures that had not beer
authorized by law Of Congress- Not one Of then
closed Congress before it had approved the budget
Not Of those Presidents maintained for single
day ministers who called themselves confidential sec
rctarcs Of the President and who boosted that they
would disregard all legislative acts. Not one Of then
maintained for a single day Ministry that had beer
ccnsurcd by Congress. Not one of them attempted
to govern for single day against the known wishes
Of q parliamentary majority
as this the situation i'll which Mr.. Balmaceda has
placed HIMSELF"
NO Mr.. Halmaseda has declared that he knows
that Congress has not voted and that il vii
not vote the law authorizing public expenditures and
Notwithstanding he maintains himself in his post
Dir. Balmaceda has closed Congress without its having
I'D md no mon.