Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-08-20

the successful landing at lquique, Chill,
of cargo of Krupp guns and ammuni-
ton, supposed to have been transferred
TO the insurgents vessel from European
steamer off the Falkland Islands. With
the memory Of the Itata affair so fresh |
IN mind, many American readers will |
feel rather gratified that the insurgents |
had better luck with this importation. |
Indeed we do not doubt that the UNDER |
current of American sympathy was
DO generally with the CHILEAN re-
volutionists prior to their self-denying
surrender Of the 1tata that most of our
people entertained hope that the Itata
would succeed in Guiding her pursuers
and in disembarking her cargo where it
would/do the most effective service.
cyet few of us comprehended more
r. IN vaguely why our sympathy should
,,e'o out to the "rebels" rather than to the
-Balmaceda government 1t was mat
ter of intuitive more than well matured
fellow feeling which we should have
found difficult to justify in case of a
challenge to do so. But this justification
LAS been furnished with satisfying full
ness by Senior Ricardo l.. Trumbull, agent
of the Gillian Congressional govern
ment, in an article printed in the August
Forum. Senior Trumbull of course
writes from the anti-Balmaceda point of
view and with degree Of feeling for
which allowance must be made, but
some of the facts that he states are suf-
ficient to speak for themselves and
would seem impossible of being ex-
planned to the advantage of the Bal
maceda government This parsonage,
Senior Jose Manuel Balmaceda, was
elected, in 1886, president of Chill for a
term of five years. During the
first two years of his government,
the writer comedies, she followed
the honorable traditions and practices
of his predecessors, and his administra-
ton was regarded as satisfactory"
After that President Balmaeeda began
to lay pipes and pull wircs-not for his
own reelection, for the constitution did
permit that, but to name his successor,
and that successor an instrument whom
s he, Balmaceda, could use for his own
enrichment. His choice fell on bis con-
fidential agent and broker, Senior
Enrique Sanfuentes, and Balmaceda
prostituted all the power of his
position to this end. Senior Trum-
bull relates that "vast official
,,otrapunra xvoe t,oda ,,sa ~ - Fa,,1r
this man, and honest officials were
dismissed to make way for those pledged
to support HIM" Thus far it is plain
that Balmaceda was only pursuing a
course familiar in American politics, of
which the displacement of Collector
Erhardt by President Harrison is con-
spicuous recent illustration. But Bal
maceda went, on step by step, from the
prostitution to the usurpation of power,
until he felt sufficiently entrenched to
defy the judicial and congressional
branches of government, and, by render
ing it impossible TO carry on the govern
ment legally, provide the pretext and
opportunity to arrogate to himself dicta-
\ torial power. This he did by mani
festo, issued on January LIST last,
in which he proclaimed him
self dictator and declared that he
counted on the army and navy, "who
know l am their constitutional chief
TO back him up. The supreme court of
Chilli declared the acts of Balmaceda
Illegal and unconstitutional; he replied
by closing all the courts. He dismissed
or imprisoned such officers of the army
as refused to pledge him their fealty,
superseding them by others more pliable.
The Gillian congress deposed the dicta-
Gar and appealed to the peoples; Balma-
esda caused the property of members OF
congress TO be pillaged and de-
stroyed. Passing over allegations Of
tyranny and military misrulei public
assemblies broken up, judges, senators
and representatives imprisoned, private
property confscated citizens Of high
standing shot down and imprisoned,
leading men Of the opposition banshed,
newspapers suspended and their presses
destroyed, with much more of similar
terror; this is the issue now Joined
Shall Balmaceda establish Dictator
ship or shall the Congress.
sional party succeed in enforc-
ing the decree of disposition and
restoring u constitutional government
The party of Congress, known popu.
larly in this country US the "insur-
gents" now claims to hold the foui
richest provinces Of Gill, constituting
one-half Of the territory Of the republic
and yielding two-thlrds Of tile revenue
and to be an organization sufficiently
regular and responsible to command
the respect and recognition Of tile world
Throughout the territory governed
by Congress writes Senior l'rumbull
"there is peace and tranquility, TN
courts of law suppressed by order Of tn,
dictator have been reinstatcd and every
citizens enjoys the fullest liberty.
The patriotic citizens Of Chilli will max,
no compromises with those who hay,
robbed her Of her peace and her gooC
name; their task will not be ended unit
they shall have established constitu
tional liberty throughout the land anl
and assured liberty 70 every citizen .
the republic"
A redwood plank is feet 5 inehe
wide, 5 inches thick and IL feet inchc
long is something of board, outside o
a. -