The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-24

The situation in the unhappy land Of
ChiIe. - represented by the latest reports.
Is calrulated 70 greatly intensity the SYM
psshies Of our people for the insurgent
cause and the congressional party. At .
most inopportune moment, when con-
trssts rather than parallels should be the
rule, they present the head Of nominal
republic - perpetrating acts which rival
il they do not eclipse the fendish perform
snces Of Russia's bigoted despot-
Ostensibly the chief executive Of .
constitutional government. the free
choice Of free people 10 see that their
laws are faithfully executed, Baimaceda
sets At defiance not only the constitution
and laws which he was chosen and sworn
to support. bat the laws of God and hu-
nauity - we'll His caprice appears 10 be
his only law. The army of the repnblic
he has converted into body Of irrespons-
ible inqEisitoxs and execufioners. from
zen or home Is exempt
The petty tyrants of the barracks and
the suardhouse, prompted and encouraged
By the temper and example Of their chief,
punish 10 the point of horrible limitation
the miserable victims whom they press
into the service who are guilty Of. charged
With or Suspected of acts Of ins1b0rdina-
ton, however trivial or imaginary. Of
piece with many Ike nontzoxitses that
hare been reported, Is that Of the un-
81 ~ H.
clare. or who possibly was misrepreseated
By malicious enemy as declaring thai he
Hould work bis hands OF IN aid o. those
Who are resisting BAlmaceda's uxurpa-
tions, and who was arrested and had his
fingers pounded to jelly with tnsIles by
Official authority. and then was ieeringly
told TO go and work for the revolHEionisss
with those mangied members.
II these stories are true, and II il Is srTfe
that Balmaeeda's army is. IS asserted.
largely made up of men from the outlying
provinces. who have been forced into the
service NJ the point Of the bsyonet, and
conducted to the capital under guard and
in handouts, after the manner of chain
gang. the chances are fully even that In
critical emergency they viii do Changing
fighting, and viii turn their guns On their
c2ptors and persecutors-
Such eertainly would be the course Of
Amsrican citizens thus recruited and thus
treated after enlistment, If such q thing
were within the rsHge Of possibility or i'm
aginable- But IN this country nothing of
the sort could be done, nor can the perpe-
trstion Of like enornities, or anything sp-
proximating them. De imagined Such
incidents and reports are Of great
value Tor inpressing the American people
with the grandeur. the freedom and the
orderly character Of the government which
has been vouehsafed TO them Great and
strong as l. our country, and vast as ara
the powers and prerogatIvss of our Presi-
dent. he could not with impunity perpe-
trate even one, and that the most insignia
can't Of the harhariEies that have been at
trihuted to BalmaceiA-
No member Of President Harrison's cab
met, no governor Of any state. no officer Of
the American army could with impunity
be guilty Of the atrocities pEacticed by
petty subsltsrns under BaImaceda's rule.
Nor could they with impunity authorize,
permit or ignore such atrocities. These
are reflections which may and should
be projected into our forthcoming
national anniversary. And appropriately
and probably that occasion may be I'M
proved BY making comparisons, not only
with Balmsceda's prauks, but with many
others on both sides OF the Atlantic, affect
ing not only stability Of government and
security OF citizenship, but financial integ-
rity. economic policies. and the morals.
habits and regard for the properties OF the
ruling classes as well.
Such comparisons viii show that our
co1ntryss security agains: foreign invasion
or aggressions is os but small account
when compared with the security Of its
citizens against domestic oppression or
wrongs. and the snenshiiity Of the high
est no less than the most Lowry TO eornpIi-
snce with the constitution and the laws.
and 20 the observance Of good morals.
exemplary h.bits and = strict sense OF pro-
rriety. In these more than al else lies
orr eogrt-vss greatness ard r~snisu-