The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-06-15
THE CHILEAN REBELLION.

Correspondence of the San Jose Mercury. }
SANTIAGO DE CHILE, April 30.-We
hoped for better news. by this time,
from the seat of war, but the clouds
that overhang unhappy Chile grow
darker every day, and the end of the
revolution appears no nearer than
ever. One thing is certain-the
rebels are gaining ground, though
inch by inch, and the resources of
the government are slowly diminish
ing. Though President Balmaceda
has only about four months more to
serve, his most sanguine friends
hardly think he will live to see his
successor inaugurated. Should he
succeed in completely defeating his
foes, which is not likely, he would
surely fall by the hand of some re-
vengeful assassin; and in the event
of victory by the Opposition his fate
Is sealed. 1t is said that even the
officers of the Chilean navy, many
whom the President formerly loaded
with favors, have signed solemn
compact never to lay down their
arms till they have hung Balmaceda
in the Plaza Mayor of Santiago.
The President has not once shown
his face outside the Moneda during
the last three months; but, having
sent his family out of the country,
lives In strictest retirement, eating
and sleeping in the presence of an
armed guard. As the close confne-
ment is telling upon his health he is
about to remove to the Quinta Nor
mal-a beautiful public garden near
the outskirts of the capital. One
would think that an unwise plan for
his personal security; but NC place
Is safe from the traitor, and nobody
In Chile would be surprised, at any
hour, to hear of Balmaceda's murder.
Some of the atrocities of this un-
holy war almost surpass belief-the
shooting of prisoners by both sides,
the barbarous slaughter of unoffend
ing women and children, and the
wanton destruction of property.
Might makes right in Chile, and In
the present state of anarchy no
body's life is safe. Foreigners who
have money invested here are blue
as blue can be and devoutly wish
they had sunk " it almost anywhere
else.
The sober truth is that political
clique desire to usurp the rights OF
the Executive; aud it is extremely
doubtful If such regime,-judgipg
from their actions during the last
half year, which have cost the coun-
try thousands of lives aud millions
of dollars-would be- better for the
people than the long established
order which had made Chile the
most prosperous of South American
republics. Nobody disputes that Bal
maceda was the fairly elected choice
of the nation or accuses him of hav-
ing ever gone beyond the rights
accorded him by the Constitution.
So far from aspiring to over-much
authority, his first great mistake
was in holding the reins too loosely.
The Opposition were determined to
find fault, on one pretext or another
as shown in their persistent obJec
tions to Balmaceda's Cabinet, al
tuOuSu no hDpcihbOtt thiCC NihOi Oh'
sets of Ministers In the vain effort
to please them. Considering that
the present incumbent's was nearly
over, if these patriots had really
had the interests of the country
at heart, they would have directed
their efforts toward electing man
of their own ideas to succeed him
and to amending the Constitution SC
as to limit what they call ''one-mar
power"
Unfortunately for Chile, this re-
bellious faction in the Legislative
chamber possesses much power foi
ill, and by refusing to pass needed
appropriations in their efforts tc
coerce the President, they brought
suffering upon many people, which
led to strikes and riots, and finally
to armed rebellion. Balmaced;
made every possible concession
short of rendering his government
farce, to preserve peace; but tn,
farther the cranky Congressman be
came involved, the more pride AM
obstiuacy prevented retraction-an,
so things went from bad to wor &c
TL,,. N hondful Of ,,noounui1,,o -