The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1891-04-17
THE VAR IN CHILLI.

The constitution of the republic
of Chill had endured since 1888
Not long since dispute, relative
to certain acts or powers, arose be-
tween the president, Balmaceda g,
and that branch of the govern
ment which neaaly corresponds
with our senate and house of rep
resentatives. The result of the
disagreement is civil war. The
president has discarded the consti-
tuition and made himself dictator,
although the adherents of the SEN
ate and house are termed the revo-
lutionists. The people, for the
most part, and a contingent Of the
navy adhere to the congress, but
the army of perhaps 10000 are
mostly with the president.
The New York Worlds special
correspondent at Buenos Ayres
says: "The revolution in Chill now
amounts to a civil war. Rapine,
violence. confiscations, arbitrary
arrests, complete overturning of
the laws, treachery, and everything
else almost that is bad, prevail.
Trade is nearly at a standstill, and
the supreme court and court of ap-
peals are closed, as the judges found
themselves without authority.
President Balmaceda has assumed
functions which the car Of Russia
would hesitate to grasp. The ac-
tual situation, from purely mill
tary standpoint, is difficult to com
prehend. Not word of reliable
news comes by trans-ADdlne tele-
graph. The mails afford scanty
protection for correspondents, and
and the censorship over the press
precludes a truthful presentment
of the news. Pizagua is in de-
plorable condition. Everybody
who could has left, and the hills
in the rear of the town are cover
ed with dead bodies, which vul-
lures devour. Horrible tales of
cruelty are related. Prisoners are
taken by either side, the adherents
of Balmaceda, or the sympathizels
with the congress, and are bayon-
eted OIL shot without mercy. The
soldiers slay their officers if they
differ from them. The officers of
the Reugo battalion, at Tarapaca,
were killed by their men, while
the officers of the Fourth battalion
(Balmacedists) were also shot, be-
cause they attempted to restrain
their soldiers from pronouncing for
the revolution. Revolutionists
have thus far won most of the
skirmishes and battles that have
occurred. Balmaceda has 10
funds legitimately acquired, and
he confscates the property On all
who do not support him. He call
ed on the banks for II, 100000.
The managers refused and were at
once thrown into prison."
A correspondent at Lima writes
that 400 refugees, who arrived on
the last steamer, were so destitute
they had to remain OH the wharf.
The commandant at Iquique was
selling flour at % cents per pound.
Fighting between the government
forces and rebels near Iquique re-
suited in a victory for the latter.
About 700 men in all were killed.
A Lima paper published a mes
sage from Iquique, received by the
English minister, saying the tri-
umph of the rebels March 7 was
decisive, and Balmaceda's troops
were knocked to pieces. Thous-
ands of people have abandoned
the nitrate works, and accompa-
MED by their families, are trudging
across the desert to Iquique. The
scene is of nature which hardly
finds an equal in the history of
war. Many died ON the desert
and their bones marked for many
days the road to the now abandon