The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-09-02

a despot and not as constitutional king
should. So too, when the American colonies
determined to shake of the yoke of England,
they were able to draw that thrilling and
specific indictment against George LII, which
is one of the most forcible passages of the
Declaration of Independence. The Gillian
patriots have not found it difficult to draw
an equally forcible indictment against
Balmaceda:
In order to maintain his usurpation he has trod.
den under foot the Constitution and laws of his
country, and has declared that he will rule the
nation without regard 10 the Constitution or the
He has, without the authority OF law, caused the
emission of Government paper money to The
amount of twelve millions of dollars. " '''0
tallic coinage. 'io
lie has filed the couutry with spies.
He has violated the sacred rights of domicila
ne mas violated the sacredness of private cor
respohaence, guaranteed by the Constitution.
tribunal OF Justice, the Supreme Court D's"
ne mas imprisoned many judges
,, ne nas impe9ed by brute force the courts of
iuncton snu iofpuoen them to exercise their high
ne has silenced all the public journals that on
posou vi SrltIclsed his acts, sometimes confiscat
ins matarsa the destruction of all their print
He has thrown into prison hundreds of law.
srming citzens, and kept them confined with
, he has imprisoned many of the members of
e sa whose persons under the Constitution
He has dissolved Congress.
~. az mas ordered the election OF new Senators
a anu although the terms Of
tlonal Congress had three years to run
NV ~ mas aiteIed and moliifed the election laws
he has revoked, In the same arbitrary manner
the law which forbids the public employees 10 be
senators or Representatives, the majority OF the
new members being salaried employees.
onnon mas ehDargoed the property OF many of his
He h. has taken cattle, horses and other property
He has made use Of the public funds according
70 n,s absolute WILL and Ia palpable violation Of
He has increased more than three times the nav
OF the officers and soldiers Of his army.
He has enrolled by force an immense number
oil citizens against their will and against the laws.
er ignominious fortunes, hundreds Of respectable
ciu G ricn and poor, without respect to age
He has caused to be shot to death many citizens
without legal trial or sentence. In some in
stances sending his orders for their execution by
BY a mere telegraphic order he caused the ex-
ecu ion, ia cold blood of 81 In the province of
AntOfagasta, the 9th Of Marcb, for refusing to
eminent.
In a word, Mr.. Balmaceda uses his power as an
oolous ana cruel fyrant, and no one Is safe In
Americans will wonder how President
could do all this. He did it as Charles /.
was able to do his works of tyranny.
Charles had an army. an organized and dis
cipllned force, with which he could nip op-
position in the bud. And Hampden and the
other English patriots Joined issue with the
king on this very point, the control of the
army. Parliament finally secured control of
the great instrument, and so jealous Is it of
this control to this day. that 1t will vote sup
plies to that army for no more than year.
Balmaceda had the army. Had he been
equally fortunate In securing the navy he
would probably have perpetuated his power
indefinitely. But by some fortunate intrigue
the patriotic party secured control Of enough
ships to put themselves In favorable posi-
ton. In the United States no President
could run such a course. Congress could re
fuse appropriations for year, and the power
of any despot would crumble Of Its own &C.
cord. But the South American Republics
have not advanced so far In the pathway of
constitutional government that there does
not remain about the Office of President
much OF the power Of military dictator.
It's necessary that the executive should be
strong, because the people are not SO capa-
Die OF sell control and self government as
are our own people. Therefore such reyolu-
lions are Inevitable; and 1t would not be
surprising to find Chill troubled with anoth-
or arbitrary President before many years.