The herald., 1896-02-29
Continued and Steady Advance in
the Paths of Civilization
NO LAGGARDS IN THE RACE
Rspidity of Internal Communication the
Cure for Revolutions
Republics, Their Chief Cities and
Their Present Condition

General Pedro 8. NJ. Andrade of San
tiago de Chile, a man of wealth and po-
sition, broad-minded student of the
political conditions which surround the
Americas, gave yesterday to a representa-
tive of THE HERALD much interesting in
formation about the various South Ameri-
can republics. Beginning with Chile, he
said
Our political differences were at one
time of most serious character; our peo-
pie are .hardy, very aggressive, and-with
a smile-well, sometimes violent; force
fulness, self-relance and impatience at
outside interference or dictation is pecu-
liarly offensive. Moderation has been
urged by the leaders of all conflicting
factions, with the result that harmony ex-
lists all over the republic. Chile now has
lines of steamships reaching all the most
important centers, and because of the con-
formation of the country-a long, narrow
strip between the Andes and the Pacific
the ocean offers an excellent and cheap
mode of transit between the different por-
tions of her territory. In Argentine all is
quiet, the last outbreak at Rosario being
but trifling local insurrection. She is
slowly emerging out of the enormous debt
piled upon her by foreign loans at
usurious rate of interest, which can only be
paid off by indomitable perseverance in
developing her great natural resources.
The recent troubles in Brazil arose
on the part of the people as
to the new form of government,
O mistake which was shared in by the
leaders. All this has now been amicably
settled, and long continued era of peace
and material prosperity has dawned for
that great country. Bolivia, the inland re-
public, has been especially subject to in
ternal dissensions and periodical rcvolu-
tions, caused by her great extent of terri
tory and the paucity of means OF intercom-
munication, which is really the one radical
cause of turbulent outbreaks whether they
be of religious, political or racial char
acter. Well equipped railroads are far
superior to standing armies as peacemak-
though the remark may seem strange
from the lips of general; but it is per-
fectly true, and to them Argentina, which
has a very admirable railroad system. owes
it that she was able to quell so quickly the
last uprising. The same is also true of
Brazil, which has lines of railway connect
ing the plantations with the seaboard while
on the Amazon she has many lines of
steamers along system of waterways, like
those of the great lakes in this country.
Brazil and Chile are now successfully COM
peting with British steamship companies
for the traffic, growing enormously, on the
west coast of South America. Colombia.
with her vast territory divided up into val
leys of magnificent proportions and incom-
parable fertility by the various spurs of
the Andes,is, perhaps, the most stinaccessible
of all the South American group of repub-
lies, as railways would be, though not an
impossibility, 30 enormously costly as to
preclude their construction at present.
The Magdalena river is the only means
Nf fhQrQ
| been no outbreak for many
years. there being only a slight
disturbance on the occasion of the death of
that wise but firm president who has con-
trolled the fortunes of his country with SO
much honor to himself and benefit to his
fellow-countrymen. President Diaz's adj
mirable conduct of the government in Mex
leo, his unceasing efforts to further her
prosperity, his catholicity of spirit in diplo-
matte relations with the sister republics. as
we'll as with foreign countries, is appreci-
ated by all classes, and it would seem i'm
possible now that Mexico, with her rap
idly developing commerce and her greatly
improved methods of railway communica.
ton, should again be cursed with a civil
war. Venezuela is not making the headway
she. should, and her able but headstrong
and self-willed president is responsible for
much OF the stagnation and the slumbering
fires of revolution which are liable to
break out at any moment The most back
ward of all the republics is Ecuador, where
revolutions are almost endemic, due
largely to the almost entire absence of
| education. Still commerce goes on and
she is fairly prosperous. The old notion,
universal almost in the United States not
very long since. that the South American
peoples were semi-civilized, that their
cities were an aggregation of adobe houses,
and that culture and refinement were un-
known, is now happily dissipated. No
countries in the world show q higher devel-
/ opment of civilization, if the capital cities
| and the commercial centers of the SOUTH
ern republics be just criteria. Santiago
de Chile is the Paris of the American
continent, is perhaps the most delight
full place of residence in the world:
Situated in lovely valley of the Andes,
| surrounded by snow-capped mountain
| peaks, it is veritably city of palaces
where the wealth and culture of the coun-
try dwell during the season. Quito, di-
recty under the equator, but at an eleva-
| ton of about II, 900 feet, cannot be sur
passed by Boston or Edinburgh for the re-
! finement and culture of her citizens. Ca
| racas the city of marbles is situated in a
lovely Natural basin, surrounded by lofty
wooded heights with her splendid cathe-
dral in the center, from which all the
main streets radiate as spokes from a
wheel, exquisitely cleanly and as orderly
as any well-governed city in the United
country of barbarians. Buenos
! Ayres, with population of nearly
100000, is better paved. better lighted,
and far more cleanly than New York. She
has fine system of street cars. The
climate is much like that of Los Angeles,
and there is no malaria. Rio de Janeiro
with the loveliest harbor in the world,
with population of nearly 100000. is
perhaps better known to people in the
United States than any other of tue South
American cities. She is about to con-
struct an extensive system of sewerage