The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1897-07-17
MANAGUA.
THE BEAUTIFUL CAPITOL OF MI
CARACUA.
Is Situated on the Southern Shore of the
Beautiful Logo de Managua--A Large Por-
ton of the Army Stationed at Managua-
Native Customs-Political Organization.

ton of the Army Stationed at Managua-
Native Customs-Political Organization.
Managua, Nicaragua. .s.-Spec1al Cor.
spcndence.-As a rule the capitals Of these
Spanish republics are their largest and hand
soonest cities, the seat par excellence Of the
wealth and aristocraCy and all that is best
within their borders. But this is not now the
case in Nicaragua. For 331 years Leon was
its capital, up to 1854, when the seat Of gov
ernment was temporarily removed to Ora
NADIA, during the five years revolution in
which Walker, the Yankee f1libuster, figured
SO conspicuously. When the so-called LIB
erals" came out ahead in the long struggle
they would not permit its return to the an
cient capital of the Viceroy, and after
fighting over the question for several years
a compromise was effected by temporarily
locating government headquarters midway
between Leon and Granada, at Managua, q
much smaller and poorer place than either.
The handsome public buildings at Leon re-
main as they were at the time of the removal,
and most of the archives are there, for the
citizens have always confidently expected
that the seat of government would be brought
back W its old quarters. But the people o,
Granada keep a sharp lookoutin that direc
ticl and are determined if they cannot have
the capital themselves their rivals shall not
Any attempt to change It's present situation
would surely result in another war; notwith.
standing the new political combine called
The Greater Republic of Central America
The latter, which dates back to the treaty
of Amapala, June TO- 1895, includes the re-
pubIics of Nicaragua, Honduras, ard Sar
Salvador, bat makes no apparent change IL
the local government of either. OF the three
partners in the alliance Nicaragua is triflt
larger than Honduras, while San Salvador
has an area only one-seventh that of Nicara'
gua but a larger population than both he'
bigger sisters put together. The total popu
lation of the three is about million and
half.
The Greater Republic.
Under the terms of the agreement each OF
the three republics becomes state in the
Greater Republic" with an equal share II
the federated government, with It's rights o.
local government unimpaired. Instead Of
single executive head for the three, which
would surely provoke jealousies the centra!
aui hority is lodged in diet composed OF
three delegates, with an equal number OF sub
stitute delegates, chosen annually by the sew
eral states.
This diet has power to enact the necessary
laws for the exercise of its functions, to ap-
point diplomatic representatives, and to act
upon all questions affecting foreign rela-
TONS 1t will meet in each of the capitals
OF the three states in turn, the order being
determined by lot, and the sessions to con-
tinue one year. II appears to be about As
useful as the fifth wheel i'll wagon, except
to provide more officials to be paid out OF
the public treasury-an important item il
countries where every man wants office
One clause of the new constitution provides
for the submission of all disputes By arbitra-
ton a la Venezuela boundary rnuddle. The
initial session will be held in San Salvador
and the first Minister Plenipotentiary and En-
WOW Extraordinary of the Greater Republic
of Central America to the United States, DR..
j. D. Roderigues, has already been recognized
by President Cleveland and taken official
los:dence in Washington. This is not the
first attempt of two or more of these small
republics to combine, or rather to stay com.
bined. It is an easy matter to enter into
confederation, but impossible to hold long
together when revolutions for the most triv-
ever, perhaps the leopard has at last changed
it's spots, end the Central American mil
lennium of permanent peace has come.
People Of the Capital.
The City Of Managua pronounced Mon"
ogg-wah) sits on the southern shore Of the
beautiful Lago de Managua, about sixty miles
from the Pacific Ocean. 1t is easiest reached
from the Pacific side by the railway which
runs from Corinto to Lake Nicaragua The
journey thereto from the Atlantic, though
much longer and slower, is full of interest
from Greytown up the San Juan River, across
Lake Nicaragua to Granada, and thence few
hours by rail. No census has been taken in
Nicaragua since 1870, when the population
was $500. 1t has grown a good deal since
that day, and now numbers ten or twelve
thousand at guess. Its houses are more
modern in construction than those of Leon
and Granada, for only since the seat Of gov,
eminent was located here has Managua been
of any commercial, political, or social i'm
portance. Its rich residents are mostly
planters, who have estancias in the neighbor-
hood, and reside in two-storied adobe casas.
A large portion Of the standing army of the
republic, consisting of 1000 men, is stationed
at Managua, occupying an ancient monastery
as barracks, and the streets are always gay
with respondent uniforms Of these sons OF
Mars
A marked popularity of Central American
armies is that there is an officer to about
every three prvates, for the proud young
scions of Castilian aristocracy prefer military
service to professional or commercial careers,
ard positions have to be created for them
The private soldiers are exclusively Indians
or half-breed poems, who wear uniform OF
dirty white cotton with blue cap. They ar
supposed to voluntarily enlist in this So
called republic but the fact is that whenever
trooIs are needed they are secured by send
ing squads of "impressarios" into the coun
try, who seize as many poems as they want
bring them bound with ropes to the capltal
and then compel them to sign the enlistment
rolls. The National Palace is a low, square
edifice which was formerly convent, will
the usual barred windows and little balconies
There is nothing imposing about Inc eX
terror, and it's only handsome rooms are tn
Presidents headquarters and the chamber
in which the two houses of Congress NEE
annually. They fitted up with fine i'm
ported furniture, and the walls are covere
with portraits of distinguished Central Amer
leans. The President, who should now per
haps be called Governor, since Nicaragua
only state in the new confederation, receive
a salary of ST. 500 per annum, and is elected TO
four years, during which time, if not cut shor
in his career by some more powerful r1va
ae makes hay in the sunshine OF opportuni,
and usually amasses an immense fortune
common argument down here in favor {
re-electing Presidents is that they are alb
to steal all they want during the first tern
and afterward may attend to the affairs OF tn
nation; while new incumbent would, IN n
turn, be engrossed in the pursuit OF wealth
Political Organization.
There are two Vice Presidents, who are ger
orally the Speaker of the Senate and tt
Speaker of the lower house, and either me
perform the duties of the executive In case
emergency. There is Cabinet Of four mil
isters-of Finance; of Foreign Affairs, Al
riculture and Commerce; of Military Anai
and Public Works. and Of Justice, Public II
struction, and Ecclesiastical Affairs. The
are fourteen Senators, two from. each pro
ince. elected for four years; and twent
four deputies or Congressman, one
each 10 900 Inhabitants, elected for two year
Members of both houses receive the san
salary-s1.5O per diem, during sessions onl