The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-05-13
Many of them are served


mammas and duennas would be to fill
volume. This National Theatre is full of
memories of Rufino Barrios, whose work
it was. He seldom attended perform
ance, but his wife, who was thought to
have been the most beautiful woman in
Central America, was always to be seen
in the Presidential box. Guatemala owes
most of her present prosperity to the
great Dictator. The ambition OF his life
was to reunite the five Republics in a
confederacy, such as existed few years
after independence from Spain, and SINH
lar to that which has lately allied three of
them under the name of 1.-THE Greater
Republic The benefits of such union
are apparent to all who understand the
political, geographical and commercial
conditions of the continent. But the con-
summation of Barrios' plan was delayed
by the selfish ambition of local traders
Each was willing to join the union if he
could be Dictator himself, but feared he
would lose prominence by advocating a
new measure, and distrusted Barrios, al
though he assured them that he did not
intend to retain supreme control. He
could carry out the plan, but proposed to
retire as soonas it was consummated, and
| permit the people to frame their own con-
stitution and elect an executive, prom
-, l. l.
| The truth was that he intended to retire
! from public life and reside in the United
| States, which he considered the paradise
of nations. He had already purchased a
handsome residence in New York city,
and invested good deal of money there,
| and had his children educated with that
end in view. He sent emissaries to the
various States to study public sentiment,
| and having assurance of cooperation
from the Presidents of San Salvador and
Honduras which countries, with Guate-
mala, represent five sixth of the popula-
ton of Central Amerca-he thought
there would be little trouble in wheeling
the minority into line, and that the time
had come for carrying out the program
Always dramatic in all his undertakings,
he determined upon a coup d etat. In
| the midst of an opera in this Teatro Ma
cional, he caused himself to be proclaim
ed ''Generalissimo del Republica de Cen
tro Americana, " and called upon all God
citizens to acknowledge his authority an d
take the oath of allegiance. None of the
earthquakes which have shaken this land
from centre to circumference ever caused
so much commotion. The actresses and
ballet dancers fed to their dressing
rooms, while the audience at once organ
lied an impromptu mass meeting. to rat
| ify the auddcity of their President. Says
| the historian Few eyes We're closed that
night in Guatemala. Those who attempt
ed to sleep were kept awake by the ex-
| plosion of fireworks, the firing of cannon,
the music Of bands, and the shouts Of the
! populace, who, crazy with excitement,
thronged the streets and forming process
| sions marched up and down the principal
thoroughfares, rending the air with shouts
of ''Niva la Union ~ 'sViva Dictator
Barrios.' people naturally enthusiasts
tic and as intlammable as powder, to whom
excitement was recreation and repose dis
tIess, when suddenly confronted with the
greatest sensation of their lives, became
almost insane and turned the town into
| bedlam. Next morning, as if 10y magic
the city was full of soldiers. Where they
came from, or how they got there so
quickly, nobody knew. And when the
door of great warehouses opened to dis
, close large supplies of arms and amuni-
ton, the public eye was distended with
| amazement. All these preparations were
made SO silently and secretly that the sur
prise was complete. For three or four
years Barrios had been preparing for this
day, and bis plans were laid with a sue
cess that challenged even his own admira-
ton. He ordered all the soldiers in the
republi cto be in Guatemala city on the first
of March; the commands We're given Sec
reilly, and the captain of one company
was not aware that another was expected,
1t was not done by the wand of a magi-
clan, as the superstitious people to this
day believe, but was the result of a care
fully studied plan, by one who was born
a Dictator and knew how to perform the
the part
| but the sensation was even greater in
the other republics over which Barrios
had assumed unlimited control. The same
night that the official announcement was
made in Guatemala's capital, kilograms
were sent to the other Presi dents, calling
upon them to acknowledge the tempo
rary supremacy of Dictator Barrios, and
| to sign articles of confederation which
should form the constitution of the Cen
trail American union. We know how
only one of them-the President of Hon
duras-accepted the Dictatorship, accord
ing to previous agreement, while the rest
deliberately went back on their word.
or asked time to consider. President
Diaz of Mexico-which country has