Catoctin clarion., 1900-01-04
1AURM0AT, Frederick County, Maryland Thursday January l. 1900
THE WELSH IN PATAGONIA.
EFFORTS Have Been Made to SuppFess
the Little Colony Of British
Subjects.

The agents in this country Of the
Welsh colony In Patagonia are by no
means inclined to rest satisfied with
the official rebuff which they have re-
ceived through the refusal of the gov.
ernment to intervene in their behalf.
They recognize that their demand, how
ever logically sound and historically
we'll founded, was somewhat inoppor-
tunely put forward, and was, from de-
partmental point of view, rather unrea-
sonable. The senior delegate is frank
on this point. "The reply of the for
eign Office" he says, twas not SO favor
able as what was wished, but then we
wished more than could be expected,
seeing that no great efforts had been
made in furtherance of the object in
view." It hos, therefore, been deter
mined to carry the movement into the
provinces and endeavor to educate and
stimulate public opinion by the organi-
cation of meetings at which the case for
the colonies may be explained. Lam
cashire has been the first district select
ed for this pnrpose. The expedition by
means Of which the colony was origin
ally founded was largely financed from
Liverpool, and it is probable that a good
deal Of sympathy could easily be
aroused in that locality. The delegates
are perhaps not unmindful OF the old
adage: "What Lancashire thinks to-
day England will think tomorrow"
Meanwhile matters are not improv-
ing in Patagonia. Though public meet
ings continue to be held in favor Of the
administrative independence of the
colony, n is evident that the speakers
are embarrassed by the dread Of perse-
cution on the part of the Argentine gov
ernment. A keen sense of disappoint-
nent is felt at the fact that no notice
was taken in parliament of the high
handed arrest and unconstitutional de-
tention in Jail of Messrs. Evans and
other British born settlers in January
last, and 1t is feared that the absence of
any protest on the part of this coun-
try will serve TO increase the active hos
tility Of the authorities at Duenos
Ayres. A more serious and practical
cause of complaint is to be found in the
policy of isolation by means OF postal
blockade which has been carried into
effect by Argentine. "The communica-
tion," it is said, between Buenos Ayres
and Chupat seems to be open now, but
for some months past the steamers car
ried no mails to the colony, and in oil
probability the heavy mails which have
been enaccumulatingin in Buenos Ayres have
been designedly kept back, or destroyed
by government order" Additional fric-
ton is also to be apprehended on re-
ligious grounds.
1t will be remembered that one OF the
gravest complaints made by the
colonists was that their young men
drafted into the national guard were
compelled to drill on Sundays. 1t WAS
deeply resented, too, that Sunday was
chosen Tor the arrest of the colonial re-
form leaders, which actually took place
during the holding of religious serv-
ice, and it was believed, rightly or
wrongly, that these things were ex-
pressly intended to outrage their feel
ings. They are threatened now with
an attempt at direct propagandism. A
number Of Roman Catholic priests have
recently been sent into the colony con-
siderably in excess of the spiritual
needs of their coreligionists. The
Roman Catholics in Chupat-that is to
say, the few shopkeepers and officials of
the Latin race and the half-caste labor
ers-constitute only very small minor
ity OF the population, and their num-
bers are practically stationary. 1t has
been the avowed determination of Maj.
O'Donnell, the governor, to denational-
ize the little community at Chupat by
striking at its system Of education.
With this view he has endeavorcd by
financial starvation and other methods
to stamp out the Welsh schools and to
replace them by others on Latin
model. To do this would be to badly
wound the susceptibilities of the little
colony Of exiled Welshmen, and it can
easily be understood that feeling of
very genuine alarm has been excited
by the priestly invasion from Buenos
Ayres.
The Chupat delegates have an ex.
tremely interesting case to lay before
their fellow countrymen at home. The
remote and romantically circumstanccd
colony Of shepherds and farmers in
Patagonia feel that they have claim.
in blood, II not in law, on the support OF
the country from which they sprang.
and from which they have never Sc
ceded even by the process of naturaliza-
ton. They ask that there should be ex-
tended to them something of the active
friendliness which Great Britain has SO
freely and properly exhibited toward
the Outlanders and the Armenians.
They are universed in the conventions
Of international politics, but their COM
mon sense goes straight to the point.
They make their countrymen acquaint-
ed with their grievances, and they re-
fuse to believe that the resources OF
diplomacy are unable to provide q
remedy.-London Post.