The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-23
THE REVOLUTION IN COLOMBIA.
Causes az the Present ReyoN-The Two
Political Parties Now In Arms.

y" w.
Colon Jared very badly when 1t fell into
the hands OF the nsurrectionists in the
revolution Of 1886, At that time II was
almost completely reduced TO shes. II
was wholly built of wood and made a greet
bonfire. Tho town that rose from Its
ruins was larger and more substantially
built In some respects than the old one.
As long AZ Spain had possession OF the
Isthmus tho only line Of communication
between the two oceans was a poor mule
track leading from Panama to Puerto Belo
on the Atlantic side. Puerto Belo Is about
thirty miles east Of Colon, with a we'll
sheltered and commodious harbor; the en-
tire district around It, however, is very un-
healthful and this fact led 10 its abandon
ment. There Is nothing left Of the old port
but the ruins Of the Spanish Notifications.
half concealed under tropical vegetation.
and a hamlet occupied by a few negroes
Then the estuary Of the Chagres River
was chosen a. the Atlantic port and the
town OF Chagres arose a few miles to the
west Of the site of Colon, but Il was sur
rounded by marshes, was a hotbed Of ague
and gave a name to the scourge Of the
Isthmus, which IL still known as Chagres
fever. II was wholly with n view to locate
the Atlantic port In a more healthful spot
hat the little ~coraline island of Man
zanillo was selected and the town OF Colon
was built along n part OF its seafront. IL
was the best hat could be done, but the
situation was still very i~nsalubrious. No
health resort has yet been found along the
coasts Of the Isthmus, Travellers usually
think the best they can do Is to GROSS the
lsthmus and leave IL as soon as possible.
The present revolution has been in
progress about a month over two years.
II il "a conflict between the two political
parties OF the country which have existed
ever since the Spanish yoke wa thrown
OF. Venezuela, Ecuador and a number
OF other 1atin-American countries are
divided IN precisely similar party lines.
These two political organizations arc
the clerical or Conservative party. and
the democratic or Liberal party. The
Conservatives have been in power In CO.
lombia since 1886. when President Nuhez
overthrow the Liberal Constitution and
practically made himself a dictator.
The Conservatives make the Church,
a large factor in the Government. place
education entirely In the hands OF the
Roman Catholic clergy. with the result
| IUtt lHtIt NV IO puDhC bctIooiS u " Coih-
pulsory school attendance. and exclude
the larger part Of the people from tho right
OF suffrage. They maintain a centralized
Government, nearly all power proceed
ing from the central authority at Bogota,
the States having been stripped Of the
power they held under the earlier Constitu-
ton and practically reduced 10 the posi-
ton OF provinces. The liberals accuse
them Of having impoverished and terrorized
the country, depriving the people Of free
speech and the liberty OF the press and
treating all who oppose them as public
enemies.
The Liberals demand a democratic gov
eminent modelled after hat OF the United
States. with the widest extension Of suffrage,
public schools and the other feature rs Of our
system under which we have SO greatly
prospered. The two parties are about
equal in number. The Liberals started
thu war and hope 70 come into power on
the wave Of a successful revolution. II
they succeed Il remains to To seen whether
they can maintain the liberal form Of gov
eminent they propose to establish.
The war has been confined TO the Northern
and comparatively low-lying States. The
Liberals have not been able To raise and
equip a sufficiently strong force to carry
a campaign southwark among the high,
mountainous plateaus. where the Con-
servatives are In largest numbers and
whore a reverse 20 the Liberal cause would
probably be irrctrievahle. The Liberals
have, therefore. scattered in comparatively
small bands through the Northern States,
The fighting has been desultory. for tho
Government forces have also been broken
up into small parties In order TO meet the
insurr-ctionists al many points There
haz been considerable fighting on n small
scale. hut hecau-a the forres Of both fac
lions an scattered over the North the con-
ficts have invariably been small Affairs
Colon is the only seaport the insurgents
have yet captured Recently, however
they have threatened a number Of places
on the coast. have iuterferrd with railroad
communication between C~artagrna and
the Mardglena River and with the steam
boat -rr,ico on that river between Bafan-
ouilla. the most important comm-rcis.
town 81 the COUNTRY and the landing on
the upper uy"t tor Bog "a
The larger Iar 81 the news that has
,earl..I the outer world ha- come from
Government sourr.- aud ~ has l~-n m
po,-inlr a. suy 'mr 'I"ssy to -"e 'h" sitla-
tur on 'hr vhul" However the IN
.urarnt- -.a.n tu Itt, t's.u more tlau huii.
ing them uNu 4 -nsur '"ffaiu that What
ever turf ultnaf" pTu~lssFs may ~ they
have a- YET m' WITH nn =u"us rrN"r-
lave q larger fur." that r,"r ulslrf aftnr
ant afr rav WHf" vli"ly distributed m
-rHu .f e. larger 'Ai'ai ~ country
fn#u fa. In.auu state ~ ,ariatd'f "A" thr
I.ftuu. t.aU at auy uu.s r.r"' tnf, h-san
t. vaf u.H. ..I. ra. tHafr aFH