New-York tribune., 1907-12-29
BARRIOS BECAME LEADER

The death of Carrera, in 1855. might have afford
ed opportunity for reunion of all the states.
hut il passed unimproved. and nothing more was
done in that direction une the rise of another still
more remarkable GuatemaIan dictator. This WAS
Justine Rufno Barrios, man Of really great abil-
irv as a constructive statesman and administrator,
who became President of Guatemala in 1913 and
held the place. chiefly as dictator. for dozen
years. AS early as 1876 he took up the project of
Central American union, and on January 15 Of that
year invited the meeting of diet OF the five states
at the city of Guatemala for the reorganization of
the old confederacy. The invitation was accepted
and the delegates met, but the meeting was fruit
less Barrios tried by turns argument, appeal and
threats. but all in vain. The representatives of
the other states in his proposals nothing but
the subversion Of the individual sovereignties Of
their states to the supremacy of Guatemala Thus
bafled. Barrios determined to achieve by intrigue
and force what he could not do by more open and
peaceful means
He secured the election of two of his friends as
Presidents of Honduras and Salvador. and thus
he thought, made those states his allies in his
plans conquest In 1880 he visited the United
States and sought the influence and good offices of
this government for the furtherance of Central
American union, but the United States prudently
declined to become in any a party to his
plans Again, in 1883, he called congress. 10 be
composed of five delegates from each of the five
states. TO meet Salvador in March, 1884. form
a federation. Costa Hica alone declined the in
vitation, but that declination fatal to the
scheme. Barrios declared it TO be a grievous dis
appointment 10 him. the causes of which he could
understand. Nobody, he said. ventured 10
speak against the principle of union; all were
agreed that il was consummation 10 be desired;
but clements of personal ambition and local pride
and prejudice hostile TO success. However he
did not despair. On September 13 1884, he enter
tained : guests of the Guatemaan State the Pres
idents of Honduras and Salvador and official
representative OF the President of Nicaragua and
believed that he had them all securely TO his
side.
Finally, February 2S, 1875, he issued a
declaring that, in accordance with resolution OF
the legislative assembly of Guatemala, the five
states united into one federal republic He
did not satisfactorily explain what right he the
GuatemaIan legislature had declare the other
thus disposed Of but it supposed
that he had secured in advance their assent TO the
scheme. Those who cherished that notion were,s
however soon undeceived. 1t is true that on March
Honduras sgnifled her acceptance of the decree,
but the day. March S, Nicaragua rejected il.
being then flushed with hope over her interoceanc
canal prospects. Salvador expected second
Honduras acceptance but failed to do so. and
that Barrios became enraged, declaring that Presi-
dent Zaldvar had promised TO accept the decree of
the union, a declaration which Zaldvar always
fatty denied. So Barrios found himself supported
by Guatemala and Honduras, with Nicaragua in
opposition Salvador refusing to join him. and
Costa Rica holding entirely alocf from the whole