Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-04


revolutions as the republic OF Nicaragua
Since Central America threw of the yoke
OF Spanish domination in 1881 prolonged
periods of peace have been unknown.
After becoming free from Spain. Mica
ragua became a part of the Federation
Of Central America, federation whose
constitution was modelled after that of
the United States. and I'm which Mic
aragua was one of the states. The fol-
lowing year the whole OF Central Amer
lea became a part of lturbide's empire
Of Mexico The existence of this empire
was short lived. and upon the fall OF
Iturbide Nicaragua again became q part
Of the Federation Of Central America.
Later jealousies arose between the states
OF the federation and, as a result, IL was
dissolved. Nicara qua thereupon. in 1883
declared itself an independent nation.
But Nicaraguas troubles with outside
nations did not en1 with it's independence
from Spain. nor with It's advent into the
family of nations. The British govern
ment had long made pretensions to con-
troll the eastern part OF the present re-
public, known as the Mosquito coast IL
was along this coast that SUCH oucca-
neers as Morgan had their headquarters
The British government repudiated tneir
acts. but later took advantage of their
domination Of the eastern coast IN Zen.
trail America, and established sort or
nrotectorate over the Mosquito coast.
exist today. were established. The Mos
quito Indians, who had been educated In
England, was brought back ana cere
moniously crowned king OF the MOSQUE
toes, with an old cooked hat for a crown.
During the years which followed Mica
ragua never relinauished its claims to
that portion Of
Never Gave Up Claim the MOSQUITO
coast lying
to Mosquito Coast. within its
boundaries. In 1s47 England again took
a hand, hoisted the Mosquito flag. and
served notice upon Nicaragua that the
independence of the Mosquitoes would
be maintained. In order to make this
notice effective the English provoked an
attack by the Nicaraguans. squad OF
marines was landed. apparently to guard
British interests, and then the ship sailed
away. The Nicaraguans fell into the
trap, attacked the British, brought on a
little war; were defeated and finally
forced to relinquish all claim upon the
Mosquito coast. The pretensions OF the
British continued for q number or years
and finally ended about 1850.
1t was more than thirty years later
that the boundaries Of Nicaragua, as they
exist today, were established. The MOS
quito coast, in 1894, formally acknowi-
edged itself a part of the Nicaraguan re-
public. The subJugation OF the inoians
and negroes who made up the population
Of this country was the work OF the I'D
eral government under Zelaya, and Is re-
garded as the one brilliant piece OF state
craft executed under his rule 1t Is TINS
same territory in which the late Estrada
nod frHno
is now proposed by some to be set apart
as q separate republic
The many revolutions which have fol-
lowed each other In Nicaragua In rapid
succession nearly always have been en-
gendered by the rivalry between the lib
eral city Of Leoa and the conservative
city OF Granada. When Nicaragua be-
came a republic in 1888 the control or
the conservative party-that Is to say. OF
Granada-fell into the hands OF half
dozen families. They established dy-
nasty which has continued to the present
day. On the other hand, each leader in
Leon stood by himself, and when he arose
to power ii was only through Individual
prowess and not by reason OF Influential
family connections. One OF the first lead
ers OF the liberal Leonese was Trinidad
Cabanas, a native OF Honduras. His
power was ended by his complete defeat
by Don Fruto Chamorro. Chamorro then
made himself supreme dictator.
u
*
Later a president named Zavala came
into power and decided that he would es-
tablish perma-
Agree on Nicaragua nent peace in
as the Capital. smoothing out
the animosities Of Leon and Granada. He
induced the two cities to agree upon a
third city. lying almost midway between
them. as the capital Of the country. But
the selection of Managua as the capital
afforded only temporary rest from rev.
Olution.
When ZeIaya came into power his sue
cess in maintaining himself was achieved
by the delicate hand with which he bal
anced the contentious of the rival cities.
PLAYING upon their inherited hatred In a
masterful way. If he found himself
growing so unpopular in Leon as to pro-
duce an incipient revolution there. he In
yited Granada to suppress 1t. and when
Granada rebelled. as 1t did occasionally.
the Leonese were only too ready to feed
the ancient grudge they bore the Grana-
dinos In this way there was a state OF
revolution nearly all the time. but Zelaya
was able to divert 1t from an attack upon
his own power into an attack upon a
rival city.
The sixteen years OF Zelayaism was
extremely nara on tnS WcdtHicT pc'Pc
az the republic At one time he banished
5000 and confiscated their property. 1t is
said that during those sixteen years OF
his rule more than $1,000 citizens OF the
republic were forced into exile and found
refuge in other countries. The majority
of these went to Costa Rica.
One of the most remarkable eras in the
history of the Nicaraguan revolutions was
the war of the
War If FilihustArs flibusters. Dur
Remarkable Era. ,her. we're many
Americans who believed in the doctrine OF
manifest destiny that Is. that the
United States should take possession OF
all that territory lying between Its south
ern boundary and the 1sthmus of Panama
One of those who believed in this doc
trtne was William Walker, born in 1924.