Year: 1875

Colombian federation give rise to much anxiety and
little alarm. AS federal Republic and following in its
institutions less closely those Of the United
States slight sketch Of the that have led to
the present state of uncertainty in political matters
might not be wanting in interest many of the
Gus readers Of the HERALD.


Colombia may be considered In many respects in ad
vance Of the other Spanish American republics for It's
general literature its tolerance In matters Of religion
and the number Of its advanced thinkers AS New
Granada, 1t passed law of manumission in 1921 and
abolished slavery entirely in 1852. After trying
various forms OF centralized and decentralized
government, 1t exists at present as the United
States Of Colombia Troubles have attended
all these experiments at tsefgovernmen Success seems
to have remained with the present form of feder
ation Liberty has been provided for in every imagin
able form and to the greatest extent Every born
In the Republic has right to vote, without distinction
of color The descendants of former slaves have
been amagamated without much difficulty, socially as
well politically, and have shown little aptitude to
take their share the government of the country Tho
Indians number about 20O, ,0Oo OF whom 1000 may
be considered not entirely savages Except finding them
in the army, they scarcely be said be regarded
with any political signncancy.


There many ilustrious names connected with the
history of New Granada and none than the cele
braed Don jose Ceesno Mats who pursued the studies
of mathematics and botany successfully as to elicit


from Lnn4us the expression In regard his virtues and
talents, Nomen imnortale q1od nullG Gtds unqua de-
leb With science sprung up liberal ideas in spite of
Spanish repression for indulgng in which many young
men were banished from the country but the impulse
then given has died out In tho mental desert
with which the Church and State of those days loved to
surround themselves there still sprung up men like
Zea, in botany; Cabal chemistry Caldas, a geog-
raph md n kofo 9TH
whose


MENTAL AND MORAL ELASTICITY


despotsm could repress 1t says great deal for the
morality of people that after fourteen years continual
struggle in the of independence well the fro
quent political commotions that followed that the
traveller may journey unarmed in all parts Of the
try, and that anything like bandism has never made
| its appearance.


Among people with SO many aptitudes for cviliza-
tion it becomes interesting study watch and trace
the progress they have made in the path of repub-
lcanism. Ever since independence was secured
and government organized the country may be said
to have divided itself into two dominant and antagonist
parties-conservatives and liberals Under the flag
OF the former have ranged most OF the men
of wealth and talent The latter have attracted the
and by force OF numbers have gained and kept
the day. OF the nine States into which the Republic
has been divided Antoqua may be said TO be the
stronghold of conservatism as well utramontanism
At first the Republic was divided into eighteen
Provinces which increased to thirty-6ve AT last after
many constitutional experiments and conventions a
federation OF nine States agreed on which were to
be sovereign in everything opposed to the constu
ton of the Republic There many wheels within
wheel that the regulating government at Bogota has
had trouble enough in keeping them from flying off at
tangent In fact whenever the period around for
the election Of President of the Union the battle
to be fought by gaining majority Of the States to
declare favor OF the government candidate OF the day.
The national executive commands the movements tho
Colombian army, Guard, 1t is called and in
crease the state of the Republic calls for its
augmentation In times Of peace certain force OF the
national army distributed among the several States
These divisions which may be more or less than bat
TALON Of the well disciplined national army, give to
the outgoing President an immense advantage in
ing the Of majority Of the States in favor Of tho
government candidate He has only send private
structons TO the commander Of the national force
State that the Of that State is secured for tho
| person the administration chooses TO honor. row
takes place. ultra liberal party starts revolution
| against the legitimate government OF State for
not being liberal enough, the Colombian Guard sides
! with the revoutonsts, the legitimate government is
upset. and coup detat secure the vote Of
the State the government candidate against
more rivals The constitutions OF both State and Union
governments are supposed guarantee all freedom in
elections; but such guarantees paper guarantees
to which the State and federal President pay the
respect that suits their personal views and plans





States of Colombia Sehor Santiago Perez lately Min
lister of Colombia to the Government Of Washington
who succeeded Dr. Murillo who succeeded Senor
Sagad &C. all liberals and all hosed into the presi-
dental chair by making timely use Of the Colombian
Guard in any recacitrant State that by virtue of its
sovereignty had dared to choose candidate of its
The Presidential period OF two years Of Senior Perez
was coming 10 an end and


SOMETHING MUST RE DONE,


and that quickly On the incoming President would
depend, Il not his reelection, that of friend,
and a fair share Of the oaves and fishes which every
adj was
proclaimed as their candidate by most of the coast
States-Panama included-and Senior PARA the
candidate of the States Of the Interior with the favor
of the government to back him. The States OF the
at felt an antagonsm TO the administration candi-
date and suspicion that President Perez would put the
constitution ana fair play aside to carry out his point
Good faith enters very little element in politics
anywhere and much less perhaps in Spanish America
II was the CUSTOM and all the predecessors Of Senor
Perez, well as himself had taken advantage of it,
The latter the better to conceal how far his preensions
differed from his real wishes, called the chief officers OF
the army together, and addressing them said
'Gentlemen II is necessary to show 10 the world the
entire freedom of elections in Colombia by your signing
a paper not TO interfere in any way in the
impending electionary struggle" They refused, and
moro plant successors were appointed in Their
places This put the coast States still more on the
o vve as TO the Of the national Executive,
every State that felt itself threatened put It's affairs
on the defensive. AS To Panama there was no doubt
that unless checked, II would register us voIe LOT
Nuhez along with Bolivar and Magdalena President
Perez appointed General Camargo Gommanuer,n cniel
and sent him down to take command What his in
| structions nobody knew HIS hrst visit was to
Panama. but before he could call together the national
force stationed here and whose loyalty to the general
! government had become suspected, President Miro
! had him arrested and placed in confinement SO
cup dttdt if such was his drrtere penste,
| was nipped In the bud. People said
! To ono another, ''When President Perez
| hears this what will he say, and what
will he doY" Before this happened he had issued de-
cree increasing the strength OF the army to 1900
Panama In fact had declared itself in open hostility TO
the federal government Bolivar, Magdalena and
Cauca sided with Panama and expressed their opinion
TO President Perez, that, although the question was
serious one II could not be made legitimate motive
for riskng in the Republic, and President Miro
was responsible only to the Supreme Court OF the
nation for what no had done any way, tho federal
Executive must try conciatory measures and could