the hispanic nations of the new world-第19节

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ver　this　debatable　ground　were　sure　to　rise。　For　the　privilege　of　developing　portions　of　this　region；　individuals　and　companies　had　obtained　concessions　from　the　various　governments　concerned；　elsewhere；　industrial　free　lances　dug　away　without　reference　to　such　formalities。

It　is　quite　likely　that　Chile；　whose　motto　was　〃By　Right　or　by　Might；〃　was　prepared　to　sustain　the　claims　of　its　citizens　by　either　alternative。　At　all　events；　scenting　a　prospective　conflict；　Chile　had　devoted　much　attention　to　the　development　of　its　naval　and　military　establishmenta　state　of　affairs　which　did　not　escape　the　observation　of　its　suspicious　neighbors。

The　policy　of　Peru　was　determined　partly　by　personal　motives　and　partly　by　reasons　of　state。　In　1873　the　President；　lacking　sufficient　financial　and　political　support　to　keep　himself　in　office；　resolved　upon　the　risky　expedient　of　arousing　popular　passion　against　Chile；　in　the　hope　that　he　might　thereby　replenish　the　national　treasury。　Accordingly　he　proceeded　to　pick　a　quarrel　by　ordering　the　deposits　in　Tarapaca　to　be　expropriated　with　scant　respect　for　the　concessions　made　to　the　Chilean　miners。　Realizing；　however；　the　possible　consequences　of　such　an　action；　he　entered　into　an　alliance　with　Bolivia。　This　country　thereupon　proceeded　to　levy　an　increased　duty　on　the　exportation　of　nitrates　from　the　Atacama　region。　Chile；　already　aware　of　the　hostile　combination　which　had　been　formed；　protested　so　vigorously　that　a　year　later　Bolivia　agreed　to　withdraw　the　new　regulations　and　to　submit　the　dispute　to　arbitration。

Such　were　the　relations　of　these　three　states　in　1878；　when　Bolivia；　taking　advantage　of　differences　of　opinion　between　Chile　and　Argentina　regarding　the　Patagonian　region；　reimposed　its　export　duty；　canceled　the　Chilean　concessions；　and　confiscated　the　nitrate　deposits。　Chile　then　declared　war　in　February；　1879；　and　within　two　months　occupied　the　entire　coast　of　Bolivia　up　to　the　frontiers　of　Peru。　On　his　part　the　President　of　Bolivia　was　too　much　engrossed　in　the　festivities　connected　with　a　masquerade　to　bother　about　notifying　the　people　that　their　land　had　been　invaded　until　several　days　after　the　event　had　occurred！

Misfortunes　far　worse　than　anything　which　had　fallen　to　the　lot　of　its　ally　now　awaited　Peru；　which　first　attempted　an　officious　mediation　and　then　declared　war　on　the　4th　of　April。　Since　Peru　and　Bolivia　together　had　a　population　double　that　of　Chile；　and　since　Peru　possessed　a　much　larger　army　and　navy　than　Chile；　the　allies　counted　confidently　on　victory。　But　Peru's　army　of　eight　thousandhaving　within　four　hundred　as　many　officers　as　men；　directed　by　no　fewer　than　twenty…six　generals；　and　presided　over　by　a　civil　government　altogether　ineptwas　no　match　for　an　army　less　than　a　third　of　its　size　to　be　sure；　but　well　drilled　and　commanded；　and　with　a　stable；　progressive；　and　efficient　government　at　its　back。　The　Peruvian　forces；　lacking　any　substantial　support　from　Bolivia；　crumpled　under　the　terrific　attacks　of　their　adversaries。　Efforts　on　the　part　of　the　United　States　to　mediate　in　the　struggle　were　blocked　by　the　dogged　refusal　of　Chile　to　abate　its　demands　for　annexation。　Early　in　1881　its　army　entered　Lima　in　triumph；　and　the　war　was　over。

For　a　while　the　victors　treated　the　Peruvians　and　their　capital　city　shamefully。　The　Chilean　soldiers　stripped　the　national　library　of　its　contents；　tore　up　the　lamp…posts　in　the　streets；　carried　away　the　benches　in　the　parks；　and　even　shipped　off　the　local　menagerie　to　Santiago！　What　they　did　not　remove　or　destroy　was　disposed　of　by　the　rabble　of　Lima　itself。　But　in　two　years　so　utterly　chaotic　did　the　conditions　in　the　hapless　country　become　that　Chile　at　length　had　to　set　up　a　government　in　order　to　conclude　a　peace。　It　was　not　until　October　20；　1883；　that　the　treaty　was　signed　at　Lima　and　ratified　later　at　Ancon。　Peru　was　forced　to　cede　Tarapaca　outright　and　to　agree　that　Tacna　and　Arica　should　be　held　by　Chile　for　ten　years。　At　the　expiration　of　this　period　the　inhabitants　of　the　two　provinces　were　to　be　allowed　to　choose　by　vote　the　country　to　which　they　would　prefer　to　belong；　and　the　nation　that　won　the　election　was　to　pay　the　loser　10；000；000　pesos。　In　April；　1884；　Bolivia；　also；　entered　into　an　arrangement　with　Chile；　according　to　which　a　portion　of　its　seacoast　should　be　ceded　absolutely　and　the　remainder　should　be　occupied　by　Chile　until　a　more　definite　understanding　on　the　matter　could　be　reached。

Chile　emerged　from　the　war　not　only　triumphant　over　its　northern　rivals　but　dominant　on　the　west　coast　of　South　America。　Important　developments　in　Chilean　national　policy　followed。　To　maintain　its　vantage　and　to　guard　against　reprisals；　the　victorious　state　had　to　keep　in　military　readiness　on　land　and　sea。　It　therefore　looked　to　Prussia　for　a　pattern　for　its　army　and　to　Great　Britain　for　a　model　for　its　navy。

Peru　had　suffered　cruelly　from　the　war。　Its　territorial　losses　deprived　it　of　an　opportunity　to　satisfy　its　foreign　creditors　through　a　grant　of　concessions。　The　public　treasury；　too；　was　empty；　and　many　a　private　fortune　had　melted　away。　Not　until　a　military　hand　stronger　than　its　competitors　managed　to　secure　a　firm　grip　on　affairs　did　Peru　begin　once　more　its　toilsome　journey　toward　material　betterment。

Bolivia；　on　its　part；　had　emerged　from　the　struggle　practically　a　landlocked　country。　Though　bereft　of　access　to　the　sea　except　by　permission　of　its　neighbors；　it　had；　however；　not　endured　anything　like　the　calamities　of　its　ally。　In　1880　it　had　adopted　a　permanent　constitution　and　it　now　entered　upon　a　course　of　slow　and　relatively　peaceful　progress。

In　the　republics　to　the　northward　struggles　between　clericals　and　radicals　caused　sharp；　abrupt　alternations　in　government。　In　Ecuador　the　hostility　between　clericals　and　radicals　was　all　the　more　bitter　because　of　the　rivalry　of　the　two　chief　towns；　Guayaquil　the　seaport　and　Quito　the　capital；　each　of　which　sheltered　a　faction。　No　sooner　therefore　had　Garcia　Moreno　fallen　than　the　radicals　of　Guayaquil　rose　up　against　the　clericals　at　Quito。　Once　in　power；　they　hunted　their　enemies　down　until　order　under　a　dictator　could　be　restored。　The　military　President　who　assumed　power　in　1876　was　too　radical　to　suit　the　clericals　and　too　clerical　to　suit　the　radicals。　Accordingly　his　opponents　decided　to　make　the　contest　three…cornered　by　fighting　the　dictator　and　one　another。　When　the　President　had　been　forced　out；　a　conservative　took　charge　until　parties　of　bushwhackers　and　mutinous　soldiers　were　able　to　install　a　military　leader；　whose　retention　of　power　was　brief。　In　1888　another　conservative；　who　had　been　absent　from　the　country　when　elected　and　who　was　an　adept　in　law　and　diplomacy；　managed　to　win　sufficient　support　from　all　three　factions　to　retain　office　for　the　constitutional　period。

In　Colombia　a　financial　crisis　had　been　approaching　ever　since　the　price　of　coffee；　cocoa；　and　other　Colombian　products　had　fallen　in　the　European　markets。　This　decrease　had　caused　a　serious　diminution　in　the　export　trade　and　had　forced　gold　and　silver　practically　out　of　circulation。　At　the　same　time　the　various　〃states〃　were　increasing　their　powers　at　the　expense　of　the　federal　Government；　and　the　country　was　rent　by　factions。　In　order　to　give　the　republic　a　thoroughly　centralized　administration　which　would　restore　financial　confidence　and　bring　back　the　influence　of　the　Church　as　a　social　and　political　factor；　a　genuine　revolution；　which　was　started　in　1876；　eventually　put　an　end　to　both　radicalism　and　states'　rights。　At　the　outset　Rafael　Nunez；　the　unitary　and　clerical　candidate　and　a　lawyer　by　profession；　was　beaten　on　the　field；　but　at　a　subsequent　election　he　obtained　the　requisite　number　of　votes　and；　in　1880；　assumed　the　presidency。　That　the　loser　in　war　should　become　the　victor　in　peace　showed　the　futility　of　bloodshed　in　such　revolutions。

Not　until　Nunez　came　into　office　again　did　he　feel　himself　strong　enough　to　uproot　altogether　the　radicalism　and　disunion　which　had　flourished　since　1860。　Ignoring　the　national　Legislature；　he　called　a　Congress　of　his　own；　which　in　1886　framed　a　constitution　that　converted　the　〃sovereign　states〃　into　〃departments；〃　or　mere　administrative　districts；　to　be　ruled　as　the　national　Government　saw　fit。　Further；　the　presidential　term　was　lengthened　from　two　years　to　six；　and　the　name　of　the　country　was　changed；　finally；　to　〃Republic　of　Colombia。〃　Two　years　later　the　power　of　the　Church　was　strengthened　by　a　concordat　with　the　Pope。

Venezuela　on　its　part　had　undergone　changes　no　less　marked。　A　liberal　constitution　promulgated　in　1864　had　provided　for　the　reorganization　of　the　country　on　a　federal　basis。　The　name　chosen　for　the　republic　was　〃United　States　of　Venezuela。〃　More　than　that；　it　had　anticipated　Mexico　and　Guatemala　in　being　the　first　of　the　Hispanic　nations　to　witness　the　establishment　of　a　presidential　autocracy　of　the　continuous　and　enlightened　type。

Antonio　Guzman　Blanco　was　the　man　who　imposed　upon　Venezuela　for　about　nineteen　years　a　regime　of　obedience　to　law；　and；　to　some　extent；　of　modern　ideas　of　administration　such　as　the　country　had　never　known　before。　A　person　of　much　versatility；　he　had　studied　medicine　a