98 



CHILL 



All persons shall be equal before the law. and all 

 distinctions and privileges shall be abolished that 

 now exist to the detriment of some and the advantage 

 of others. 



The club pledges itself to devote all its energies 

 toward accomplishing these ends in the elections to 

 take place in 1870. 



These movements induced the Government 

 to recede somewhat from its conservative 

 policy by removing several prefects and gov- 

 ernors of provinces, and naming in their places 

 some of the foremost of the Progressive party. 

 The three parties the Conservative, National, 

 and Liberal have, however, so combined, and 

 changed their idea* and principles, that it is 

 extremely difficult to define their particular 

 positions. The object of the present political 

 struggle is to reduce the immense personal 

 patronage in the hands of the President, and 

 to establish a more democratic system. Chili, 

 with a population of nearly two millions, has 

 never polled more than 30,000 votes, whereas 

 the adoption of the principles of the Progressive 

 party would swell the number of persons enti- 

 tled to suffrage to at least 200,000. 



The Government of Chili declared itself 

 ready to put an end to the paper war with 

 Spain. Smarting with the shame of the Val- 

 paraiso bombardment, and jealous of the glories 

 acquired by Peru in the repulse of the Spanish 

 fleet, Chili refused all advances made by friend- 

 ly nations to arrange a final peace, until, urged 

 by Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, the Govern- 

 ment consented to the plan proposed by the 

 United States, that plenipotentiaries from all 

 the belligerent powers should meet* at Wash- 

 ington, and there settle all their differences, 

 the President of the United States assuming 

 the position of mediator in case any difficulty 

 should arise. 



The operations against the Indians of Arau- 

 cania again engaged the serious attention of 

 the Government. The Chilians found the 

 savages fully determined to prevent the occu- 

 pation of their territory by the white settlers, 

 and to leave no means unemployed to attain 

 this end. These savages never offer or give 

 battle unless their numbers are superior to 

 those of their enemy. In the beginning of 1869 

 the Government troops acted almost entirely 

 on the defensive, their numbers being small, 

 and the line of frontier to be defended very 

 extensive. Thus the Indians were emboldened 

 to make several desperate and successful in- 

 roads on their enemy's country. Unfortunate- 

 ly, the cruelties practised by the Indians seem 

 to have been imitated by their opponents. In 

 one attack, the savages met with complete suc- 

 cess. Nearly two thousand of them passed the 

 river Mallico, precipitated themselves upon the 

 undefended villages, and robbed, murdered, and 

 burned all persons and property that they en- 

 countered. In fact, their principal warfare 

 seemed to be the increase of their live-stock 

 by means of forced contributions from the 

 herds of their enemies. Soon, however, the 

 national forces adopted the same tactics. A 



column of about eight hundred men penetrated 

 into the Araucanian country, and succeeded 

 in capturing an enormous number of cattle and 

 sheep. The general commanding communi- 

 cated this feat in a most glowing report to the 

 Minister of War. Far from being discouraged, 

 the savages showed themselves more deter- 

 mined to carry devastation into the regions 

 held by the settlers. The operations of the 

 Government forces having been temporarily 

 suspended, owing to the almost insuperable 

 difficulties of transportation in that region 

 during winter, the Indians reappeared in force 

 along the frontier. 



In the latter part of the year 1869 the efforts 

 to bring about a better understanding between 

 the Chilians and the Araucanians appear to 

 have met with success. Some Araucanian 

 caziques were induced to visit the capital for 

 this purpose. During their stay in Santiago 

 they were the recipients of every mark of atten- 

 tion from the Government and private persons, 

 being decorated with medals, and dressed in 

 military uniform, they comported themselves 

 very much as the red-men of the United States 

 do when they visit the Great Father at Wash- 

 ington, and imbibed astonishing quantities of 

 spirituous liquor on all available occasions. They 

 returned to their own country with the avowed 

 intention of leading peaceable and industrious 

 lives, and, in proof of their sincerity, left their 

 eldest male children in Santiago to be educated 

 at the national expense. 



In the parting address to the President of 

 the republic, all sorts of fine promises were 

 made by the chiefs; but the President, well 

 acquainted with their character, assured them, 

 very emphatically, that the least deviation 

 from the path of duty would be followed by 

 their complete extermination a threat which, 

 after having seen the strength of the Govern- 

 ment, evidently impressed them. One was 

 presented a huge oaken bludgeon, ornamented 

 with silver and tassels, and was informed that 

 the Government regarded him as the chief of 

 the tribes, and that with his insignia of office 

 he was expected to preserve order among his 

 hitherto unruly brethren. This he promised 

 faithfully to do. A sum of $250,000 has been 

 voted by Congress to establish permanent mili- 

 tary posts among these savages. 



Chili is progressing favorably in industrial 

 pursuits. Many efforts were made to render 

 the great Agricultural Exhibition a fine suc- 

 cess, and liberal premiums were offered to 

 foreign manufacturers for the best classes of 

 agricultural implements. The Exhibition was 

 formally opened at Santiago on the 5th of May, 

 in the presence of the President and Cabinet, 

 the diplomatic and consular corps, and the 

 most distinguished inhabitants of the capital. 

 The different South American republics were 

 well represented. Chili was foremost with 

 her wheat and copper-ores ; Peru sent a superb 

 collection of sugar samples, together with the 

 famed alpaca-wool, quinine, and silver- ore ; 



