466 



GUATEMALA. 



to make, I can only express my conviction that, while 

 this Government has an undoubted interest in the as- 

 similation of the aims of the Central American states, 

 so that they may act voluntarily and harmoniously to- 

 gether under republican forms toward the realization 

 of national and continental ends, it must inflexibly 

 refuse its countenance to any measures subversive of 

 the free autonomy of any of the several states. The 

 interest and duty of the United States in the affairs of 

 the Central American states, and which, so far as ex- 

 isting treaty obligations are concerned, I have already 

 recited, must be manifested in accordance with the his- 

 torical and consistent policy of this nation toward the 

 states of the American system. Believing that the 

 moral influence and good offices of the United States 

 can be made a potential agency in the preservation 

 of peace within the line of this policy, I am unable to 

 suggest any action of the Senate. 



On the following day Secretary Whitney 

 sent the ensuing dispatch to Commander Ma- 

 hon, of the " Wachusett," at Panama: 



President Barrios, of Guatemala, has proclaimed a 

 union of the states of Central America, and announced 

 himself as the commander-in-chief of the combined 

 military forces of those states. The Governments of 

 Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and San Salvador have deter- 

 mined to resist this forcible attempt of President Bar- 

 rios to become dictator of Central America, and, as 

 hostilities are likely to take place which will endan- 

 ger the lives and property of the citizens of the United 

 States, you will proceed with the vessel under your 

 command to La Union and La Libertad, San Salvador, 

 and such other points on the coast of Central America 

 as you may deem advisable, in order to protect Ameri- 

 can interests. 



Place yourself in communication with our minister 

 to the Central American states and our consuls at the 

 several^ ports, and obtain all the information possible 

 in relation to the existing condition of affairs. 



It is stated that attempts have been or will be made 

 by emissaries of the Government of Guatemala to in- 

 terfere with the submarine cables of the Central and 

 South American Telegraph Company. Protest against 

 any attempt to cut the cables or interfere with their 

 use, and in general use all proper measures to prevent 

 injury to the property of American citizens. Take 

 all possible precautions to protect the health of your 

 officers and men, particularly from yellow fever and 

 other diseases which would render it necessary for 

 you to leave that coast, where your presence is now 

 very necessary. 



The Mexican Minister of State and Foreign 

 Affairs, as early as March 10, sent a note 

 through the Mexican minister at Guatemala, 

 couched in moderate and polite yet decidedly 

 threatening terms, saying that, however Mexi- 

 co might regret doing so, in order to defend its 

 frontier and prepare for all emergencies, it 

 would have to take such military steps as its 

 interests might call for. On March 18 Gen. 

 Alatorre was ordered to join his force of 8.000 

 men, with 7,000 troops in the State of Micho- 

 acan, and proceed to the State of Chiapas, bor- 

 dering on Guatemala. Meanwhile Gen. Barrios 

 marched to the frontier of Salvador with 16,- 

 000 troops and 38 field-pieces and intrenched 

 himself. On March 30 an advance was ordered 

 under the command of Gen. Francisco Menen- 

 dez, who attacked the forces of Salvador under 

 Gen. Monterrosa, 10,000 men, at "El Coco," 

 and after a short resistance the latter fell hack 

 upon Chalchualpa. The same night the Gua- 

 temalans made an unsuccessful attack on the 



position of San Lorenzo, and repeated their 

 onslaught the next day, Avith no better result. 

 On April 2 Gen. Barrios resolved to renew the 

 attack personally at 9 o'clock A. M., but at 10 

 no advance movement had been made, as the 

 troops were under the command of an unpopu- 

 lar colonel, and refused to obey him. Barrios 

 was in his tent with two of his officers when 

 this information was brought him. On the re- 

 fusal of both these officers to assume command, 

 he left the tent, and while he was proceeding 

 to the front of the column he was shot dead 

 by a sharp-shooter from a tree. Meanwhile 

 the battle had begun, and in a short time both 

 sides withdrew from the field, but not until a 

 successful effort had been made by the Guate- 

 malans, with a loss of twenty lives, to recover 

 Barrios's body. Gen. Venancio Barrios, son 

 of the President, was also killed on the same 

 field, together with 1,600 of his companions. 



When the news of the President's death ar- 

 rived in Guatemala, Congress immediately can- 

 celed the decree of Feb. 28, and Zaldivar was 

 requested by telegraph to consent to an armis- 

 tice, which he declined. Meanwhile the Costa- 

 Kican contingent, 500 men strong, reached Co- 

 rinto from Puntarenas by water on April 4, 

 and Honduras was invaded by the Nicaraguan 

 contingent, under the command of Dr. Car- 

 denas, President of Nicaragua. 



On April 14 the bases of peace were finally 

 arranged between Guatemala and Salvador, a 

 general amnesty was proclaimed, and a detini 

 tive treaty was to be drawn up at Acajutla. 



At Guatemala the Vice- President, Gen. Ba- 

 rillas, assumed the duties of his predecessor, 

 Barrios, and although martial law was decreed 

 as a matter of form, nothing occurred thence- 

 forward to disturb the peace of the republic. 

 President Barillas received on April 21 a tele- 

 gram from President Zaldivar, in which he 

 proposed the very thing on account of which 

 he had risen in arms against Barrios, the for- 

 mation of a Central American Union, propos- 

 ing that representatives of the five states should 

 meet at Santa Tecla, Salvador, on May 15, each 

 republic to send five delegates ! The answer 

 from Guatemala was that, as the presidency 

 was held provisionally, and the next presiden- 

 tial election would have to be prepared for, 

 Gen. Barillas did not deem the moment oppor- 

 tune for a movement of the kind, and that he 

 would look upon it as premature ; that in fact 

 nothing could he done till March 1, 1886, when 

 the new President would have been elected, 

 and the Legislative Assembly meet. As at the 

 same time it was not at all likely that Nicara- 

 gua and Costa Rica had suddenly changed thei 

 views on the subject, and Zaldivar was well 

 aware that, after thwarting Barrios's scheme, 

 he was supremely unpopular in Honduras, J 

 bethought himself that probably his career i 

 a public man in Central America was ende< 

 and that the best he could do would be to leavt 

 the country, rich as he was, with his wealtl 

 safely invested abroad. This plan he carrie( 



