148 



NARRATIVE OF A 



departure from the country. It is probable, however, that 

 while this is being written, the active measures of General 

 Morazan for putting down the insurrection have been suc- 

 cessful, and that the career of the rebel hero has been 

 brought to a close. 



The distracted state of Central America, at the period of 

 my visit there, was not owing merely to the revolt of Car- 

 rera, but to other causes — to the jealousies existing among 

 the different States, and the dissensions of the political par- 

 ties of the country, some of whom were for " centralizing " 

 the Government and abolishing the State legislatures, and 

 others for maintaining the existing constitution. The 

 credit and resources of the Republic were nearly ex- 

 hausted. The administration of justice was suspended ; 

 for as the old judicial system had been abolished without 

 the substitution of a new one, the courts were left without 

 any rule to guide them in their decisions.* In criminal 

 cases, sentence was pronounced by a military commission. 

 One or two of the States had separated from the Union ; 

 the Government had virtually ceased, or existed only in 

 the person of General Morazan ; confusion prevailed in 

 every department ; and a total dissolution of the political 

 fabric seemed to be inevitable.! The last act of the Con- 

 gress, before I left, was one for calling a general conven- 

 tion, or constituent assembly, to take into consideration the 

 condition of the country, and decide on the measures to be 

 adopted for saving it from ruin. 



The force composing what is called the Federal army, 



• Mr. Livingston's criminal code and the system of trial by jury, had 

 been adopted by the Legislature, but proving incompatible with the habits 

 and prejudices of the people, were suspended and finally abandoned. 



t The following extract from one of the public papers of Guatemala may 

 be regarded as a pretty correct description of the state of arFairs at that 

 psriod : " Entre nosotros la Republica esta disuelta de hecho y de derecho ; 

 el Senado no existe ; algun Estado esta separado de la Union ; las Ren. 

 tas estan aniquiladas, paralizadas las fuentes de la riqueza publica, devasta- 

 dos los Estados, perdido e] prestigio del Gobierno en el interior, sin credito 

 nacional, relaciones, ni respetabilidad en el esterior." 



