Chap. IX. DEATH OF CHAMOKKO. 157 
Though he had many defects in his character, the gene- 
ral Jose Trinidad Munoz was the most enlightened man of 
his time in Nicaragua. He knew that his country, and 
Central America in general, could only be redeemed by 
the aid of foreign elements of population from Europe and 
North America. He had all the ambition which might be 
expected in a Spanish American general, and according to 
his system a military government was the most adapted to 
the condition of society in Nicaragua. But if he had 
been in possession of absolute power he would have used it 
to advance the interests of the country. To dispose of the 
public lands in favour of immigration, to promote the 
naturalization of foreigners, to introduce complete religious 
toleration, to establish a system of public education, to 
secularize the so-called " capellanias " — and in any way to 
concur in the re-establish nient of the Central American 
federation — were amongst the political measures he had in 
view. 
At Managua, on my way back to Granada, his antago- 
nist, again in the nightcap, inspected and interrogated me 
a second time. At this interview I had to risk more than 
on the former occasion, but General Chamorro acted again 
in a very gentlemanlike manner, and everything passed on 
without difficulty. 
Fruto Chamorro died in 1854, exhausted by the hard- 
ships and cares of a continued civil war, in which he was 
the leader of one of the two parties, representing at the same 
time the legal executive authority of the republic. In the 
tragedy of the decay of Hispano-American life in Central 
America he has acted a part to which sympathy cannot 
be refused. I believe that he was a true friend of his 
country, and with the honesty and firmness of his character 
he could have effected much good if his notions had been 
