No. 666.
Mr. Caldwell to Mr. Fish.
Legation of
the United States,
Montevideo, January 20, 1875.
(Received February 25.)
No. 12.]
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that since my
last dispatch a revolution has occurred here which has resulted in an entire
change of the executive of this government.
The recent government having been elected in constitutional form, as a result
of compromise between the two parties, “whites” and “reds,” which have from
time immemorial divided this country, and having ruled with great
moderation, it was hoped that the era of revolutions had passed, and that
the country had entered upon a career of prosperity,
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for which its situation and natural
resources so admirably fit it. But it seems that the fires of party hatred,
which, it was thought were extinguished, were only smouldering, ready to
break out on the slightest excitement.
To understand recent events, it is necessary to recur to the attitude of
parties at the time of the election of the recent President. Of the two
parties, the whites and the reds, the latter were the stronger in the
chambers, and would, if united, have elected their candidate. But there was
a minority of the reds, composed of the wealthier and more intelligent of
the party, who were unwilling to vote for the candidate of the majority of
their party, (the present provisional governor,) and who put up as their
candidate the late President, Dr. Ellauri, a lawyer of wealth and character
and of very moderate views. The ultra reds, finding they could not elect
their candidate, united with the moderate reds, and thus elected Dr. Ellauri
against the candidate of the whites. Dr. Ellauri selected as his cabinet men
from both political parties, and ignored the lower more radical and more
dangerous men of his own party, the reds. The country, exhausted by constant
revolutions, rallied enthusiastically to the support of the new government,
and hoped that party feuds were buried, and that the era of peace and
prosperity had come. It seems, however, that the ultra reds were merely
waiting for a favorable opportunity to overthrow the government of their own
creation.
The pretext was given by a bloody riot, which occurred on Sunday, January 10,
on occasion of the election of alcalde in this city. While the voting was
going on, on the steps of the church, in the public square, the lower reds
commenced firing with revolvers upon the dense mass in the square, and the
fighting continued until about sixteen were killed and some fifty wounded.
The military were called out, and the riot was eventually quelled. The city
was thrown into the most intense excitement, and the papers, the next
morning, were filled with inflammatory articles denouncing, by name, those
most prominent in the riot. Although these men were well known, being, many
of them, notorious party leaders, the government made no arrests. The
members of the cabinet urged the President to take prompt measures to bring
the guilty parties to justice. The President refused to take any action $
whereupon the cabinet resigned en masse. The ultra
reds, who have a majority in the lower house, but are in a minority in the
senate, sent a deputation to the President, promising to sustain him if he
would select his advisers from their ranks. The President refused to do so,
and nominated, last Thursday, two cabinet officers from the moderate men;
thereupon, the ultras proceeded to make a revolution.
At 1 o’clock, on the morning of Friday, the 15th instant, all the troops of
the capital, (four small battalions of infantry and one of artillery,) under
their officers, who were all, save one, in the conspiracy, marched from
their barracks to the principal public square, where they stationed troops
and planted artillery. The officers in conjunction with the ultras,
pronounced the deposition of President Ellauri, and named as provisional
governor Don Pedro Varela. No resistance was made, whatever. No arrests were
made, not a drop of blood shed, nor a gun fired. President Ellauri fled from
his house, and took refuge in the consulate of Brazil, and the next day went
on board a Brazilian iron-clad lying in the bay, where he has since
remained.
The provisional government has removed but few officers, and has preserved,
hitherto, the most perfect order. They have acted with great vigor, and have
already changed the arms of the infantry for Remingtons. There is no
organized military force in the country capable
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of resisting them, and it is reported,
semi-officially, that the principal chief of the opposite party—the
whites—has given in his adhesion to the provisional government.
President Ellauri has not resigned, and has issued no proclamation, and, it
is said, has refused to go into the interior and organize an opposition to
the revolution. It is quite possible that the revolutionary party,
comprising but a small part of the nation, may be suffered to retain power.
It is quite certain that they have complete mastery of the capital.
* * * * * * * *
Provisional Governor Varela has nominated as cabinet officers the
following:
Minister of state, Don Isaac de Tezanos; minister of war and marine, Colonel
Lorenzo Latorre; minister of treasury and foreign relations, Don José C.
Bustamente.
I inclose a translation of an address of the Provisional Governor, Varela, in
which it appears that the only charge made against President Ellauri is that
he has failed to give offices to the ultra reds.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure in No. 12
—Translation.]
The provisional governor
to the citizens and inhabitants of the
republic.
The recent events of the 14th of January, which produced the fall of the
government of Dr. José E. Ellauri and the will of the people and army of
the capital have imposed upon me the duty of accepting the provisional
government of the republic, to save the country from the evils of
anarchy and civil war, which are the consequences of political
overthrows produced by the blunders of bad governors who have been
unwilling or unable to comprehend the duties of the high mission which
has been confided to them.
On accepting, in circumstances so extraordinary, the charge, as honorable
as weighty, of provisional governor of the republic, I consider it my
duty to address myself to all my fellow-citizens, and all foreigners
residing here, informing them of the patriotic motives which animate me
in assuming the responsibility of the government in so critical a
situation for our country.
It is not the ambition of ruling, nor the necessity of a distinguished
position, which has determined me to occupy a post as difficult as
laborious, but the desire of shunning greater evils to our country, so
tortured by civil discords which do not proceed from the character of
our people, but from the errors and blunders of its rulers.
The recent events which have produced the actual situation demonstrate
this in the most eloquent and painful manner. When, two years ago, Dr.
José E. Ellauri began his government, he found the republic pacified by
the effort of all good citizens, who offered him the most sincere
assistance in guiding it In the path of progress and prosperity, if,
with a policy less narrow and petty, he had desired to avoid delivering
the destinies of the country to a determined circle, and had known how
to utilize the good disposition of a portion of citizens who were
excluded by his administration. By design, by tenacity of character in
not accepting any other mode of seeing than his own, or by not knowing
how to comprehend the exigencies of public opinion, he has made useless
the best intentions of citizens in favor of the public good, and,
perhaps, without desiring it, has conducted the country to return to the errors of the times in which blind party
spirit does not restrain itself even before the seat of the
magistracy, errors which Dr. Ellauri condemns in his manifesto
of the 12th of January. And recognizing this, the Ex-President did not
understand that public opinion could not accept as truth his pretended
political impartiality, since all his acts tended to favor one of the
fractions of our parties, excluding from participation in the
administration all others.
In accordance with this was the decree of the 14th of January, nominating
two ministers who represented only the petty personal policy which
public opinion condemned, and which produced the fall of the government
of Dr. Ellauri.
In noticing lightly these acts as causes of the fall of the previous
government, and which gave motive for my being called to the provisional
government, I have no other
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object than recalling them as a profitable lesson, and as a guarantee
that the country ought to expect that, while I exercise my elevated
trust, I will have no other policy than what the interests of the
country demand, calling to serve them all worthy citizens, without
making odious and unjust exclusions.
Although the initiative of the events which have created the necessity of
a provisional government, while it assures public order and guarantees
internal peace, proceeds from one of our parties, as governor, I
recognize that the government of the republic is, and ought to be, the
government of the country and for the country, without odious
distinctions between citizens, for, to all, the government ought to
accord protection in their political and civil rights, and the most
complete equality before the law.
The pacification of April, 1872, is an internal compact confided to the
loyalty of the nation, and the government, which represents the
interests of the nation, will make it a duty to comply therewith.
The persons and the property of the numerous foreign population which
reside in the republic merit also the most efficacious protection, and
one of the principal attentions of my government will be the
preservation of internal peace, that the persons and interests of
resident foreigners may enjoy all the guarantees which our laws concede
them.
As soon as peace and the situation become consolidated, the first duty of
the government will be to cause the republic to establish in all its
plenitude the constitutional order of its institutions, accidentally
disturbed by the separation in fact of the person of Dr. Ellauri from
the functions of President of the republic.
For the attainment of these patriotic objects, I hope that all
well-disposed and patriotic citizens, whatever may be their political
opinions or the party to which they belong, will not fail to lend their
assistance to the provisional government, which has no part in the acts
of the government of Dr. Ellauri, and which produced his fall, which was
inevitable.
The question is of the good of the country which belongs to all, of
repairing the evils already caused, and of shunning others still
greater, which civil strife, always ruinous, produces; and to this work
of reparation and common good all ought to lend their assistance. As
governor, I shall esteem it an honor to accept that of all my
fellow-citizens without distinction.
My only satisfaction and my greatest glory will be to see, as soon as
possible, peace and concord established between my fellow-citizens, and
the republic entering on the normal rule of its constitutional
institutions.
PEDRO VARELA.
Montevideo, January17,
1875.
