No. 224.
Mr. Gibbs
to Mr. Fish.
Lima, Peru, January 13, 1876. (Received February 10.)
Sir: In my dispatch No. 36, October 30 last, I gave the information of the election of General M. I. “Prado as President of the republic for a term of four years, commencing in July next.
Politically the country has been apparently quiet, excepting rumors of revolutions in the south; in connection with these is mentioned the name of Nicolas Pierola, who headed a movement in 1874, an account of which was sent to the State Department by my predecessor, the Honorable Mr. Thomas, in his dispatches No. 137, October 13; No. 140, November 27; No. 145, December 13, 1874, and No. 148, January 5, 1875. Pierola escaped on that occasion from Arequipa, the headquarters of the revolutionists, to Bolivia, and from there went afterward to Chili, where he has resided since. I have heard many rumors about Pierola being in Peru, also of his having purchased one or two steamers to land arms and ammunition in this country. I have sought information from various sources and will give my ideas, having the advantage of being thoroughly conversant with the language of the country, and meeting socially all classes, official, commercial, and proprietary.
The present administration is called “civil” in contrast to what is titled the “military” party. It has done all possible to reduce the army to a small scale, placing a great number of officers on the retired-list, or what are called “indefinites;” it is supposed also to be liberal in religious views; the party President and Congress elected to power next July are supposed to be of the same views.
The financial affairs of the nation are in a very poor condition, with very little or no prospects of improving; the great wealth of the country, the guano deposits, were disposed of by President Balto, the predecessor of the present head of the nation, in commencing an immense system of government railroads, nine in all, with over 1,281 miles in length, at an estimated cost of 128,354,000 soles, not finished or productive, most of them being suspended.
Pierola is said to be an agent or a partisan of the ultramontane party, being supplied with funds by them; it is also said publicly that he has received large sums of money lately at Valparaiso, sent to him from this country. As there is a large number on the retired-list, they are discontented, and desire active services; a great number of office-holders with reduced pay or delayed payments; others who have been discharged swell the numbers of discontents, and plots of a revolutionary character against the government are continually working. Still, I have reason to believe that the government has a knowledge of every movement, and is prepared to check any that may be attempted.
The Comercio, government paper, in its evening edition of the 10th instant, states that they had received telegraphic news of a revolutionary movement which had taken place in Puno by a rising of gendarmery infantry, or a species of national police; that the prefect, at the head of the civil guards or municipal police, had put it down after a conflict in which two were killed and eight wounded—among the latter the lieutenant-colonel of the gendarmes. When the above news reached Arequipa a slight movement was started there also, and at the last accounts great excitement existed. Puno, Cuzco, and Arequipa are in the south of the republic, and are supposed to be in favor of Pierola, the [Page 417] church party having great influence in the three cities mentioned and their provinces.
The Comercio, in its edition of the afternoon of the 11th, has an article on the above, and I find that it coincides with the idea expressed by me as to the causes for a revolution, and concludes by acknowledging that the situation in the south is very critical and dangerous for the peace and prosperity of the republic.
I am, &c.,