EVENTS OF 1891 Chilean Congress and Navy Revolt against President Balmaceda-They Capture Iquique-Balmacedist Torpedo Gunboats Sink "Blanco". Rout of Balmaceda's Forces at Placilla-Admiral Montt is Chosen President-Chilean Warship "Itata" Evades Neutrality Laws of United States-American Sailors are Mobbed at Valparaiso These Grievances are Settled by Arbitration-Revolutionists at Operto Proclaim Portuguese Republic-Royal Troops Suppress Them-Death of Dom Pedro, Ex-Emperor of Brazil Brazilian Congress Impeaches President Fonseca-He Dissolves Congress and Proclaims Martial Law-Insurrection against Him-It is Joined by NavyFonseca Resigns-He is Succeeded by General Peixoto-Bering Sea Differences Between United States and Great Britain are Settled by Arbitration-Miles Forces Surrender of Pine Ridge Indians-Deaths of Bancroft, the Historian, Admiral Porter, General Sherman, FieldMarshal von Moltke, and Meissonier, the Artist-Congress Passes Copyright Bill-New Orleans Mob Lynches Italians Acquitted of Murder of Chief of Police-Italian Government Demands Redress of American Federal Government-On Its Statement of Inability to Intervene, Italy Withdraws Minister-First Execution by Electric ity at Sing Sing Prison-Deaths of Lowell, the Poet, Confederate Generals Johnson and Lee, and Secretary Windom-More Land in Oklahoma Opened for Settlement-Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria, and Italy Renewed-Death of Ex-President Grévy-Suicide of General Boulanger-Deaths of Parnell, Irish Statesman, Helmholtz, the Scientist, and "Owen Meredith," the Poet-Perse cution of Jews in Russia-Many are Banished from Moscow-They are Mobbed at Starodoub-Baron Hirsch Colonizes Them in Argentina and New Jersey-Czar Lays First Rail of Siberian RailwayEpidemics of Influenza in United States and Cholera in Asia Minor -Chinese Massacre Missionaries-Destructive Earthquake in Japan, IN Chile the conflict between President Balmaceda and of January the opposition members of the Senate and House of Deputies met and signed an act declaring the President unworthy of his office. On January 5 the navy declared itself in favor of the Legislature and against the President. The President denounced this as treason, declared himself dictator, and proclaimed martial law. On January 6 six ironclads put out to sea. The squadron seized every steamer carrying the Chilean flag. President Balmaceda was left without a sea-going warship on the coast. The revolutionists made full use of their formidable naval advantage. The smaller garrisons in the various nitrate ports were compelled 1891 DEFEAT OF BALMACEDA to surrender. The foreign consuls at Valparaiso would not permit a trade blockade of that port. The war opened with more or less desultory engagements. On the morning of January 16 the land forts of Valparaiso opened fire on the rebel ironclad "Blanco" and nearly sank her. Of the nitrate ports, Iquique was the first to be attacked by the revolutionists. The town held out for a full month. Rear-Admiral Hotham of the British Pacific squadron invited the rival commanders to a conference on board his flagship, and got them to agree to an armistice. On the following day Colonel Soto evacuated the town with his garrison. The richest of the nitrate ports was thus lost to Balmaceda. During the night of April 23 two Balmacedist torpedo gunboats ran into the harbor of Caldera and there sank the rebel ironclad "Blanco" in two minutes. This was the first occasion on which a Whitehead torpedo was successfully employed against an ironclad. By the end of August a decisive battle was fought at Placilla near Santiago. Balmaceda's forces were completely routed after five hours' hard fighting with a loss of 1,500 men. Santiago de Chile capitulated and the triumph of the Congressional party was complete. Balmaceda, who had taken refuge at the Argentine Legation in Santiago, committed suicide. The news was received with manifest relief throughout Chile. On the 19th of November Admiral Jorge Montt was chosen President of Chile, and on Christmas Day he was installed with great ceremony. In the Argentine Republic outbreaks occurred throughout the entire year, caused by political dissension and aggravated by business depression. During the revolution in Chile a serious conflict occurred at Valparaiso in October between United States sailors and a Chilean mob. In reply to Secretary Blaine's demand for indemnity and apology, the Chilean Government stated that the matter was one which concerned the jurisdiction and au BERING SEA LITIGATION 1891 thority of Chile, and would be duly investigated in her courts. Previous to this another international complication had arisen from a determined attempt of the Chilean warship "Itata" to evade the neutrality laws of the United States. The matter was finally adjusted by arbitration. In Portugal a republican rising at Oporto occupied the attention of the Government. On January 31 the insurgents, supported by some of Dom Pedro's followers, who had returned from Brazil, laden with spoil, attempted to get possession of the barracks. Foiled in their attempt, they seized the town hall and proclaimed a republic. The royal palace was bombarded, but at length the royal troops attacked the rioters and drove them back with heavy loss. One hundred lives were lost and 500 persons taken prisoners. On December 4 the ex-Emperor of Brazil, Dom Pedro II de Alcantara, a lineal descendant of the three most ancient royal houses of Europe-Hapsburg, Braganza, and Bourbon-died at Paris. The Republican Government of Brazil went to pieces at the first serious encounter. Late this same year, when the Brazilian Congress passed, over the President's veto, a law providing for the impeachment of the President, that body was dissolved by President Fonseca. He declared himself dictator and proclaimed martial law at Rio. On November 23 an insurrection broke out at Rio Janeiro. The navy took the popular side. Fonseca, finding resistance hopeless, resigned, and General Peixoto was installed in his place without further bloodshed. In North America the Bering Sea litigation, involving the question of the jurisdiction of the United States over the high seas at a distance of fifty-nine miles, had been taken to the United States Supreme Court early in the year, to be decided in a "friendly lawsuit." This was done on a motion to annul the proceedings of the District Court at Sitka. 1891 DEATHS OF BANCROFT, PORTER, SHERMAN Later, on the reassembling of the Supreme Court at Washington, and the resumption of the "W. P. Sayward" case, the Attorney-General announced that an agreement had been reached between the United States and Great Britain regarding the terms on which the differences respecting the Bering Sea seal fisheries were to be submitted to arbitration. General Brooke was succeeded at the Pine Ridge Indian Agency, in South Dakota, by General Miles. The Ninth Cavalry arrived there just in time to prevent the massacre of their white comrades by the Indians. General Miles encircled the Indians with troops to starve them into submission. Pine Ridge was menaced by 3,000 hostiles, but after three days of negotiation, on January 15, the Indians surrendered. George Bancroft, the great historian of the early period of the American people, died on January 17. The first volume of his great American history appeared in 1834, and was at once recognized as authoritative. Having entered into politics, Bancroft's distinguished services for his party were recognized by his appointment as Secretary of the Navy under President Polk. As such he founded the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. Toward the close of 1846 he was made Minister to Great Britain. In May, 1867, he was appointed Minister to Prussia; in the following year he was accredited to the North-German Confederation; and in 1871 to the German Empire, from which he was recalled at his own request in 1874. On February 13 Admiral Porter of the American navy died at his home. After the close of the Civil War he served as Vice-Admiral until 1869, and as superintendent of the Naval Academy at Annapolis. On the death of Farragut, in 1870, Porter succeeded him as Admiral. Twenty-four hours after David Porter died came the death of General Sherman, another hero of the Civil War. He was buried at St. Louis. ITALIANS LYNCHED AT NEW ORLEANS 1891 Another general of world-wide renown died at Berlin on April 24-Field-Marshal von Moltke. After the successes of the Franco-Prussian War he was appointed Field-Marshal and made a Count. He retired from the direction of the Prussian general staff in 1888. His best known works are "Letters from Turkey, 1835-39," a critical military work on the "Russian-Turkish Campaign of 1828-29 in Europe and Turkey," and his contributions to the great publications of the German general staff. By the death of Meissonier, on the last day of January, one of the foremost artists of the century was lost to France. Meissonier's famous historical paintings, "Solferino" and "The Emperor and his Staff," were incorporated in the Luxembourg Gallery. The "Cavalry Charge" (1867) was purchased by Mr. Probasco of Cincinnati for 150,000 francs, while his picture of the Battle of Friedland, called "1807," now in the Metropolitan Museum at New York, was purchased by the American millionaire, Stewart, for more than 300,000 francs. On March 4 the American Congress passed the Copyright Bill, by which the rights of foreign authors to their works, if published within the United States, were recognized for the first time. According to the proclamation issued on July 1, Great Britain, France, Belgium, and Switzerland were admitted to the benefits of the new American Copyright Act. Relations were strained between the United States and Italy, owing to the brutal massacre of a number of Italians at New Orleans. The men in question were charged with the murder of Chief of Police Hennessy of New Orleans. They were acquitted by a jury. A mob attacked the jail. They shot nine of the Italians and hanged two. In May the Grand Jury of New Orleans returned a presentiment indicting six Italians for alleged bribery of the jury which tried the men charged with the murder of Hennessy. It declared |