Mr. Sullivan to Mr. Seward.

No. 94.]

Sir: The people of Bogota are greatly excited. For some time past both the liberal and conservative parties of the State of Cundinamarea were preparing to make war upon each other, for the sake of peace and power only.

Very early this morning the government of the State was overthrown, and its President imprisoned by the national troops, under orders of the [Page 1076] national executive government of Colombia, and a provisional State government has been already organized, composed of the friends of the federal government.

So far as I have been able to learn, there were but two persons killed and three wounded in this affair.

The State government was in the hands of the conservatives, who are strongly opposed to the principles and policy of the national government.

Fighting is not only going on in different parts of this State, but, as I have been informed, also in other States of this unhappy country, between the liberals and conservatives.

Bogota is, at noon to-day, quiet. I have not, as yet, formed an opinion as to the merits or results of this gloomy affair.

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,

PETER J. SULLIVAN.

Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.

P. S.—I inclose, herewith, the Diario Oflcial of this date, which reached me after I had written the above dispatch, giving the reasons of the executive government for its conduct in said matter.

P. J. S.

[Untitled]

The President of the republic to his fellow countrymen:

Yesterday there appeared on the corners of this city, and, moreover, I heard of it in an authentic manner, a decree of the Governor of Cundinamarca, in which certain laws of the State assembly were violated by the calling of a convention by means of an election, which was to be controlled by two thousand bayonets, in accordance with provisions dictated in usurpation of powers belonging to the legislative department, in actual contravention to the national constitution, which imposes upon the States the obligation to organize themselves under a republican, representative, and popular form of government.

As early as two nights ago, forces quietly recruited in the departments began to enter this city, the residence of the high federal authorities; and yesterday, a few hours after the crime of treason and usurpation, consummated by the executive government of this State, was publicly announced, another body of troops approached the city and made known its arrival by the assassination of a peaceable and innocent citizen.

As the guardian of national public order, as a protector of individual rights, sworn to maintain due respect to the national government and the integrity of the Union by the constitutional harmony of the States, I have deemed it my duty to avenge this outrageous insult to the federal authorities besieged in their own capital.

At the request of the constitutional government of Cundinamarca, and in conformity to law, I determined to make use of my constitutional powers to arrest, without delay, those disturbers of public peace.

I have given ample proof of my profound respect for law, and I am determined to show my impartiality in all party contests; but though I give all my respect to law and justice, nothing will make me bow to revolutions and fly from insurgents.

The general government allows all rights but that of conspiracy.

As far as I am concerned, all political parties may depend upon my support in any victories pbtained by legal voting; but I will never allow them to use force, particularly when it is in rebel hands and in the service of perjured officials.


SANTOS GUTIERREZ.

Santiago Perez, Secretary of the Interior and of Foreign Relations.

Miguel Samper, Secretary of Finance and Industry.

Serjio Camargo, Secretary of War and Marine.

Narciso Genzalez Sineros, Secretary of the Treasury and National Credit.

[Page 1077]

[Editorial on the same subject.]

The constant desire of the present administration has been to preserve peace. In his first message to congress, the President insisted upon the necessity of a law, in accordance with provisions of the constitution, giving the chief executive the power to preserve public order. This was not done, although the government organ demonstrated the evil consequences of such neglect, apparently for the reason that divergences of opinions among the legislators prevented agreement upon the best mode of effecting the desired result.

In this case the good intent and sincere wish of a President charged with the preservation of the integrity of the nation could not be more evident, when he asks the assembled representatives, frankly and urgently, to define a plain and permanent line of conduct for him to observe in any emergency.

Although, the law was not passed, the President has the power granted by the constitution, and this he may use to the utmost extent. The error incurred by exercising it, for want of legal authority, urgently asked for, can in no case be attributed to one who persistently demanded that authority; nor can it be comprehended how he can refrain from acting with due severity under the circumstances, particularly when there is no constitutional provision against it. The duty of every government is self-preservation and protection to its subjects; and to do this the government must have the necessary power to act rigorously under all circumstances. The great expenses of the country to sustain the general government, and the immense resources put at its disposal, show the importance of such government, and the object for which it was created, which was certainly for the preservation of peace, the maintenance of friendly relations with foreign nations, and to administer home affairs with justice and economy.

The essential basis of the Colombian Union is the acknowledgment and protection by the general government, as well as by the State governments, of all personal rights justly claimed by the citizens and inhabitants of the national territory. Therefore the chief executive insists upon respect to those rights by all the officials of State governments. In some States where political tactions violate or neglect those rights, the executive laments that he has not been able to remedy the evil; but, wherever he could, he has never ceased to try to restore order by moral suasion. Even when the troubles first began in Cundinamarea, he did what he could to quiet them; but all was vain, till finally the revolution broke out in the State, on the 9th instant, and through the governor’s influence.

It is well known that he sanctioned the laws enacted by the last assembly, as it was his duty to do; but this sanction was given reluctantly, and he soon violated the very laws he had promised to obey, by decrees tending to produce disturbances in every district. Anarchy and want of confidence is the consequent result.

In contemplating this state of affairs, the chief of the general government omitted no peaceful effort to restore confidence and order; but all was vain. This rebellion against the legislative power was soon followed by resistance to the judicial power of the State. If the governor had not interfered with State institutions, the general government would have remained silent; but that official forced a war between the central and State governments, and the sad consequences of this disruption are now anticipated. Ho not only armed his own partisans, but old rebels who had become scandalously notorious, and marched them into the capital of the republic, where there was nobody to fight; for neither the judicial nor the legislative power had any armed forces ready to resist an assault or invasion.

Thus the federal government was placed in a perilous condition; the capital was invaded by enemies to all the principles of good government, and the central power saw itself on the point of being compelled to succumb.

The invading forces continued to increase in numbers and to accumulate resources for the overthrow of the legitimate power. The national forces were not armed; they were scattered at a distance from the capital, and could not be readily drawn together; if resistance was attempted, these distinct squads would be intercepted as they came in, and all would have been lost. In fact, the general government was besieged, and its aid and allies could not enter.

What a trying situation for a government that had sworn to preserve order and protect its subjects in the enjoyment of their constitutional rights!

The capital of the republic, the residence of the diplomatic body, to which international law and public treaties place under the protection of the national government, and whose agents need security in their domiciles and persons for the proper exercise of their functions, could not submit to such indignity. And who were these enemies! They were outlaws, who cared for no permanent form of government, but sought perpetual changes for the benefit of plunder. And this was dared in the face of the federal government, by a portion of the Colombian guard, whose duty it was to obey the constitution and protect the city!

Under a government organized in accordance with article 1, section 8 of the [Page 1078] constitution, all personal rights may be considered as sufficiently protected by State institutions. The only guarantee that the general government can offer to these rights, according to the federal constitution, is to cause the supreme court and senate to suspend or repeal all legislative acts that may trespass upon such rights. But when the local government treacherously changes its nature, the general government, whose duty it is to protect individual rights and social interests, must not abandon them to a revolutionary faction, without responsibility, depending upon the success of its arms for its existence, and which can have no intercourse with any foreign ministers while it is engaged in the destruction of order and security.

For these reasons the citizen President of the Union has judged it his duty, on the petition of the constitutional government of Cundinamarea, and in concert with it, to disarm the partisans of the revolution which was declared on the 9th instant in the capital of the republic. He believes it his solemn duty to secure order by preventing or stopping a war that would certainly end in the ruin of the country and the destruction of its credit; and this he hastens to accomplish in due time, and in a manner calculated to prevent useless sacrifices of all sorts.

The nation, which bears witness to the impartiality of the present administration, in its attempts to preserve order and its efforts to secure public peace, which has seen the respect it has shown for all legitimate State governments, and which must agree that no usurpation can be tolerated neither morally nor constitutionally, will do justice to the plans we have adopted in compliance with our acknowledged duty to preservepublic peace and order. This plan consists in defending citizens and institutions against factions attempting to impose upon them and destroy them in an illegal manner.

The State of Cundinamarea, once more under the control of its constitution and its legitimate rulers, continues in the full enjoyment of self-government.