The respective armies have met on Guatemalan territory, the advantage being
with the troops of Salvador; much loss of life, and the Guatemalan army
falling back in the direction of this capital.
Martial law was declared throughout this Republic on the 21st instant, and on
the same day a decree was issued requiring all persons between the ages of
eighteen and fifty, not exempt by law, to present themselves for military
duty, under penalty of being adjudged traitors and punished accordingly.
Señor Sobral informed me last night that some 8,000 men had been mustered in
and about this city and 10,000 more were coming from the adjacent towns, and
that, in case of necessity, to defend the State his government could rely
upon the services of 50,000 Indians.
These figures should be taken with some grains of allowance.
It is, however, true that the greatest alarm prevails here; valuables are
being deposited in the legations and protection asked of foreign flags.
The export duty on coffee has been advanced to $2 on the 100 pounds, and
duties on imports raised.
A copy of the treaty referred to in above telegram was not furnished me till
late last night, and, consequently, I have been unable to translate it into
English in time for this mail, but send it in Spanish, inclosed herewith,
under rule No. 77; the translation will be made, if required.
As to the guaranty asserted in Article IV of the treaty, I will be most
guarded in my action.
I still deem the presence of a ship of war most important to protect the
large American interests here.
Since writing the above, Guatemala has this day formally declared a state of
war as existing against Salvador by reason of the invasion of Guatemalan
territory by the troops of that Republic.
[Inclosure in No.
124.—Translation.]
Executive Administration,
Office of Foreign
Relations.
Protocol of the convention ratified
between the ministers of Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua on the
question of the restoration of order and tranquility in
Salvador.
Jorge Prado, secretary of the ministry of foreign relations, certifies in
due form that on the 9th instant the following protocol was signed in
this office:
Protocol of a convention ratified between the ministers
of Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua on the question of the
restoration of order and tranquility in Salvador.
Having agreed to convene in the office of foreign relations of Guatemala,
the first conference opened at 1 o’clock p.m., July 18, 1890.
The minister of Costa Rica announced the object for which their
respective governments had delegated them to be in response to the
invitation of Guatemala to contribute
[Page 37]
their joint influence in accord with the other
Governments of Central America toward be reëstablishment of order and
tranquility in Salvador; the minister of of Guatemala was also present
to present to the legations the views of his Government upon this
question. The minister of foreign relations hoped the legations of Costa
Rica and Nicaragua would offer such apian as, in their view, was best
fitted to promote the object of their mission; for, Guatemala being
armed and her troops now on the frontier confronting those of Salvador,
it did not seem fitting that proposals for peace should be offered by
her, first, because such proposals might be regarded as dictated by fear
of encountering the forces of the neighboring state which were
threatening her, and second, because any proposition looking to the
restoration of order and tranquility in Salvador emanating from
Guatemala might be interpreted as imposed or intimated by the latter
republic, a procedure which was foreign to her true purposes. To this
the minister from Nicaragua responded that, since the Government of
Guatemala did not see fit to offer the bases of an arrangement, he had
no hesitation in explaining the views of the legations in respect to
this matter—views, the fundamental basis of which was the
reëstablishment of constitutional order in Salvador, the first
designado, Dr. Don Rafael Ayala, being invested with the chief
power.
This basis being promptly accepted by the minister of Guatemala, the
minister of Nicaragua asked that the minister of Guatemala would be
pleased to explain the methods which his Government deemed best fitted
to promote the object in view. The minister of Guatemala responded that
for the reasons already mentioned, and because of his desire to defer to
the delegates from Costa Rica and Nicaragua also in the interests of the
object of his mission, be asked to be excused from making the proposed
exposition; be thought it more fitting that the legations should offer a
plan for the reëstablishment of constitutional order in Salvador. The
proposition of the minister of Guatemala being accepted, the ministers
of Costa Rica and Nicaragua agreed to formulate the arrangement in
question, which was accordingly embodied in a memorandum, as follows:
- First. Recognition of the legal government of Salvador upon
the establishment thereof in accordance with the constitution
which was in operation prior to the events of June 22 of the
past year.
- Second. Disarmament of the forces of Guatemala, Honduras, and
Salvador upon the cessation of the government of Ezeta and the
restoration of the constitutional government, the armies to
resume their normal condition in a time of peace.
- Third. Withdrawal of General Ezeta, with guaranties for the
safety of his life and property and permission to quit
Salvador.
- Fourth. Complete and unconditional amnesty for all those who
have taken part in the events of the revolution in
Salvador.
- Fifth. If it should be necessary for the contracting republics
to lend assistance in order to secure the complete pacification
of Salvador, and if it should be requested by the legitimate
government to be recognized agreeably to the stipulations, it
shall be done in such manner and form as may be found
convenient, subject always to the preceding stipulations, the
fulfillment of which is to be guarantied by the diplomatic corps
resident at Guatemala.
- Sixth. These stipulations shall be submitted to the Government
of Honduras for its acceptance, if approved.
The above bases having been approved by the minister of foreign relations
of Guatemala, the latter proposed to the legations to insert in the said
arrangement the following article:
It is resolved that, peace being restored, the Governments here
represented shall continue their pacific measures having in view the
union of Central America, agreeably to the compact entered into at San
Salvador the 15th of October, 1889.
The ministers of Costa Rica and Nicaragua accepted the latter resolution,
and the object of the conference being fulfilled it was declared
terminated.
Guatemala, July 19, 1890.
José Ma. Castro.
E. Martinez Sobral.
G. Larios.
Office of Foreign Relations, Guatemala, July 21, 1890.
Jorge Prado.
Enrique Martinez Sobral, minister of foreign relations of Guatemala,
accredited with full powers by the President of that Republic, and José
Maria Castro and Gilberto Larios, envoys extraordinary and ministers
plenipotentiary of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, respectively, after
exhibiting the powers accrediting them in their diplomatic character,
and having convened in due form, pursuant to the instructions of their
respective Governments, and conferred upon the object for which they
were invited to convene by Guatemala, i. e., the
contributing of their influence toward the
[Page 38]
restoration of tranquility and constitutional order
in Salvador, they framed the following diplomatic compact:
Article 1.
The high contracting parties pledge themselves to recognize the legal
government of Salvador as soon as the same shall be established in
conformity with the constitution which was in operation prior to the
events of the 22d of June of the past year.
Article 2.
They likewise stipulate the disarmament of the forces of Guatemala,
Honduras, and Salvador, upon the cessation of the de
facto government of General Ezeta and the restoration of the
constitutional government and the reducing of them to their normal
condition in a time of peace.
Article 3.
The withdrawal of General Ezeta from the Government of Salvador being
indispensable to the reëstablishment of constitutional order, the high
contracting parties agree to demand said withdrawal, offering guaranties
for the safety of his life and property and permitting him to quit
Salvador.
Article 4.
If it should be necessary for the complete pacification of Salvador, and
if it be requested by the legitimate government to be recognized in
accordance with the stipulations, the contracting republic sshall lend
their aid thereto in such manner and form as shall be found convenient,
subject always to the present stipulations, the fulfillment of which
shall be guarantied by the diplomatic corps resident at Guatemala.
Article 5.
The high contracting parties agree to guaranty that immediately upon the
restoration of constitutional order and tranquility in Salvador, a
complete and unconditional amnesty shall be declared for all who have
taken part in the events of the revolution.
Article 6.
It is agreed that, as soon as peace shall be securely reëstablished, the
Governments here represented shall continue their pacific measures with
a view to promote the union of Central America according to the compact
formed in San Salvador October 15, 1889.
Article 7.
These stipulations shall be submitted to the Government of Honduras for
its acceptance, if approved.
In testimony of the above stipulations, this convention is signed in the
city of Guatemala the nineteenth day of July, one thousand eight hundred
and ninety.
Telegraphic information having been received from the minister of foreign
relations of the republic of Honduras that his Government adheres in
every particular to the foregoing compact, a certified and authentic
copy of said telegram is hereto annexed, showing the acceptance by
Honduras of the seven articles contained in the diplomatic convention
signed at Guatemala July 19, 1890.
Guatemala, July 21,
1890.
[
l. s.]
E.
Martinez Sobral,
Minister of
Guatemala.
[
l. s.]
José Ma. Castro,
Minister of Costa Rica.
[
l. s.]
Gilberto
Larios,
Minister of
Nicaragua.
