CHAPTER VIII. Central America-Constitution of the States-Origin of the Civil WarsMeeting of an Extraordinary Congress-President Arce convokes a Convention-Disturbance in Guatemala-New Government organized—Salvador makes war upon Guatemala-The Salvadorenos beaten and re. pulsed-Arce marches against Salvador-The latter submits-Peace restored-Canal of Nicaragua. CENTRAL AMERICA has recently been convulsed by civil dissentions of the most alarming character.They had their origin in events which transpired towards the close of the year 1826, to which it is proper we should revert, in order to lay before our readers a connected and intelligible account of the subsequent incidents. It is to be understood, that, although the federal constitution of the republic was adopted in November, 1824, yet it was some time before the constitutions of the several states were completed. In the United States, the several colonies which composed the old confederacy, and now constitute the federal union, had long been accustomed to the exercise of legislative and executive powers, within themselves. Hence, at the opening of the revolution, the colonies each completed the organization of state governments, The more or less perfect; before the federal constitution, which now binds the whole together, was put in operation, or even framed. But in the Spanish American republics, the case was widely different. They had no experience of the exercise of legislative powers, much less any thing precisely corresponding to our colonial divisions. Spanish American patriots were under the necessity, therefore, of beginning at the very foundation, in the task of establishing an independent government. Instead of organizing state governments, first, which should afterwards unite together to form a general government, the patriots of Central Ame. rica, for instance, adopted their federal constitution, and carried it into operation, before any one of the confederated states except Salvador had framed a constitution for itself. Hence arose the peculiar feature of the federal constitution, which prescribes the general outline of the several state constitutions, and on which each of the states built the fabric of its own domestic government, according to its peculiar wants and condition. Salvador established its constitu ́tion first, in June, 1824; Costarica followed in January, 1825; Honduras in December, 1825; and lastly, Nicaragua, in April, 1826. Hence, at the expiration of 1826, had no extraordinary occurrences transpired, the government could hardly have acquired the easy movement necessary to insure tranquillity. The first congress of the repub. lic terminated its regular session in June, 1826. By repeated acts of the constituted authorities, for the time being, the seat of the federal government had been fixed in the city of Guatemala. But early in the first session of congress, the inhabitants of Salvador began to manifest a jealousy of the state of Guatemala. They conceived, or professed to conceive, an idea that the principal persons of Guatemala were conspiring with the general government to revolutionize the republic, and to change the federal into the central form. They represented the continuance of the federal authorities in the city of Guatemala as tending to this object, by imparting undue influence to the Guatemaltecans, and facilitating the absorption of the powers of government into the hands of the supposed central party. Hence, in March, 1826, the assembly of the state of Salvador, addressed a memorial to the congress, praying that the federal authorities might be transferred to some place at least forty leagues from the city of Guatemala. Soon afterwards, certain inhabitants of the town of Aguachapan, in the state of Salvador, petitioned congress to remove the seat of government within the limits of that state; which was followed by a like petition from the inhabitants of Metapan, in Salvador. However much the Guatemaltecans might be opposed to this change at heart, they declared their willingness to accede to it, if it should be for the public good. Still the congress did not deem it expedient to comply with the wishes of the Salvadoreños. By an article of the constitution, the senate is authorized to convoke the congress on extraordinary oc. casions. What these occasions shall be, the constitution does not prescribe, leaving it of course to the discretion of the senate. Exercising this discretion, the senate, by decree of August 25th, 1826, summoned the members of congress to meet in extraordinary session, at the usual place, on the first day of October next ensuing. The decree designated various important subjects for the consideration of congress, some of which were of a nature to demand immediate attention. At the appointed time, it seems that only seventeen members of congress appeared to take their seats, although twenty-one are required by the constitution to make a quorum. Of course, the members assembled could not regularly perform any acts, except such as related to the organization of their body. On examination, it was found that of the absent representatives, seven belonged to the state of Salvador. The members assembled immediately took mea. sures, as usual in such cases, to require the attendance of a sufficient number to constitute a quo rum. Several of the absent depu. ties alleged sickness as the cause of their detention. But two deputies from the state of Salvador, Marcelino Menendes and Buenaventura Guerrero, openly signified their determination not to attend. Menendes, particularly, referring to the previous attempts of Salvador to procure the removal of the seat of government, said he should not attend until the transfer took place. He alleged also, that the congress was illegally convoked, because, as he pretended, none of the subjects, set forth for its consideration by the decree of the senate, came within the constitution. al description of extraordinary oc casions. The legislature of the state of Guatemala, hereupon, alleging apprehension of hostile intentions on the part of Salvador, which the language of the Salvadoreños, respecting the seat of government, partly justified, ordered a body of militia to be raised, by the name of defenders of the constitution. Congress continued its preparatory sessions, from day to day, until October 10th, when a decree of the president, Arce, was communicated to that body; which gave a new turn to the course of events. Its preamble recited the public grievances, which called for the decree; such as the disorganiza. tion of the state of Honduras; disturbances in that of Nicaragua ; attempts made by the government of Guatemala to usurp the powers of the republic; and other subjects, requiring the interposition of some authority, superior to what the executive possessed. It farther alluded to the conduct of the delegations from the state of Salvador, in withdrawing themselves from congress; and stated, that as the senate of the republic had not the constitutional number of members, this body was incompetent to afford relief in the emergency. For these reasons, the decree convoked an extraordinary national congress, to be fully authorized by the people to re-establish the constitutional order, and to provide for the necessities of the republic, by all proper means with This decree being referred to a committee, they reported, that it was an arbitrary violation of the constitution. They charged the president with having used his influence to prevent the organization of congress, in order to escape being called to account for irregularities in the public expenditures. They alleged, that no legitimate cause existed for the extraordinary congress; which was, they said, merely a device of the president's to screen himself from responsibility to the constitutional authorities. They concluded, by declaring, that the decree ought not to be observed; and in this opinion all the members present concurred, although three of them objected to the form of the report. A few days afterwards, the supreme court of justice published a declaration, that the president had openly infringed the constitution, by refusing to recognise the constitutional congress, and convoking another at his arbitrary will. If the design of the president in issuing the decree, as imputed to him by the committee of congress, was to disorganize the republic, his success was complete. If, on the contrary, in doing it, he sincerely aimed at the public good, the mea. sure was ill-judged, and the result was most unfortunate; for it greatly augmented the disunion, which previously existed. Guatemala pro. ceeded to elect representatives for the extraordinary congress; and Costarica determined to do the same. In Honduras, and Nicara. gua, opinions were divided; the go. vernment opposing the adoption of the decree; but many towns, districts, and departments,declaring in its favour. In Honduras, the departments began to separate, and to resist the authority of the su preme chief or governor. But the people and government of Salvador declared against the decree; and, to fill up the measure of irregularity, while the state of Salvador were crying out against the act of the president, they despatched letters to the states of Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costarica, inviting them to concur in assembling the ordina |