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THE SOUTH AMERICAN REPUBLICSSource: Advocate of Peace (1847-1884), New Series, Vol. 13, No. 2 (APRIL, 1882), p. 17Published by: World Affairs InstituteStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27906250 .

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THE ADVOCATE OF PEACE.

THE SOUTH AMERICAN REPUBLICS. The attention of the people of North America has

for several years been directed to the condition of the South American republics, and of late more

closely and intimately than ever. War has been of

frequent occurrence among them, and they have been made still more feeble by its devastation. The nu merous international strifes in which they have en

gaged have been carefully watched by the statesmen of the United States, and much speculation has been rife as to the future of the several republics. A

glance at their political and material condition has served as the basis for a very instructive article by

Mr. T. W. Osborn, in the current number of the In ternational Review, in which he discusses their possi bilities for becoming a power among the nations of the world.

There are ten independent governments in South America and the three Guineas, which are depend encies on European powers. Of these governments Brazil is an empire, having an area of 3,609,160 square miles, and 11,058,000 inhabitants. The other nine are republics, their area and population being 3,789,220 square miles and 16,436,751 inhabitants. The aggregate area of the nine republics exceeds that of Brazil by 180,060 square miles, and the total

population exceeds that of Brazil by 5,069,552. Mr. Osborn pertinently observes that the national

weakness of these nine republics and their lack of

stability have long been their most prominent char- ! acteristics. For various obvious reasons, he contends

that these nine South American republics could and should confederate together and organize a central national government, thereby creating one great re

public, in which the present nine republics would as sume the position of sovereign States subordinate to the central power. "By doing so they would in

every governmental and material manner be benefit

ed, and the welfare of all their people would be ad. vanced. The aggregate area, the number of inhabi

tants, the active and the latent wealth of the coun

try, and the ability and the experience of the South American statesmen, are sufficient to make and main tain one magnificent nation. A nation would be created which would at its birth rank seventh or

eighth among the great powers of the world, and third among the great republics. In a short time it would stand equal with the foremost ; it would have

recognized influence in international councils, and it would add a third to the two great republics now when the masses of all nations tend toward the prin ciples of republicanism. As these nine republics now stand, the voice of any one of them, or of all, in the aggregate, is unrecognized in international

politics. As nations they are weaklings, and have

been too unstable to secure influence beyond their nearest neighbors. Their confederation would insure

; stability at home, and secure that power abroad which every nation covets."

This proposition has many advantages to recom

I mend it, and perhaps may be the true solution of all the South American troubles. At present not one of the republics could successfully resist an army sent

against it by any of the great powers. A confedera tion of the kind outlined would create a nation hav

ing an area of 3,789,220 square miles, almost 17, ! 000,000 inhabitants and an annual commerce of $363,

000,000. That is a greater area of square miles than the United States now has, and we began as a na

I tion with only 3,000,000 people. The Spanish blood

predominates, and the Spanish language is every I where spoken. The several governments are at

peace, or will be soon, and ther^e would be no distur bance by a change te an enlarged nationality. The burdens of taxation would certainly be reduced, as one government would then be supported where nine distinct ones are now carried on with all the costly appliances, such as the army, navy, diplomatic corps, etc. With a connected system of railroads, it is not difficult to see that the present annual commerce of

$363,000,000 could easily be increased, as the bound less resources of the country would then be devel

oped. In conclusion, as the writer well says, wars, revolutions and insurrections in all that country would cease and the stain of instability would be re

moved from the name of republic.?Boston Daily Globe.

A PROPOSED PEACE CONGRESS. The late Secretary of State, James G. Elaine,

with the concurrenc? first of President Garfield and then of President Arthur, issued an invitation to all the independent governments on the American con

tinent, each to send two Commissioners to a con

gress to be held in Washington, "for the purpose of

agreeing on such basis of arbitration as would re move all possibility of war in the Western Hemi

sphere," between the Powers represented. The date of this congress was to have been Eleventh mo. 22d, 1882. The circular of invitation states that, "For some

years past a growing disposition has been mani fested by certain States of Central and South Amer

ica, to refer disputes affecting grave questions of international relationship and boundaries to arbitra tion rather than to the sword." * * *

"The existence of this growing tendency con

vinces the President that the time is ripe for a pro

posal that shall enlist the good will and active co

operation of all the States of the Western Hemi

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