Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 3.djvu/738

 CHILE

662

CHILE

4,146,574 pesos for the purpose. Instruction is free and is divided into primary, secondary, and profes- sional or superior. Primary instruction is supervised by a body of instructors headed by an inspector-gen- eral. In 1903, there were 1,961 primary schools with 166,928 pupils and 3608 teachers. Besides, there were 506 private institutions of primary education, and the private secondary schools were frequented by 11,184 students. Normal schools for men and for women also exist. The national institute and the lyceums (11 male and 4 female), and likewise the university at Santiago, the highest institution of learning, are under the immediate control of the Coun- cil of Public Instruction. Licences to practise law, medicine, and engineering are issued by the university. Furthermore, there are the agricultural institute and schools of agriculture and mining, a school of arts and crafts, academy of painting, pedagogic institute, con- servatory of music, and military and naval schools. The Council of Technical Instruction at Santiago superintends the agricultural institute, school of arts and crafts, and the professional school for girls. Pub- lic libraries and scientific societies of a rather high order flourish, and museums exist as well as a botani- cal garden, astronomical and meteorological observa- tories, and a hydrographic bureau.

Religion. — While the State religion is Catholic, still the Church has not enjoyed entire peace. In 1768 the Jesuits, who had begun missionary work among the Araucanians (q. v.) at the beginning of the seventeenth or end of the sixteenth century, were expelled. They were re-admitted, however, in 1843. The State confiscated the Church property in 1824, ami fixed a salary for the clergy. Tithes and most of the religious houses were abolished. In 1883 eccle- siastical tribunals were placed under lay supervision, and in 1884 civil marriage was introduced, and is the only form acknowledged by law. A conflict arose, in 1883, between Chile and Rome concerning the right of nomination to vacant sees; this difficulty was satis- factorily adjusted in 1888. Diplomatic relations are maintained with the Holy See, an internuncio residing permanently at Santiago.

Chile constitutes one ecclesiastical province, com- prising the Archdiocese of Santiago; the suffragan sees o? Concepeion, San Carlos de Ancud (Chiloe), and Serena; and the Vicariates Apostolic of Tarapaca and Antofagasta, both dependent on the Congregation of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs. In Southern Chile there are Indian missions conducted by the Franciscan Recollects, the Capuchins, and the Sale- sians. There are numerous schools and colleges in the State conducted by the religious, but even in the public schools religious instruction is compulsory. (For further religious statistics, see articles Santiago de Chile; Concepcion; San Carlos be Ancud; Serena; Antofagasta; Tarapaca.)

History. — Previous to 1535 very little is known of the conditions of the Indians of Chile. Several, and possibly numerous tribes like the Quulotanos and I'romaucas cr Purumaucas, held the northern sections of the present republic. They, at least the former, may have been of Peruvian stock, but they have com- pletely disappeared and hardly anything is known about their idioms. The word Chile is variously ex- plained, but there is no certain etymology. Southern

Chile (Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego omitted) ap pears to have been held by Indians of Araucanian stock,

the warlike people which now bears that name ami is

organized into a loose confederacy of tribes, forming the most considerable cluster. The first Spanish ex- pedition to Chile was commanded by Diego de Alma- ero the Elder about 1535 and 1536. It penetrated

into Northern Chile (rum Bolivia, across the Alaeaina

and ivached as far as the Rio Claro among the

Purumaucas. After an indecisive engagement with

that tribe, Almagro retraced his steps to Cuzct m

Peru, there to meet his death. It was only in 1540 that a permanent conquest was begun, led by Pedro de Valdivia. Valdivia was more successful than his predecessor. He occupied the country as far as about 38° S. lat., and came in contact with the Araucanians, who destroyed him with his entire force on 1 January, 1554. The Indians north of the Araucanians had been subjected in the years previous, although not without much resistance and repeated uprisings against the Spanish invaders. Valdivia had founded at least seven Spanish settlements, such as Serena. Concepeion, Angol, Imperial, etc. An Indian war of unequalled duration and fierceness followed. It lasted with short interruptions for more than two centuries and was brought to a close only after 1773 by a treaty of peace in which the Araucanians nego- tiated with the Spanish officers as an independent and foreign power. According to the treaty the Arauca- nians maintained the integrity of their territory, and were to be represented at Santiago by one of their chiefs in the quality of an envoy. During the past century, these conditions were gradually changed, and the Araucanian territory is now merely the Indian reservation of Chile.

The protracted resistance of the Araucanians has no parallel in the history of America. The Iroquois held their own for not quite two centuries, but their position, between rival European colonies (first France and England, then England and the United States) was much more favourable. They always had a civilized power to fall back upon, whereas the Araucanians were isolated. The feeble attempts made in the seventeenth century by Dutch and Eng- lish corsairs to establish relations with them had no permanent results. As already mentioned they dis- played a remarkable aptitude for improvement in the art of war, whereas in the arts of peace they advanced bur little. During that protracted warfare the Span- ish colonies in Southern Chile were often in a most crit- ical position, for the Spanish arms sometimes suffered disastrous reverses. The old settlement of Imperial had to be definitively abandoned in 1600. In the same year Angol (founded 1553) suffered the same fate. Tuca- pel was still more short-lived. The Araucanians re- peatedly destroyed Concepeion. In several engage- ments in the open field the Indians also obtained con- siderable successes, their horsemen encountering the Spanish cavalry successfully. In 1563 the governor, Pedro de Villagran, was defeated and killed by the Araucanians. Some of the Spanish leaders, however, like Garcia Hurtado de Mendoza, obtained signal vic- tories on various occasions. This state of things was not favourable to a steady development of the Span- ish colony in Chile. Dependent on the Vice-Royalty of Lima, and frequently molested by English and Dutch filibusters, communication with the outer world was difficult and occasionally interrupted. Left mostly to their own resources, the Chilian Span- iards developed into a hardy and eneiget ie race, proud of having maintained themselves in spite of adversity.

Spain was unable to take care of its colonies in the first decade of the nineteenth century. A provisional government {junta gubernoHva) was installed in 1810. Attacked by the Spanish authorities in Peru, Chile had to resort to arms, but its army, led by the brave General Bernardo O'Higgins was defeated at Ranca- gua in 1814, and Spanish authority was restored for

a while. At the battle of Chacabuco, however. (12 February, 1817), and the subsequent action of Maipo (5 April), the Chilians definitively achieved their inde- pendence, which was formally declare, 1. 12 February, isis and recognized by Spain in 1846, the island of

Chiloe alone held out for Spain until 1826. Since then Chile has had its internal troubles, though not as many as other South American republics. The worst was in 1891. Then the people lose against the attempt of Halmaceda to establish a dictatorial power.