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 COLOMBIA

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COLOMBIA

years a war of extermination was carrier! on in the three states. During that period the Republic of Colombia was proclaimed, in 1819. The revolutionists suffered many reverses, for Morillowas an able military- leader. Of the actions fought in this bloody war, that at Sogamoso (12 June, 1819) decided the fate of the remnants of the Spanish army, and the engagement at Carabobo, near Valencia in Venezuela (24 June, 1821), was the last of any consequence. The Republics of Colombia. Ecuador, and Venezuela became united under the name of Colombia. In 1829, however, Ecua- dor and Venezuela seceded, and Colombia was left alone.

In 1831 Colombia became "The Republic of New Granada". Thirty years later it called itself " United States of Colombia". In ISSfi, the "sovereign states" were reduced to departments of a "centralized repub- lic" styled " The Republic of Colombia", under which name it is known to-day. No country of Spanish America has been, since its independence, so often and so violently disturbed, internally, as Colombia. With a single exception (Parra, 1876-80), every presidential term has been marked by one or more bloody revolu- tions. Panama seceded for a while, in 1856. The events of 1903 made the separation between Colombia and Panama definitive. Since 1904, conditions seem to have at last become more settled. Reorganization, after so many periods of disorder and anarchy, seems to be the aim of the present Government of Colombia.

Hardly was the territory now known a.s the Repub- lic of Colombia discovered, when the Church, working in accord with the King of Spain, hastened to the natives. In spite of the honest intentions of the Span- ish kings, their agents were in many cases obstacles to the religious progress of the country. What progress was attained was due to the efforts of the Dominican, Franciscan, Jesuit, and other missionaries. This great work was often opposed by the colonists and govern- ment officials who looked solely to their own worldly lirosperity. The religious of the Society of Jesus, with whose historj' the name of the Colombian city of Carta- gena is so gloriously associated (see Peter Claver, S.\int), were also the first during the Colonial period to found colleges for secondary instruction; eight or ten colleges were opened in which the youth of the country, and the sons of the Spaniards, were educated. In the Jesuit College of Bogota the first instruction in mathematics and physics was given. In the expul- sion of the Jesuits by Charles III the Church in New Granada lost her principal and most efficacious aid to the ci^^lization of the country, which was practically paralysed for many years. To this day the traveller may see the effects of this arbitrary act in the immense plains of the regions of Casanare, converted in the space of one century into pasture lands for cattle, but which were once a source of great wealth, and which would have been even more so.

It is only within the last ten years that the Catholic Church, owing to the peace and liberty which she now enjoys, ha.s turned her eyes once more to Casanare; a vicariate Apostolic ha.s been erected there, governed by a bishop of the Order of St. Augustine, who with the members of his order labours among the savages and semi-savages of these plains.

Present Conditions. — The legi-slative power of the nation is vested in a Congress consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators are elected for six years. Each senator has two substi- tutes elected with him. Every department is entitled to three senators, and the whole body is renewed, upon the completion of the term of service of one-third of its members, every two years. One representative and two substitutes correspond to a population of 50,000, and their term of office is four years. Congress, besides legi.slation, ha.s power to interfere with the action of the executive in matters of contracts and treaties. The executive is headed by the president, who has a vice-

president and a substitute (or dcsignado); the last takes office in case both president and vice-president become incapacitated. While the presidential term has varied from six to four years, the actual incumbent (1908), Rafael Reyes, is in possession of the office for ten years. There is a cabinet of ministers and a con- .sultative body called the "Council of State", com- posed of six members with the vice-president at its head. The president appoints the members of the Supreme Court for life, or during good behaviour. The judicial districts have their superior as well as inferior courts. Courts of Commerce may be insti- tuted when necessary, and trial by jury obtains in criminal cases. The Constitution of 1SS6, amended in 1904 and 1905, explicitly provides (Art. 38) that "the Catholic Apostolic Roman Religion is that of the Nation; the public authorities will protect it and cause it to be respected as an essential element of social order. It being imderstood that the Catholic Church is not and shall not be official, and shall pre- serve its independence". The next following article guarantees to all persons freedom from molestation "on account of religious opinions", and Art. 40 lays it down that "the exercise of all cults not contrary to Christian morality or the laws is permitted". A con- cordat, entered into between the Holy See and the Republic of Colombia in 1887, now regulates in detail the relations between Church and State. These rela- tions are at present (1908) thoroughly cordial, while dissenters are in no way interfered with on account of their religious peculiarities. The ecclesiastical organi- zation of Colombia consists of four pro^^nces: Bogota, with four suffragans, Ibaguf^, Nueva Pamplona, Socorro, and Tunja; Cartagena, with two suffragans, Santa Marta anil Panama; .Medellin. with two suffra- gans, Antioquia an<l .Manziales; and Popayan, with two suffragans, Garzon and Pasto. There are al.so two vicariates Apostolic: Casanare and Goajira; and three prefectures Apostolic." Caqueta, Piani di S. Martino, and Intcndenza Orientate. (See Bogota, Cartagen.\, etc.)

Article 41 of the Constitution provides that "public education .shall be organized and directed in accord- ance with the Catholic Religion. Primary instruction at the expense of the public funds shall be gratuitous and not obligatorj'. " There are no educational statis- tics attainable of any recent date. In 1897 it was stated there were 2026 colleges and primary schools with 143,076 pujiils. Of private educational estab- lishments no data exist. Only the faculties of medi- cine and natural sciences are in operation at the na- tional capital. .\ School of Arts and Trades is con- ducted by the .Salesians, and there are normal schools in five departments. Secondary institutions are al- most exclusively in the hands of the Catholic clergy and religious corporations. The minister of public instruction is the official head of the department of education.

The material development of Colombia has neces- sarily been much retarded by the political disturb- ances which have occurred since the first (|uarter of the nineteenth century and have made its liistory a contin- uous succession of civil wars. In 1898 Colombia had 8600 miles of telegraph, but the service is very defective. Railroad lines are in operation with an aggregate length of 411 miles, the longest being only 65 miles. The metric system has been in use for weights and measures since 1857. Metallic currency has nearly disappeared, inconvertible paper forming the circu- lating medium. Th(^ re-establishment of gold coinage has lately been proposed. The paper currency, in 1906, had lost 99 per cent of its nominal value, 10,000 Colombian pesos ( paper currency) being equal to 100 dollars. It is hoped, however, that with internal peace these unfortunate conditions will rapidly change for the better, since ("olotnbia h.is unlimited natural resources. The history of the foreign debt of this