BALMACEDA, Jose Manuel, Chilean statesman: b. Santiago 1838; d. 18 Sept. 1891 by suicide. He was educated at the Semi nario Conciliar in Santiago; early became noted as an orator, urging radical reforms in the Con stitution of 1833; and was a founder of the Re form Club in 1868.- As deputy for five terms, 1870-85, he urged the separation of church and state and became the leader of the Progressives. He was Chileon Minister at Buenos Ayres in the early part of the Chile-Peruvian War, 1879 83, and secured the neutrality of Argentina. In 1882 he was made Minister of the Interior, and introduced liberalizing bills, as for civil mar riage? etc. In 1885 he was elected senator and appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. Elected President in 1886, he carried out large schemes of reform and democratization; popular educa tion was extended, civil marriage carried in railroads and other internal improvements forwarded. But both his measures and men in
volved war against the clerical oligarchy which not only ruled the state but monopolized the offices, and possessed the bulk of the property and influence; and when he tried to prevent the ruin of his work by ((influencing') the election of a like successor. his opponents blocked the ad ministration. He appointed a ministry of his own stripe and dissolved Congress, virtually malcing himself dictator; but the Congressional ists, having the naval officers on their side, be ran war 7 Jan. 1891, secured the nitrate prov mces, and, using their revenues to buy the best arms and munitions, utterly routed Balma ceda's forces in a decisive battle near Valpa raiso, 7 August. He took refuge in the Argentine legation at Santiago, and died there a few weeks later.