No. 89.
Mr. Williamson to Mr. Fish.
Guatemala, September 9, 1874. (Received October 13.)
Sir: I have the honor to report that the presidential election which is to take place in Honduras in November next, is beginning to excite attention. The candidates are the present provisional incumbent, Ponciano Leiva, Manual Colindres, and Ramon Midence.
The election is to be held under the constitution of 1865, which, as reported in my No. 161* was adopted by the Congress of Honduras as the organic law of that state.
Of President Leiva I have so often written that it appears unnecessary to say more of his political status than that he appears not to be a partisan, but a moderate man of intelligent and liberal views.
Colindres is called a reactionist now. He is the person who was proclaimed President of Honduras in August, 1873, at the island of Utilla, by the military party under the charge of Don Henry Palacios.
He was a warm friend of ex-President Medina, whom, from my information, I would be disposed to call one of the firmest liberals in Central America. He is at present a high official in the administration of President Leiva.
Ramon Midence is called a liberal. He is, so far as I can learn, without political antecedents of note.
Leiva appears to be the favorite of the people of Honduras, both on account of his personal popularity and his political professions. He may be defeated by the division of the vote with Colindres—I think not.
The influence of Guatemala will be covertly, and perhaps openly, thrown against Leiva particularly, and in favor of Midence, the so-styled liberal.
On the other hand, it is believed in well-informed circles, Leiva will have the cordial and public support of the government of Salvador.
This election derives additional importance from the fact that it may present the occasion for an open rupture between the governments of Guatemala and Salvador.
As I stated in my No. 174, there is no doubt, in my mind, the chiefs of the two governments are not in harmony, although publicly they profess to be so.
I have, &c.,