G54 



PERU. 



necessary, physical cooperation for the same 

 purpose. All the religious communities made 

 similar manifestations, and several of them 

 placed their revenues at the disposal of the 

 Government. 



The foreign residents in Lima were equally 

 unanimous in the manifestation of their sym- 

 pathy. The citizens of the United States re- 

 siding at Lima and CaHao, met on April 27th, 

 in the Cabildo of Lima, and unanimously passed 

 the following resolutions : 



1. Resolved, That the seizure of the islands, ves- 

 sels, and citizens of Peru, by the naval forces of 

 Spain, is a flagrant act of perfidy, a grievous outrage 

 on the rights and sovereignty of Peru, and a gross 

 violation of the rules of international law observed 

 by civilized nations. 



2. Resolved, That we regard the guano islands as 

 a trust held by Peru, to be administered in the gen- 

 eral interest of mankind, and that their possession 

 by any strong maritime power involves the danger 

 of an oppressive and uncontrollable monopoly, inju- 

 rious to the agricultural world, against which it is 

 the duty of industrial nations to protest, and, if ne- 

 cessary, interfere. 



3. Resolved, That we see in this new act of aggres- 

 sion only another development of that unholy con- 

 spiracy against popular freedom, which not content 

 with repressing the peoples of Europe, has fostered 

 civil war at home, given up Santo Domingo to the 

 cruelties of Spain, plunged Mexico into the horrors 

 of war, and seeks to impose on her a monarchical 

 form of government, in hostility to the wishes and 

 welfare of her people, and which has, for its final 

 and cherished object, the destruction of Republican 

 institutions and the subversion and absorption of the 

 American Republics. 



4. Resolved, That past aggressions and impending 

 dangers impose on the American Republics the duty 

 of immediately combining in an effective union for 

 mutual defence and protection, and for the preserva- 

 tion of the institutions bequeathed to them by a 

 Washington and a Bolivar. 



5. Resolved, That we deeply sympathize with the 

 people of Peru in this the hour of their trial, and 

 that while we commend to them the glorious ex- 

 ample of the patriots of Santo Domingo, we cor- 

 dially extend to them all the aid and assistance 

 in our power compatible with our international 

 obligations. 



6. Resolved, That in the recognition of the Monroe 

 doctrine consists the safeguard and only defence of 

 the sister republics of this Continent ; and that whilst 

 the true policy of each of them is to throw open its 

 ports to foreign emigration, that he who casts his 

 future in a foreign land should be content to be gov- 

 erned by the same laws, and should, in times of 

 public danger, hold himself liable to the same sacri- 

 fices, as those who by birth or their own free elec- 

 tion have become citizens. 



The British subjects of Lima and Callao met 

 at the house of the British Charge d' Affaires, 

 and resolved to petition their Government for 

 immediate intervention, in order to secure a 

 speedy adjustment of the existing difficulties. 

 Similar resolutions were passed by a meeting 

 of French residents. The Italians and Ger- 

 mans were still more emphatic in their protest 

 against the Spanish aggression, and organized 

 companies of volunteers who placed them- 

 selves at the disposal of the Government. At 

 a meeting of the Spanish residents, it was 



Resolved, 1. To appoint a commission to ask of 



Admiral Pinzon the deliverance of the Peruvians taken 

 as hostages. 2. To express their gratitude to the 

 authorities of Peru and to Peruvian society in gen- 

 ral, for their noble and generous conduct toward 

 them under the present circumstances. 3. To send 

 a commission to Spain in order to present to Queen 

 Isabella a statement declaring that the Spaniards 

 residing in Peru are enjoying the most ample guar- 

 antees. 



The Minister of Foreign Affairs as soon as ho 

 itceived the news of the seizure of the isl- 

 ands, addressed a note to the Diplomatic body, 

 protesting before all civilized nations against 

 the violent spoliation inflicted upon Peru, de- 

 claring, besides, that such a depredation argued 

 nothing against the political personality of Peru, 

 nor against her rights as a free and sovereign 

 nation. 



The foreign Ministers forming the Diplomatic 

 body, taking into consideration the reasons 

 adduced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and 

 the declaration issued by Messrs. Pinzon and 

 Mazarredo, met on the 20th with their senior, the 

 Honorable Christopher Robinson, Esq., Envoy 

 Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of 

 the United States in the chair, and declared- 

 their regret that the Commissioner and Com- 

 mander General had not been guided in their 

 proceedings by international law, and that they 

 did not accept the right of revindication invoked 

 as one of the motives of the occupation, but 

 would consider the islands as belonging to Peru. 



In order to meet the necessities of the situa- 

 tion, the Government applied to the Permanent 

 Commission of Congress, asking for authority 

 to raise a loan of twelve millions of dollars, 

 increase the navy up to twenty vessels of war, 

 and the army to the strength that might be 

 necessary. The Permanent Commission voted 

 unanimously to authorize the Executive to raise 

 a loan of fifty millions, augment the army to 

 thirty thousand men, and the navy to twenty 

 vessels, with the obligation to give an account 

 of the use made of this authority to the ordi- 

 nary Congress in July. 



In virtue of this authority, the Govern- 

 ment gave the order that every battalion of 

 linfantry and of marines be increased to the 

 number of one thousand men, the regiments 

 of cavalry to five hundred, and the corps of 

 gendarmes to such a number as seemed neces- 

 sary, calling all" Peruvians wanting to take ac 

 active part in the national defence, to a volun- 

 tary enrolment. Active measures were taken 

 to put the navy on a war footing. 



The Government also ordered the organiza- 

 tion of the National Guard all over the Repub- 

 lic, excepting from service only the individuals 

 belonging to the army, navy, and gendarmes. 

 At the same time the Government opened a 

 subscription for a National Loan (Emprestito 

 Nacional) for ten millions of dollars. 



The excitement produced in the other re- 

 publics of South America was equally intense, 

 and on all sides offers of aid were made to the 

 Peruvian Government. This was especially so 

 in Chile, the Government of which republic 



