740 



PERU, CHILI, AND THE UNITED STATES. 



deplorable perturbation, and to inspire the 

 enemy with vain hopes, or to promote resist- 

 ance which can not effect the end of the war, 

 but must render it more sanguinary." In reply, 

 General Kilpatrick categorically contradicted 

 his Lima colleague. He wrote : 



In the first place, allow me, your Excellency, to as- 

 sure you in the most emphatic IIKUIIUT that the Chilian 

 Government has nothing to fear either from the in- 

 tentions or the attitude my Government will assume 

 with respect to the war in the Pacific. The Govern- 

 ment of the United States has never interfered offi- 

 ciously in the affairs of other countries, even when its 

 <>\vn interests were compromised, and much less would 

 it do so when only the interests are involved ot 

 friendly nations, with respect to which no motive can 

 exist Which should lead us to favor either one or the 

 other of them. I had read the memorandum of Mr. 

 Hurlbut, also the speech delivered by him at his re- 

 ception by President Garcia Calderon. both documents 

 having been forwarded to me from Lima, and by me 

 at once brought to the knowledge of my Government. 

 The first of these documents can not be considered of 

 official or diplomatic character, as its author remarks 

 in the note of which your Excellency forwards me a 

 copy. The instructions given me by my Government 

 are cprtainlv the same as those sent to Mr. Hurlbut, 

 and it can te affirmed with certaintv that they do not 

 coincide in their spirit with that wh'ich predominates 

 in the document referred to by your Excellency. The 

 instructions from Mr. Blaine, the Secretary of State, 

 can not bear a double meaning, and so certain is this, 

 and such confidence was felt in the intelligence, jus- 

 tice, and generosity of the Government of Chili, that I 

 was authorized to place them before his Excellency the 

 President of this Kepublic. or his Ministers, if a mo- 

 ment should arrive when I might deem it advisable 

 so to do. In order to dispel all doubts from the mind 

 of your Excellency as to the attitude of my Govern- 

 ment respecting the conditions of peace between Chili 

 and Peru, and its determination not to interfere in the 

 question, I have no hesitation in here copying a para- 

 graph from those instructions, and which runs as fol- 

 lows: "Since the Arica conference closed, the war 

 has terminated with the complete success of Chili, and 

 with what may be considered little less than the con- 

 quest of Peru. This Government can not persuade 

 itself to believe that the offer of friendly intervention 

 in the question now pending would be agreeable to 

 the Chilian Government. But I am certain that Gov- 

 ernment will appreciate the natural and profound in- 

 terest which the United States feels in the termina- 

 tion of a situation which is so calamitous in ite conse- 

 quences to the best interests of the South American 

 republics. The Government of Chili should also be 

 aware that, it at any tune the interposition of the good 

 offices of this Government can contribute to the re- 

 establishment of friendly relations, the United States 

 would promptly offer such interposition on the desire 

 for such being manifested." These instructions also 

 say : " In all conversations connected with this mat- 

 ter which may be held with members of the Govern- 

 ment of Chili, you must conform to the known ruling 

 of international law, and that under no circumstances 

 shall you officially offer any advice to the Government 

 of Chili which shall not previously have been solicited 

 by it." Another clause refers to the provisional gov- 

 ernment of Senor Garcia Calderon, which the Wash- 

 ington Cabinet hoped to see established, and instructs 

 me to encourage it only in a manner becoming the 

 dignity and neutrality of a plenipotentiary without in- 

 terfering in any manner which might appear officious. 

 It appeals to me that these extracts from the in- 

 structions given me by my Government will suffice to 

 convince your Excellency that there is no intention on 

 the part of my Government to interfere arbitrarily in 

 the contest in the Pacific, and that its actions and 

 conduct proceed from a friendly nation, which en- 

 deavors to act in the most delicate manner. I con- 



sequently trust that the Government of your Excel- 

 lencv will continue to retain faith in the ancient and 

 traditional policy of the United StateSj whose friend- 

 ship has been ot so many years' duration, and which 

 never was more faithful nor intimate than at present. 



The republication in this country of the 

 memorandum addressed by Minister Hurlbut 

 to General Lynch and General Kilpatrick's 

 letter to Sefior Balrneceda, together with the 

 intimation that Mr. Hurlbut was preparing a 

 rejoinder to the statements in General Kilpat- 

 rick's letter which reflected on him, furnished- 

 the text for a large number of newspaper ar- 

 ticles, in which both ministers were severely 

 censured for the unseemly controversy in which 

 they had engaged. In order that the public 

 might understand the relation of the State De- 

 partment to a dispute in which the consistency 

 and harmony of its instructions to our Minis- 

 ters in South America had been called in ques- 

 tion, Secretary of State Blaine, on December 

 llth, furnished for publication copies of the 

 following documents, of which only unessen- 

 tial portions are here omitted : 

 1. 



DKPAKTMENT OF STATE. I 

 "WASHINGTON, May 9, It si. ( 

 /. P. CJiristiancy. Esq.) etc., Lima. 



SIR : In your last dispatch you informed this de- 

 partment that the Chilian Government refused abso- 

 lutely to recognize General Pi6rola as representing 

 the civil authority in Peru, and that Senor Calderon 

 was at the head of a Provisional Government. If the 

 Calderon Government is supported by the character 

 and intelligence of Peru, and is really endeavoring to 

 restore constitutional government, with a view both 

 to domestic order and negotiation with Chili for peace, 

 you may recognize it as the existing Provisional Gov- 

 ernment, and render what aid you can by advice and 

 good offices to that end. Mr. Elmore has been re- 

 ceived by me as the confidential agent of such Pro- 

 visional Government. JAMES G. BLAINE. 



[NOTE. In pursuance of the above, Mr. Christiancy, 

 on June 26th; formally recognized the Calderon Gov- 

 ernment several weeks in advance of the arrival of 

 General Hurlbut. 1 



II. 



DEPARTMENT or STATE, (^ 

 WASHINGTON, June 15, 1881. ) 

 Stephen A. Ihirllut, Esq., etc. 



SIR : The deplorable condition of Peru, the disor- 

 ganization of its government, and the absence of pre- 

 cise and trustworthy information as to the state of 

 affairs now existing in that unhappy country, render 

 it impossible to give you instructions as full and defi- 

 nite as I would desire. Judging from the most recent 

 dispatches from our Ministers, you will probably find, 

 on the part of the Chilian authorities in possession of 

 Peru, a willingness to facilitate the establishment of 

 the Provisional Government which has been attempted 

 by Senor Calderon. If so. you will do all you prop- 

 erly can to encourage the Peruvians to accept any rea- 

 sonable conditions and limitations with which this 

 concession may be accompanied. It is vitally impor- 

 tant to Peru that she be allowed to resume the functions 

 of a native and orderly government, both for the pur- 

 poses of internal administration and the negotiation 

 of peace. To attain this end it would be far better to 

 accept conditions which may be hard and unwelcome, 

 than, by demanding too much, to force the continu- 

 ance of'the military control of Chili. It is hoped that 

 you will be able, "in your necessary association with 

 the Chilian authorities, to impress upon them that the 

 more liberal and considerate their policy, the surer it 

 will be to obtain a lasting and satisfactory settlement. 



