No. 366.
Mr. Thomas to Mr. Fish
Lima, August 20, 1872. (Received September 18.)
Sir: Daring the disturbances in Callao, on the 25th of July last, while Gutierrez was endeavoring to maintain his dictatorial power, the American consulate was wantonly fired into by troops engaged in his cause, and American officers proceeding to their boats were made the objects of an equally unprovoked attack.
In reply to an energetic remonstrance and request for explanations which I addressed to this government, the minister of foreign affairs lost no time in assuring me that steps had already been taken to bring the offenders to trial and summary punishment, and that his government sincerely deplored these outrages perpetrated in the abnormal period by some evilly-disposed persons, but that the Peruvian government did not consider itself responsible for such acts committed at such a time.
In my reply to the minister, after thanking him for the readiness of his government to submit the culpable persons to the action of the law, and to subsequent punishment, I took occasion to inform him that I distinctly differed from him in opinion, and that I hold the Peruvian nation responsible for any such outrages committed by the officers of a de facto government, or by their orders.
[Page 477]At the same time, however, I remarked to the minister that I saw no necessity at this immediate moment for entering into a discussion on this point.
I have, &c.,