No. 123.
Mr. Martinez to Mr. Blaine.
Washington, December 5, 1881. (Received Dec. 5.)
Sir: I intend to go on with the agreeable task of letting you know which are the last authentic news from the Pacific coast, as they are generally made public in a way calculated to mislead.
Your excellency has already been made acquainted with the decree issued by the Chilian general, Patricio Lynch, prohibiting Dr. Garcia Calderon from exercising any act of jurisdiction within the territory occupied by the Chilian forces, but by no means out of that territory.
Indeed there was a political and military misdeed in the fact of the commander of an invading army allowing the so-called provisional President, whose incapacity and unwillingness to make the peace were [Page 167] well known, to continue as a government in face of his foe. You will please to allow me to state again to your excellency that Chili never recognized Garcia Calderon as the provisional President, and that had she made such a recognition it would have been outlawed when that gentleman made up his mind to reject the terms of peace my government proposed to him.
In spite of the above-named decree, Garcia Calderon went on assuming to himself the functions of President of the government, but being his attitude apparently obnoxious, the Chilian general did not deem it proper to take any measure against him, and I warn your excellency that the ground for the General Lynch to act as I have just stated was the recognition of Garcia Calderon as provisional President made by the United States purposely to lead way to an arrangement of peace.
But it happened Mr. Galvez to address in those days a circular to the diplomatic and consular corps in paper bearing the official seal, dated in Lima, and issued in such a condition as every public document is intended to have, and stating that it was expected to make peace with no dissatisfaction for the national dignity; that is to say, with no teritorial compensation. Mr. Galvez was Mr. Garcia Calderon’s secretary of state.
Being this an open and daring violation of the Chilian commander’s decree, he was compelled to take such a measure as to put in prison the so-called provisional President and his secretary of state.
The measure was executed most quietly. Mr. Garcia Calderon intimates he wanted to hold a private interview with General Lynch, so he walked along about fourteen blocks and not the slightest sign of resistance was noticeable in the crowd.
The prisoners were taken, surrounded with the best treatment, to the iron-clad Almiranti Cockrane, and in Pisco they were transferred to the frigate Chili.
Meanwhile the Peruvian general, Montero, being out of the reach of the Chilian forces, has accepted the vice-presidency of the republic, and notwithstanding being the offering of the vice-presidency and its acceptation irregular acts, the Chilians, keeping faith to their resolution of not interfering with the internal politics in Peru, had opposed no resistance whatever to Montero.
A Peruvian committee started from Lima to meet Montero, and contrive he should go so far as Chimbote, so that he may try to capitulate some terms of peace which my government might agree to.
This incident shows the possibility of the conflict to be arranged as far as the Peruvians will not content themselves with the deceitful expectations of a foreign interference.
The ex-dictator, Piérola, remains in Ayacucho with an army 1,700 strong. His general secretary, Garcia ì Garcia, issued under the date of the 23d October a circular addressed to the chiefs and governors in the republic, bitterly criticising Mr. Hurlbut’s letter, which your excellency has already been acquainted with.
The Chieftain Caceres is, with an army stronger than that of Piérola, not very far from Lima, and keeps a reserved attitude; he does not declare himself in anybody’s favor, but apparently he is obeying his former chief, Piérola.
Such is without any comment the condition of affairs in Peru.
It would be not unsuitable for your excellency to become acquainted with a somewhat painful incident. Garcia Calderon intended to send to Arequipa one of his brothers, as a commissioner, and asked permission for him to be allowed to land at Mollendo, which is now a blockaded [Page 168] port. He was not permitted to do it. Then the said commissioner got by stealth a passport from the Chilian colonel, Valdivieso, telling him he purposed to go from Lima to a near place. Having the passport been given by Valdivieso, Garcia Calderon’s brother wrote down on it that it was good to go to Mollendo. This was not enough for his purposes, being it necessary to get permission from the general headquarters to reach a blockaded port, he did not ask for it; but the United States man-of-war Alaska was about to sail off to Mollendo, and everybody asserts on her board went the commissioner of Garcia Calderon, taking with him correspondence and money to the rebels in Arequipa. Though I cannot state the fact officially, it appears to me to bear the characteristics of the truth.
As for Bolivia is concerned, all that is now known is that General Campero has driven as far as four or five days’ march from Tarapacá, having under his command an army about 4,500 strong.
The Chilian authorities are now under notice not to allow themselves to be surprised.
It is to be derived from the precedents informations that the enemies of Chili are again armed and unwilling to make peace, repeatedly proposed to long ago. They consider a term as indecorous, notwithstanding it has been agreed with by many nations superior to them, and Chili Is not to be responsible for such a denying, nor she can be ascribed to the delaying of a status quo, the lasting of which is not her fault.
Accept, sir, &c.,