No. 122.
Mr. Martinez to Mr. Blaine
.
Washington , November 26, 1881. (Received November 30.)
Sir: Yielding to the purpose of communicating to the Department of State the actual course of events that occur on the Pacific coast, I shall briefly refer to the authentic intelligences that I have had by the last mail.
Several of the military chiefs in Arequipa, availing themselves of the absence of Piérola and Colonel Solar, declared themselves in favor of the late provisional government of Garcia Calderon, giving the three following reasons for so doing:
1st. That Piérola tyranny’s was absolutely intolerable. That the country could not carry on the war with Chili, and that the United States had offered their intervention, in order to obtain an agreement of peace that did not comprise territorial cession. Certainly those patriots did not explain how Peru could otherwise answer the claims of Chili.
Some time afterwards Rear Admiral Montero, who had been for some months past inactive on the Cajamarca mountains, accepted the irregular and unconstitutional offer for the vice-presidency of the republic. In his letter of acceptance, dated last October 23, he made declarations which are absolutely necessary that your excellency should hear of, to know on what illusions the Peruvian leaders found their politics, and also to know the role the American legation is made to assume in all those affairs.
The philosophy arising from the facts that I am going to state is, that, while these illusions and hopes are being kept up, peace will be impossible.
Montero says:
The noble officiousness of the Government of the United States, manifested in the documents which have successively been published, even the definite declarations comprised in the letter written at the request of the notables of Lima by the honorable minister plenipotentiary from Washington (letter which nobody has seen) which has completely changed the situation, and consequently its proper resolution.
He adds that he has officially communicated his resolution to the representative of the United States, in a dispatch directed on the same date. He finally states that “his noble wishes of increasing the elements to defend his country are greatly gratified”! and concludes, assuring that “he redoubles his activity to multiply the necessary elements in order to be always ready for its support, till he sees the final issue of the diplomatic affairs with Chili”!
If, as it is said, Garcia Calderon has been imprisoned because he insisted upon sneering the decree of the Chilian general within the limits of the Chilian forces, it is probable that Montero will represent the provisional government, and I beg your excellency to remark that this chief assures he has forces, and that he is desirous to have more to continue their armed resistance against Chili.
The protest of all these chiefs against a territorial cession is established on the chimerical intervention of the United States, warranted by Minister Hurlbut, to whom Montero has addressed himself as his immediate superior.
Your excellency’s deep penetration will judge in the same way that I do. I allow so to express myself, this queer and anomalous situation. All that is extraordinary and unexpected in the affairs of Peru will [Page 166] very often, I have no doubt, call your excellency’s attention, and will too often explain that providence did not endow that country with any logic.
I have some reasons to believe that in some information sent from Lima to the Department of State they insist on saying that the indemnification which Chili pretends to ask exceeds the limits of justice, and that the authorities in Lima have acted very cruelly toward the Peruvians.
Both informations, if they are known to your excellency, are entirely erroneous.
As to the indemnification, I will only say that those who think exaggerated the claims of Chili, entitled as it is by the perfect right of its actual situation, are under a mistake, for they are moderate and equitable, as it will probably be demonstrated as international courtesy when the time comes to make them practicable. Those who think otherwise do it, either out of dislike or want of knowledge in the matter, being for the rest no judges to give their opinions in businesses that do not concern them.
As for the second information, the want of truth is but too plain. If any good quality is to be precisely acknowledged in the Chilians, it is that of not being sanguinary. It can be assured that in the space of eight years not more than three or four capital executions ever occur in Chili.
When the Chilian army occupied Lima the general in chief invited the Peruvian tribunals to continue in their functions, and they absolutely refused. It was necessary to establish a military tribunal, ruled under martial law, to maintain the public peace.
In a country greatly demoralized and given up to anarchy, like Peru, it was necessary to give examples of rigor, and nevertheless there have been but few condemned to death, and those for acts of unheard of cruelty.
Meanwhile the society in Lima rests quietly under the auspices of peace and order guaranteed by the Chilians.
I shall continue to communicate to your excellency my informations, and, in doing so this time, I renew my sentiments of highest consideration.