No. 387.
Señor Montúfar to Mr. Blaine.
Most Excellent Mr. Secretary of State: The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary (on a special mission) of the Republic of Guatemala, has the honor to remind the honorable Secretary of State that the credential letter which he had the honor to present requests that full faith and credit be given to whatever he may say on behalf of the Government of Guatemala.
The undersigned, in view of that request, addressed to his excellency the Secretary of State a note bearing date of November 2, for the purpose of informing him in few words of what had occurred between Guatemala and Mexico during a period which commenced before the establishment of the independence of both countries.
On the same ground the undersigned addressed to his excellency the head of the Department of State his note of the 6th instant, the object of which was to point out the errors with regard to the relations between Guatemala and Mexico which were contained in the report presented by Mr. Minister Mariscal to the Mexican Congress, and likewise (and this very particularly) to place the boundary question in the hands of the United States Government.
This is not the first time that this impartial government has thus befriended a Spanish American republic. Venezuela placed her dispute with France in the hands of the United States Government. The American Government complied with the request of that little republic, and a war was averted which would have been most disastrous to Venezuela.
A war between Mexico and Guatemala is now imminent. Such a war will be a calamitous one, and its results cannot be foreseen. Guatemala has but a million and a half of inhabitants, yet she is not alone; the little republics of Salvador and Honduras are her allies.
[Page 614]The undersigned has credentials from Salvador and Honduras, which he has not yet presented.
Nicaragua is eminently Central American in feeling; and when there is danger of aggressions from without she will become the ally of the threatened party in order to maintain the integrity of what was once the country of all Central America.
The undersigned can say nothing just now with regard to Costa Rica, because, although he is well aware of the friendly disposition of the people of that republic, he is not acquainted with the views entertained by Dr. Tomas Guardia.
The war, then, will not be between Mexico and Guatemala alone, but between Mexico and the greater part of Central America. Guatemala alone can raise more than 20,000 fighting men. The first engagements will be disastrous to Mexico, and will perhaps cause a revolution in that republic, in which there is a party and a portion of the press which are opposed to war, which desire peace, and which tell the government that its relations with Guatemala should be very different from what they now are. If the Mexican parties unite, however, Guatemala will resist so long as there is a cabin standing within her border.
The Government of the United States now has it in its power to save Mexico and Central America as it saved Venezuela.
If a proposition for settlement is offered by the Government of the United States, Guatemala will accept it; considering it not as an attempt to assert power or to secure dominion, but as an act of kindness and sincere friendship.
The undersigned hopes that the United States will render this additional service to her neighboring republics, and that the New World will hereafter thus have one more reason to feel grateful to this powerful republic.
Entertaining this pleasing hope, the undersigned has the honor to assure his excellency the Secretary of State that he is his very obedient servant,