Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 1, 1890
Mr. Mizner to Mr. Blaine.
Guatemala, August 4, 1890. (Received August 21.)
Sir: As a part of the history of the overture for peace between Salvador and Guatemala on the part of the representatives from Costa Rica and Nicaragua, I now have the honor to inclose to you herewith a copy of the address of Señor José Maria Castro, minister from Costa Rica, accredited on a special mission of peace to the republics of Guatemala and Salvador, made to the President of Guatemala on the 16th ultimo, together with copy of that high official’s reply to the same, and translation into English of both.
I have, etc.,
Mr. Castro to President Barillas.
[Address presented to His Excellency the President of the republic of Guatemala by the minister plenipotentiary and envoy extraordinary from Costa Rica, upon the occasion of his official reception before the Government of Guatemala. July 16, 1890.]
Most Excellent Sir: The President of Costa Rica, actuated by sentiments of fraternity towards our common country of Central America, has with much pleasure offered to Your Excellency his friendly services in order to see if it might be possible to attain the reëstablishment of constitutional law and order in the republic of Salvador, and with this object in view has accredited to the other republics of Central America the legation, of which I have the honor to be the chief.
The fact that forces of this republic, as well as those of Salvador, are now occupying their respective frontiers at the risk of becoming involved in a fratricidal struggle, fatal to the interests of both parties, as well as to the whole of Central America, made me determine to come first before the Government of Your Excellency, present my credentials, and set forth the urgency of the reasons that the Government of Costa Rica has for proposing, with lively solicitude, arrangements for the preservation of peace which should always exist between these sister nations.
And the truth is, most excellent Sir, that it is difficult to set forth or outline the actual present situation, for it is not evident to the eyes of foreign governments, nor is it well understood in Central America, what are those grave reasons which would justify an open disastrous rupture; and yet, on account of the war-like attitude presented by the republics of Guatemala, Honduras, and Salvador, this open rupture would seem imminent, an event that would cover them with opprobrium in the eyes of the civilized world, were it for no other reason than that of occurring between states that only yesterday signed a solemn treaty of union.
My Government has been really surprised to see the dizzying rapidity with which preparations for war are being made at the very moment when all possibility of warfare in Central America seemed further off than ever before, not only on account of the strong desire for union, but more especially in view of the astonishing advancement of these countries, notably that of Guatemala, under the more favorable conditions of a few years of universal peace; and, moreover, in view of the circumstance that the Government of Your Excellency, as well as that of Honduras, gave so eloquent an expression to their desire for the welfare and prosperity of Salvador by directing to those of Costa Rica and Nicaragua an exhortation to endeavor to restore peace and legitimate government, which a local disturbance had threatened to interrupt in that neighboring republic.
My Government has hastened to respond to this exhortation in the firm conviction that only by a religious respect for republican institutions and by the establishment of absolute confidence in the permanence of the rights and liberties of the people can the progress and advancement of a State be assured, and that in the natural course of its development or unfoldment will be realized the union of these republics and the regeneration of the fatherland of Central America. War, on the contrary, places this ideal farther and farther off; and only with ineffable grief could my Government view this abortive outbreak of antipatriotic spirits.
I am sure that Your Excellency will be the first in the efforts that are being made to avoid a conflict, because Your Excellency and your illustrious Government will never ignore the reasons that militate in favor of peace, nor renounce the glory of having [Page 46] preserved it. Oh! you certainly never can renounce so great a glory! War scatters among the nations the seeds of animosity and hatred—the germs, almost always, of future cruel conflicts—and never fails to create separation and antagonism. War consumes the accumulated resources destined for the unfoldment of the public wealth and the growth of the internal well-being of the nations; and that which is still more lamentable than all this, it awakes savage passions, sensuality, selfishness, and brute force, and these take the place of disinterested patriotism and universal justice.
But aside from these considerations, most excellent Sir, the evils of war become much more aggravated, as far as Central America is concerned, on account of special circumstances. The absence of motives that would justify it on the part of Guatemala would make the integration of Central America by peaceful means at a later period much more difficult—that union which has been the constant and earnest desire of Your Excellency ever since the day of inauguration of your Government and with it the establishment of order and peace.
You, Sir, assumed the reins of power upon the death of General Don Justo Rufino Barrios. Your appearance at the summit of power was the signal of peace; it was the proclamation of peace to the soil that you loved. Such a precedent leads my Government to hope that the mission entrusted to me may have a happy outcome, and to believe in the sincerity of those notable words that appear in the columns of your official daily: “Guatemala no quiere la Guerra—Guatemala does not desire war.” Those words, which I applaud with enthusiasm, stand as a rebuke and a protest against those who attribute to your honorable Government sinister designs upon the autonomy of the republic of Salvador. Those words of “peace,” which went forth from your lips on the day of your inauguration, are again repeated by you today under circumstances the most solemn and important, and those words are the greatest glory of your political figure. For those words I congratulate you and the people of Guatemala in the name of the Government and people of Costa Rica.
President Barillas to Mr. Castro.
[Reply of President Barillas to the foregoing address.]
Mr. Minister: I receive with benevolence the autograph letter by which you are accredited in the capacity of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary from the republic of Costa Rica before the Government of Guatemala, and I cordially congratulate you upon the honor which, with just reason, the chief of that sister section bad bestowed upon the distinguished citizen, who, having rendered important services to his country, has received from his Government the mission of advocating the tranquility of Salvador, and for the peace of nations united by fraternal bonds.
The ample and well digested address of Your Excellency, relative to the peace and the beneficial results of general tranquility for all Central America, finds, on the part of my Government, the most perfect reciprocity; for, indeed, Mr. Minister, no enlightened Government can desire war in adverse exchange for the benefits of peace. Under the benign influences of order and regularity of administration have accrued to Central America the advantages of agriculture, commerce, and industry to such an extent that the production of our five republics together stands on an equal footing with the most advanced in all Latin America.
Thanks to the liberal and progressive institutions of Guatemala, there have been effected in this country many improvements; and thanks to her sincerely fraternal policy, prosperous days have been reached for the union of Central America. My administration, indeed, struggling against serious difficulties, has aimed to succeed in establishing a frank system of progress, of liberty in every sense, and of intimate and cordial union, free from all preponderance of any kind among the states of Central America.
The late events in Salvador, already condemned by all enlightened people, place Guatemala in an anomalous position: for it is well known that whatever happens in that neighboring state, whether prosperous or adverse, has a powerful reflex influence, direct or indirect, upon the situation in this republic, as well as in each of the other Central American states; for, as history demonstrates, an irregular government in that republic has, as an immediate consequence, a pernicious influence, not only upon Guatemala, but upon every other section of the ancient fatherland.
The situation is for us all the more difficult in the present circumstances, inasmuch as our republic is, both by population and constitution of elements, the elder sister of the five Central American states; and, in her character as such, she can not accept [Page 47] the responsibility of having viewed with indifference such actions as those that have lately taken place in Salvador, which she is obliged to regard as an insult, not only to us, but also in the face of all civilized nations.
Your Excellency must not, therefore, be surprised at the gathering of forces raised for the maintenance of order; and much less will you be surprised when you reflect that from all these warlike preparations the peace and tranquillity, not only of Guatemala, but of all Central America, will result. This action on our part, prompted alike by propriety and the general security of the country, must not be regarded as opprobrium and worthy of censure; it is, on the contrary, the evidence of foresight for the prevention of evils which, with an incautious and too confident line of conduct, might confront us—not only us who live on this side of the Rio Paz, but all who dwell on Central American soil. And it is my firm conviction and belief, Mr. Minister, that, when the civilized world shall see that we do not hesitate to make sacrifices in order to extricate ourselves from the evil influence of the men who in Salvador have possessed themselves of power, it will justify the dignified and decorous attitude which, on behalf of all in this unfortunate emergency, has been assumed by the elder sister of the republics of Central America.
War is indeed an abortion of anti-patriotic spirits. All cherish and ought to desire peace. At the same time, unfortunately, it often happens that peace can be attained only by means of war, grievous and painful though it be. Guatemala has no desire for such an extreme measure. She has, therefore, limited her operations to the inspection of her frontiers, and, foreseeing worse disasters, has exhorted her sisters to unite with her in preventing the evils that might be produced by the grave disturbance that has taken place in Salvador. Nobody can desire an armed conflict. Nor do we profess or pretend to do so, because to it are opposed humanitarian sentiments and the interests of commerce, industry, and our flourishing agriculture. But shall we evade the responsibility and decline to fight should it become necessary?
It is to be deeply regretted that in these solemn moments a conflict with Salvador should have arisen. Guatemala has made unparalleled efforts in favor of the union of Central America. My Government has taken pains to aid in the realization of this ideal. It has not hesitated at any sacrifice that might be necessary in order to attain it. Yet, at the very moment in which we were about to put in force the “treaty of the union,” the old monster, the revolutionary hydra, makes his appearance and puts obstacles in the way of its completion! This, Señor Minister, is one of the greatest evils that could have resulted from the scandalous deeds of the 22d of June; but, notwithstanding all this, I can assure you that my Government, faithful to its policy, will spare no effort in order that the labors and efforts undertaken with this object in view shall bear fruit, and yield all that has been expected or could be hoped for.
Mr. Minister, my Government, upon assuming power, pronounced the word “peace.” That sacred word is still its motto and its landmark. “Peace” we still continue to pronounce, because it is the prime necessity of all peoples. However, peace must be decorous and dignified. Nay, more; in the circumstances that now exist it must be permanent and beneficent towards all Central America.
Mr. Minister, allow me again to congratulate you on the sound and wholesome propositions that you have uttered and set forth, and I hope that a happy outcome may crown the noble efforts that you are making in fulfillment of your mission.