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CO
PERU AND SPAIN,
BEING
A NARRATIVE OF THE EVENTS
PRECEDING AND FOLLOWING THE
SIZURE OF THE CHINCHA ISLANDS,
WITH
AN ANALYSIS OF THE DESPATCH
OF
SENOR SALAZAR Y MAZABBEDO,
HER CATHOLIC MAJESTY'S "SPECIAL COMMISSARY" TO PERU,
AND MINISTER TO BOLIVIA,
DETAILING
HIS ADVENTUROUS VOYAGE HOMEWARDS.
BY CAPTAIN F. E. CERRUTI,
EX-PRIVATE SECRETARY TO H.C.M.'s "SPECIAL COMMISSARY.'
WILLIAMS AND NORGATE
14, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, '
AHD 20, SOUTH FREDERICK STREET, EDINBURGH. '
1864.
The right of Translation is reserved.
PERU AND SPAIN,
BEING
A NARRATIVE OF THE EVENTS
PRECEDING AND FOLLOWING THE
SEIZURE OF THE CHINOHA ISLANDS,
WITH
AN ANALYSIS OF THE DESPATCH
OE
SENOE SALAZAE Y MAZAEBEDO,
HER CATHOLIC MAJESTY'S "SPECIAL COMMISSARY" TO PERU,
AND MINISTER TO BOLIVIA,
DETAILING
HIS ADVENTUROUS VOYAGE HOMEWAKDS.
BY CAPTAIN F. E. CERRUTI.
'/
EX-PRIVATE SECRETARY TO H.C.M.'s "SPECIAL COMMISSARY."
WILLIAMS AND NORGATE,
14, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON;
AND 20, SOUTH FREDERICK STREET, EDINBURGH.
1864.
The right of Translation is reserved.
I- "3 M- 4
mf inst.
chk. done
_ncroft Library
University of California
WITHDRAWN
CONTENTS,
PAGE.
DEDICATORY LETTER . . . . 1
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS .... 3
PART FIRST: — ..... 5
THE ORIGIN or THE DIFFICULTY BETWEEN PERU AND
SPAIN.
THE CAPTURE OF THE CHINCHA ISLANDS.
OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
PART SECOND : — . . . . . .38
THE VOYAGE HOME. PERSONAL ADYENTURES.
ANALYSIS OF SEIIOR SALAZAR Y MAZARREDO'S DE-
SPATCH.
POSTSCRIPT . . . . . . .57
APPENDIX ...... 61
I. EXTRACT OF CIRCULAR OF SEHOH PACHECO, AC-
COMPANYING THE DESPATCH OF SEHOR SALAZAR
Y MAZARREDO . . . . .61
II. COPIES OF CIRCULARS FROM THE SOUTH AMERI-
CAN REPUBLICS, ON RECEIPT OF INTELLIGENCE OF
THE SEIZURE OF THE CHINCHA ISLANDS . 63
III. BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE CHINCHAS AND OTHER
" GUANO" ISLANDS . 71
DEDICATORY LETTER.
London, \st September, 1864
To the Senores Caballeros
Luis DE CEPEDA T GBANADOS,
ANTONIO CENCIO T BOMERO,
MELCHOB OBDOHEZ T ORTEGA,
FEBNANDO OBDOUEZ T ORTEGA.
ESTEEMED FRIENDS,
I am so greatly indebted to you for innumerable acts of
kindness shown to me during the many months we were together,
that I feel a singular pleasure in thus connecting your names
with a production of my pen. I might have hesitated to do so in
respect of a more imposing work, but I am confident that the
liberty I take will be easily pardoned me on this occasion, when 1
assure you that the present pamphlet is written with a view to
facilitate the return to a better understanding between Peru and
Spain, by explaining away the chief causes of the hostile attitude
assumed by the latter country towards one of her fairest
daughters.
I know you to be all brave and generous. I know you would
freely sacrifice your lives for the good of your glorious land ; but
I fear to see you fall in what, I cannot but think an unworthy
cause, if you should become the victims of a war generated from
ignoble motives, and fanned into flame by unscrupulous instru-
ments.
Understand me rightly. I do not by the latter term allude to
the Admiral now *n command of your country's squadron in the
Pacific. I believe him to be an upright gentleman and gallant
officer, who, incapable of meanness himself, is too apt to believe in
the honour of others. I refer more especially to the man, who,
having it in his power to conciliate differences which he was
2
actually commissioned to settle, has cliosen rather to increase
them, and who, to soothe his wounded self-love or gratify some
malignant feeling, has not hesitated to resort to measures which
will, I sincerely hope, be yet turned against their author.
Trusting in all sincerity that under the leadership of the gallant
Pinzon, you will acquire that noble fame to which your aspirations
tend,
I respectfully subscribe myself,
Esteemed Friends,
Tour hearty well-wisher,
F. E. C.
41, Museum Street,
Bloomslury '.
PERU AND SPAIN.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.
A CAREFUL examination of the Circular addressed on the 24th
June last by H. E. Serior J. F. Pacheco, Minister of State of Her
Catholic Majesty to the representatives of Spain abroad, and by
them laid before the Governments to which they are respectively
accredited, has led me to believe that if the true history of the
Spanish- Peruvian difficulty were better known in Spain and else-
where, it would go far towards preventing the having recourse to
hostilities.
Moved by this conviction and possessed of an intimate know-
ledge of the events preceding and following the seizure of the
Chincha Islands ; being also fully aware of the degree of credit to
be given to the "Special Commissary's" despatch, which is ap-
pended to Senor Pachecb's Circular, I propose to lay before my
readers a true and impartial statement of the events which led to
the rupture between the two Governments, in the hope that it
may do something towards the prevention of a war, which, once
begun, would extend to a great part of the South American Con-
tinent, for there is little doubt but that the other Bepublics would
make common cause with Peru, if Spain should be so ill-advised
as to prosecute this quarrel to its threatened end.
As Serior Pacheco intimates that peace is impossible unless the
Peruvian Government shall, "by satisfactory explanations and
protestations of innocence," remove from herself the suspicious
cast upon her by Serior Salazar's despatch, as he considers that the
grievances therein detailed " eclipse all others which Spain con-
ceives that she has against Peru," I intend (having in my capacity
of Senor Salazar's private Secretary, been his fellow-traveller from
Callao to Southampton), to place in a proper light the grave accu-
sations which the Spanish Special Commissary has brought against
the Peruvian Government. I am prompted to do this, not only
as a friend of peace, but as one revolting against the perversion of
honest truth, and from that feeling which, when gratuitous insult
is added to injury, " makes every man of spirit a partisan." While
doing so, however, I am conscious that an adherence to the strict-
est truth will be my solemn duty, and that by such a course I
shall be most likely to succeed in smothering that unholy feeling
4
which the artful despatch of Senor Salazar has excited, and which is
now smouldering in the breasts of two kindred nations ; creating at
present the chief obstacle to a settlement of their differences.
In dealing with this document as I propose to do, paragraph
by paragraph, I shall give it translated into English, with such
comments as in my character of an eye-witness, I am in a posi-
tion to append. I consider it my duty to dwell thus, at length,
upon this production of Senor Salazar y Mazarredo, because the
charges which he brings against Peru are of such a nature as to
preclude the probability that a Government — acknowledged by
Senor Pacheco to be an enlightened one — will deign to exonerate
itself of calumnies which redound, not to the disadvantage of the
accused, but to the shame and confusion of the unscrupulous ac-
cuser. It remains, therefore, for those whose knowledge gives
them a right to speak upon the subject, freely to place in posses-
sion of the public the necessary data to form an opinion.
Having thus denned my position and the motives which have
induced me to come forward at this juncture, I shall, with the
reader's permission, proceed to my self-allotted task.
PART FIRST.
THE ORIGIN OF THE DIFFICULTY BETWEEN PERU AND
SPAIN. — THE SEIZURE OF THE CHINCH A ISLANDS.
I?r the month of November, 1863, there arrived at Panama the
" Bolivia," one of the Steamers of the Pacific Mail Steam Naviga-
tion Company, bringing the news of a conflict which had taken
place at Talambo, an insignificant Peruvian hamlet, wherein some
Spaniards had lost their lives, and others had been seriously
wounded.
On the receipt of this intelligence, Admiral Pinzon, in command
of the Spanish force in the Pacific, and then at Panama, resolved
to forego an intended cruise to Guayaquil and sail at once for
Callao, with the object of inquiring into the matter.
Propelled by steam, the " Eesolucion," (the Spanish flag-ship),
reached that port on the 14th December, and on the following
day the Admiral, having hired a residence at Lima, entered into
communication with the Peruvian authorities for the purpose of
obtaining the punishment of the guilty parties in the affair of
Talambo.
For the information of my readers, I must here digress to in-
form them that Talambo is little more than a large farm in the
northern part of Peru, the exclusive property of Senor Manuel
Salcedo, a wealthy and educated gentleman, who, desiring to im-
prove the immense tracts of land which had for ages remained
un tilled, owing to the want of hands, sent agents to Spain to
invite over a large number of colonists for the purpose of culti-
vating cotton on his estates. On the arrival of Senor Salcedo's
envoys in the old country, they engaged some seventy families
who agreed to emigrate, providing their expenses were paid — -a
condition which was faithfully performed.
While the preparations for the departure of the future colonists
were making, the matter came to the ears of the Spanish Govern-
ment who, to the emigrants' astonishment, opposed their departure
— presumably on the ground that it was derogatory to the lofty
character of the nation, that her subjects should be hired as
colonists. This opposition, however, served no other end than to
induce the emigrants to seek a foreign port of departure, which
they found in France, whence, with French passports, they em--
B 2
6
barked for Callao, on board a vessel chartered by Senor Salcedo, who
not only defrayed the expenses of the passage but advanced
moneys to several of the colonists to provide them with a proper
outfit.
On arriving at Callao, some of these men broke faith with their
employer, and engaged themselves and families to other parties
without so much as an attempt to reimburse the sums advanced
on their behalf. The greater part, however, proceeded to Ta-
lainbo, where by their assiduity to labour and general good con-
duct they secured the esteem of their master and gathered com-
forts about their homes.
Things went on thus prosperously till the 4th August 1863,
when, a dispute having arisen between some of the Peruvian
labourers and a number of the Spanish colonists, one of the latter
was killed and four were wounded : the casualties on the other
side being one man killed and five wounded. The total number of
persons engaged in this affair did not exceed forty, and the asser-
tion of Sefior Salazar, that seventy armed Peruvians fell upon
eighteen unarmed Spaniards, is perfectly unfounded, nor can a
single declaration of a reliable person be brought forward to sub-
stantiate it. Nor can the assertion of Senor Salazar that the
affair was a premeditated one, having for object the extirpation of
the Spanish colonists, and that the authorities were not only
parties to it but actually sent some of their menials to assist in
the unholy work, be regarded as worthy of credence ; for if this
were the fact, what was there to prevent the colonists being
slaughtered to a man ? Surely not the eighteen unarmed Spaniards
treacherously taken unawares by seventy blood-thirsty assassins !
But it is useless to argue such a point. I repeat, and intelligent
persons will surely coincide with me, that the riot was purely
accidental, and that the parties engaged in it were about equally
divided, as the casualties will prove; — but that in no case can the
Government of Peru be responsible for an event which was just
as likely to arise in the old world as the new ; under the oldest as
the youngest dynasties. That the Government was not, however,
indifferent to the matter is shown by the course taken by the
authorities, who no sooner heard of the affair than they took all
constitutional means to bring the guilty parties to justice.
It may be, that the energy with which the matter was taken up
was not due to a sense of justice only. It is possible that a desire
to maintain a good understanding with Spain and to prevent this
untoward affair being used, by unscrupulous men in that country,
as a pretext for fresh charges and accusations against Peru, had
its weight in inducing the Government to exert itself towards
obtaining a prompt and impartial administration of the laws.
But, however great might be the wish of the authorities to bring
the matter to a speedy and favourable issue, they could do no more
than compel the attendance of witnesses and employ able counsel
in the case ; — the rest remained with the Tribunal itself j — and it
was while the cause was still pending in the Court to whose juris-
diction it was submitted that the events occurred which we shall
describe hereafter.
This Talambo brawl, — for it deserves no higher title, — is put
forward by Senor Salazar as a casus lelli. So important in his
eyes is this squabble between a handful of irresponsible persons
that he uses it as an excuse to kidnap various civil and military
officers of a State \vith which his country is at peace, to confiscate
its treasures, and — what is even perhaps more unpardonable still,
— to brand the entire nation with perfidy, and declare their
judges wholly unfit to administer justice.
I now return to Admiral Pinzon, who, on his arrival at Lima,
was received with all the honours due to so distinguished a guest.
His reception at the capital was in fact a brilliant one, and during
his stay a round of entertainments indicated the desire of the people
to maintain friendly relations with the country he represented.
The same demonstrations followed him to the coast, and not to
be behindhand in civility, the Admiral, on his return to Callao,
gave a banquet and ball on board of the flag-ship, which were
graced by the presence of many noble ladies and the elite of
Peruvian society.
There is no doubt that, prior to his coming in contact with
Senor Salazar, Admiral Pinzoii acted with good faith towards the
Peruvians. He had come to inquire into the affair of Talambo.
He had presumably received satisfactory explanations. These
entertainments mutually given and accepted are proof of this
position, and a further evidence of such a view is afforded by the
fact, that when he left Callao in March of the present year, he
had resolved to take his fleet to Spain.
I say resolved advisedly, although such intention was not com-
municated to me in words. My conclusions were drawn from
what I there saw passing beneath my eyes. As thus: — At Val-
paraiso, where the vessels made some stay, I observed officers and
sailors purchasing winter clothing, which would be of little use to
them if remaining in Peru, although indispensable in a passage
round Cape Horn. I remarked that the old sails were removed
and new ones bent ; a customary precaution even among merchant
vessels, when about to leave those latitudes for the more stormy
ones of the Cape. And I noticed that the vessels were thoroughly
overhauled and caulked, as if to prepare them for a long and
trying voyage.
If further evidence were necessary of the intended destination
of the fleet, it would be found in the great surprise felt and
expressed by all on board, when, on the 29th of March, orders
were given to remove the new sails and replace the old ones ; a
surprise that grew into astonishment, when it became known that
the Admiral had received instructions to take in a full complement
of powder, and return immediately to Callao.
As these instructions reached Valparaiso on the 29th of March,
8
or probably the day before, it is reasonable to suppose that it was
written before the 20th of that month ; and if this be so, it
becomes unnecessary to assert that the intentions of Senor Sala-
zar y Mazarredo were hostile, when he arrived at Lima. It is
therefore very presumable, that if Senor Ribeyro, the Peruvian
Minister for Foreign Affairs, had admitted him to his council,
so far from any good result being obtained, the pretensions of
the envoy would rather have increased the existing difficulties.
The fleet being thus prepared for all contingencies, the Admiral
sailed from Valparaiso on the 7th of April, on board the " Eeso-
lucion;" the frigate " Triunfo" following close behind.
On the 14th of April, at 10'30 A.M. the fleet being at the time
within some six miles of the Chincha Islands, we sighted the
Spanish sloop of wrar " Covadonga," having on board Senor Sala-
zar y Mazarredo. On drawing nearer, a boat was lowered from
the latter vessel into which the envoy descended, and who was
so childishly anxious to communicate the intelligence with which
he was bursting, that he stood up in the gig as it approached the
flag-ship, and shouted out to those on board to go and tell the
Admiral that " they had refused to receive him." Two minutes
afterwards, he came up the side and in an excited manner explained
to the Admiral that the Peruvians had refused to grant him an
audience. The result of their conversation was an order to have
the vessels prepared for action !
Everything being in readiness, the vessels stood in shore, and
with almost as little delay as it takes to write it, the Governor
was summoned to surrender the Islands, and a like peremptory
message was conveyed to the Commander of the " Iquique," a
Peruvian vessel of war, lying at anchor in the roadstead.
The hurried nature of these most extraordinary proceedings,
may be gathered from the following letters, exchanged between
Admiral Pinzon and Ramon Valle-Riestra, the Governor of the
Chincha Islands, and which, incredible as it may seem, formed
the only correspondence that preceded an act, as barefaced and
unscrupulous as any of those perpetrated by Spanish commanders
in the same seas, centuries before.
Admiral Pinzon to the Governor of the Ghincha Islands.
" Anchorage of the Chinchas, April 14th, 1864.
" Being determined to take possession of the Chincha Islands
by means of the force under my command, I communicate this to
you, that you may deliver them up to me ; if you do not I shall
take them by main force.
God preserve, &c.
(signed) Luiz H.
9
Reply of the Governor of the Chincha Islands to the
Vice-Admiral of the Spanish squadron.
" Administration of the Chincha Islands, April 14th, 1864.
" I have received the note of this day's date, which the Ad-
miral has been pleased to address to me, in which he calls upon
me to place these Islands at his disposal, and says that in case of
my not doing so he will take possession of them by force. I now
have to inform the Admiral in reply, that I have no instructions
from my Government on this matter, and, therefore, not being
able to act in an affair of such importance, I will ask for the
necessary instructions, hoping that the Admiral will be pleased to
allow me the time necessary to receive them.
I have, &c.
(signed) EAMON VALLE-EIESTEA.
Admiral Pinzon to the Governor of the Chincha Islands.
" Anchorage of the Chinchas, April 14th, 1864.
" In reply to your polite note which I have just received, I inform
you that the Naval Ensign who brings this communication carries
a Spanish flag, which he will substitute for that of the Eepublic of
Peru within fifteen minutes without delay. If this be not done, he
will immediately open fire without any further consideration, and
you will be responsible for the blood which may be shed and the
property destroyed.
God preserve, &c.
(signed) LTJIZ H PINZON."
Reply of the Governor of the Ghincha Islands to the Vice- Admiral
of the Spanish squadron.
" Administration of the Chincha Islands, April 14th, 1864.
" SIR,
"I have in my hands the Admiral's" second note of this day's
date, in which he refuses to give me the time necessary for receiv-
ing instructions from my Government upon the notice which he
has sent to me to deliver up these islands to him and he repeats
that notice. I reply to that note by saying to the Admiral, that
being without instructions, as I have stated, it is not in my power
to surrender them ; but if the Admiral, making use of the large
force under his .command, shall carry into effect the act which he
proposes, I shall protest, as I do now protest, in the name of the
Supreme Government of the Eepublic, against the violence which
the Spanish vessels, now at anchor in the port, exercise against
Peru, and that the Admiral will be responsible for the conse-
quences which his act may draw upon the people, as also for the
10
damage that may be caused to foreign vessels which are now
loading.
I am, &c.
(signed) EAMON YALLE-EIESTEA.'T
On the receipt of this last letter, the Admiral perceived that it
was necessary to employ force to obtain possession of the coveted
prize, and he therefore ordered troops to be landed under the com-
mand of Seiior Don Jose Caudenes, a naval ensign of great deter-
mination, who fulfilled to the letter the commission intrusted to
him.
Although I was a spectator of the entire occurrence I prefer
giving a description of the event in the words of Mr. John Dart-
nell, Her Britannic Majesty's Vice-Consul at Pisco, who, from
the fact of his being a disinterested spectator of the proceedings,
may perhaps be listened to with more complete confidence than
a person whom circumstances compelled to take an active share
in the scenes he describes.
Vice Consul Dartnell to Mr. Jcminc/fiam.
"Chincha Islands, April 13M, 18G4.
" SIB,
Yesterday, about 10 or 11 o'clock a.m., a Spanish steamer of
war hove in sight from the north, and presently she was seen to be
signalising with two vessels from the south, that eventually proved
to be Spanish steam-frigates of war. Shortly afterwards an
officer from the Admiral's ship came on shore with despatches for
the Governor of these islands, and in a few minutes he retired,
when it became known that the possession of these islands was
demanded within the space of a few hours.
The Governor, in answer to the demands of the Spanish autho-
rities, refused to deliver up the islands or haul down the Peruvian
flag without orders from his Government ; but not having a suffi-
cient force to defend the place, and attend to the security of the
large number of convicts here at work in the guano, and also being
desirous of avoiding useless bloodshed, he had to allow the Spanish
force to come unmolested on shore, and proceed as their judgment
advised. He, the Governor, being powerless, had only to protest
in the most formal manner.
Somewhere about half past 3 p.m. an armed force in several
boats was seen to proceed from the Spanish fleet on board the
Peruvian vessel of war "Iquique," when presently her flag was
hauled down and the Spanish ensign hoisted at the peak.
Immediately afterwards the same body of men (about 400, more
or less) proceeded on shore, and straightway took possession of
11
the Government House, and hoisted the Spanish flag, when a
salute of twenty-one guns was fired by the before- mentioned
vessels of war.
Soon after this I was honoured with a visit from Senor Salazar
y Mazarredo, the Spanish Commissary or Minister, who assured
me that both he and Admiral Pinzon would guarantee the
security of all property, both foreign and Peruvian, on the islands,
and that in no way should the loading of the vessels be interfered
with, and that after loading they could proceed to Callao as usual.
On the retiring from the islands of the Admiral, Senor Mazar-
redo, and the Spanish troops, the Governor, Senor Captain Don
Eamori Valle-Kiestra, the Captain of the Port, Senor Captain
Don Diego de la Haza, and the Commander of the " Iquique,"
Senor Captain Don Augustin Ariolo, were taken on board the
flag-ship in character of prisoners ; and up to the present none of
these gentlemen have returned on shore, so I suppose they must
have proceeded on to Callao in the fleet.
The officers and crew of the " Iquique" have also been taken
away, and only some ten or twelve men from the Spanish men-of-
war left on board, with, it is said, orders not to communicate with
the islands.
On shore we are completely abandoned, for not a single Peru-
vian soldier was left here, the " guarnicion," together with the con-
victs, having been taken off the islands, and sent, I believe, to
Pisco in a Peruvian vessel of commerce which sailed last night.
Owing to the state of abandon in which this place has been left,
the greatest alarm was felt last night and still continues to be felt ;
but owing to the exertions of some persons here, headed and en-
couraged by the Cargador, Seiior Calderon, a guard has been
formed, and the streets during the night are to be patrolled.
Nevertheless, as this population is formed of some of the worst
kind of characters, and as the British Vice- Consulate is actually
the deposit of considerable money and property belonging to several
persons here, I do not feel altogether at ease, and should really, as
well as others here, wish to see the flag of even the smallest
British vessel of war in our harbour.
When, Sir, you consider that at this moment there is not one
single employe of the Peruvian Government, much less of the
Spanish, on these islands, I hope that you will take into consideration
my position, and, if possible, send a vessel of war here, so that the
minds of the British subjects here be set at rest, and that in case
of a riot we may know where and how to apply for protection.
Thinking it my duty to apprize you as quickly as possible of
what has taken place here,
I have, &c.
JOHN DARTKELL."
12
Thus runs the official account of this notable transaction. There
are minor points of interest which that statement naturally does
not touch (but that are still useful to make the picture complete),
and I therefore supply them for the information of my readers.
Prior to the arrival of the steam-frigates " Resolucion " and
" Triunfo," the "Covadonga" (with Sefior Salazar on board)
commanded by Sefior Luis Fery, had been behaving herself in a
way which proved pretty clearly the disposition that was felt to
conduct matters with a high hand.
After ordering an English merchant vessel bound for Callao to
heave to, and forbidding her master to proceed on his voyage
without permission, she captured three small schooners engaged
in carrying provisions to the Islands, and would have held them
as lawful prizes, but for the interposition of Captain Emanuel de
la liigada, the worthy commander of the " Resolucion," who, de-
claring them to be seized contrary to the established usages of
civilized warfare, ordered them to be at once set free.
With regard to the sloop " Iquique," captured in the way
narrated by Mr. Dartnell, I may mention that she is nothing
more than a small schooner, barque-rigged, of about 200 tons
burthen, whose full complement of sailors, officers, and soldiers
does not exceed sixty men, all told. My attention was more par-
ticularly called to her by a remark made by the chief mate of a
vessel that was loading guano, on board of which I happened to
be some few days after the events above narrated.
"Do the Spaniards now, mean to do what's right in Peru ?"
inquired the man.
" Oh, yes ; I should hope so," was my answer.
"Well; I'm glad of that any how/' he rejoined. "There's
nothing like a good beginning at all events. Everything that's
begun well, ends well : — so you can tell the Admiral he may
return me the 'Iquique.' The Peruvians took her from me
because they caught me stealing guano. It is my opinion she'll
never bring any luck to her owners. She hasn't thus far, at all
events ; for she's only gone from the hands of one thief into those
of another."
I could not withhold a laugh at the cool impudence of the speaker;
but I felt too little confidence in the motives which had actuated
the leaders in the transactions that had just transpired to hazard
any observation in reply, so turned upon my heel.
As Mr. Dartnell, in his note to Mr. Jerningham, only briefly
alludes to the march of the invaders to the Government House,
it may not be amiss to mention the manner of the Governor's
capture, which occurred as follows : — On the refusal of Captain
Ramon Yalle-Eiestra to surrender the place, between three and
four hundred men were disembarked from the fleet in ten large
boats,— four of them armed with artillery, — and on reaching the
shore, they proceeded in martial order, a band of music playing
and colours flying, to the Governor's house.
13
When the heads of the party were introduced into the -presence
of the Governor, Admiral Pinzon, with all the urbanity of manner
inherent to his nature, desired that gentleman to surrender his
sword ; which request being complied with, the Admiral began
politely to converse with the discomfited official, and put him, as
far as circumstances would allow, at his ease. Not so Salazar,
the prime mover of this audacious enterprize, who, although silent
throughout the interview, betrayed by his look and demeanour a
degree of irritability that he had much ado to restrain.
A close observer of Senor Salazar's behaviour on this occasion,
attributes his ill-humour to the following incident :
"While, with an assumption of nonchalance, he cast his eyes
about the room, his attention was caught by a picture hanging on
the wall, which, on examination, he found to bear this inscription :
" Illmo Senor — Tern pus breve est, et debemus sitere ante Tri-
bunal Domini, ut redeamus rationem omnibua operibus nostris,
et in speciali de injusticiis adversus proximos nostros."
If our " Special Commissary " had not become quite callous, it
is possible that such a very home-thrust did awaken some uncom-
fortable reflections in his mind.
The capture of the Chinchas being thus effected, it will not be
out of place to examine a little into the circumstances which im-
mediately led to it, for my readers must not be left to imagine
that such a high-handed measure was the result of the Talambo
riot. Oh, no ; the recovery of the Guano Islands was undertaken
and brought to the issue we have described in order to avenge an
offence of far deeper dye. It was determined on for the purpose
of punishing the Peruvian nation for their want of courtesy to-
wards Sefior Don Eusebio Salazar y Mazarredo, Special Com-
missary of Her Catholic Majesty, Queen Isabella II.
The official correspondence, which I annex, puts this matter in
a clear light, and I shall content myself with simply adding to it,
as I go on, a few remarks where explanations may appear neces-
sary.
Her Britannic Majesty's Charge d' Affaires, writing to Earl
Russell from Lima on the 13th April, 1864, respecting this Peru-
vian question, makes the following statement : —
" Senor Salazar, having presented his credentials to the Peruvian
Minister for Foreign Affairs, the latter returned for answer, ac-
cording to the document, copy of which I beg to annex, that the
Peruvian Government would be happy to receive him, and give
him those facilities and means which the law allows for the ac-
complishment of his mission, and that as the letter of the 18th of
January accredited Senor Salazar y Mazarredo in purely a confi-
dential character, they accept him as invested with such : but that,
at the same time, they cannot agree to the denomination of Com-
missary, as this would be at variance with the diplomatic rules
and usages, and give rise to embarrassments in the course of ne-
gotiations, concluding that if Senor Salazar agreed to this under-
14
standing, the Peruvian Minister informs him that he might com-
mence his mission when he thought proper."
After alluding to the puerile and discourteous reply of Senor
Salazar, the honourable gentleman concludes with the following
remarks, which show very clearly the bent of his opinion :
" This is the unforeseen termination of Senor Mazarredo's mis-
sion; and I think it is the more to be regretted, as, up to the time
of the Talambo difficulty, there has not been in this Republic any
general or real animosity against Spaniards or Spain ; in proof of
which there are many rich and influential Spaniards resident in
Peru who have made fortunes here, and who have not met, ap-
parently, I should imagine, with impediments and vexations either
in their commercial or social careers, on account of their nation-
ality.
(signed) WM. STAFFOBD
The extracts I have just quoted show conclusively that Senor
Salazar was met with all courtesy by the authorities of Peru, who
at once expressed their readiness to open negotiations with him
on a footing which should be intelligible, and which his very title
defined. The mendacity of Senor Salazar, in stating that he was
refused admission, is on a par with the arrogance which has marked
his conduct throughout the whole of these disgraceful proceed-
ings.
It is difficult to conceive the motive of Senor Salazar' s refusal
of the Peruvian Minister's proposal to accept him in the capacity
of a confidential agent, unless it is explained by a pre-determina-
tion not to carry out the mission of peace with which he was pre-
sumably entrusted.
That Senor Ribeyro was justified in viewing Senor Salazar in a
confidential capacity, will be shown by the wording of his creden-
tials, which I transcribe ; and the temperate and gentlemanly
communications of Senor Eibeyro — which I likewise annex — will
prove that the Peruvian Minister was animated with the best
desire to have a proper understanding with the government of the
mother-country.
Seiior Arrazola, Chief Secretary of State of H. C. M. to Senor
Ribeyro, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Peru.
"Madrid, January 18, 1864.
" SIB,
" Thinking it conducive to the interests of Spain in her rela-
tions with Peru, to send to that Republic a Special Commissary,
who by his experience and personal qualities, should be able to
draw closer the* ties which ought to unite the two. States, and the
15
requisite conditions being found united in Don Eusebio de Sala-
zar y Mazarredo, Deputy to the Cortes, and late Political Sub-
Director in the Ministry of State, I request that your Excellency
will be pleased to acknowledge him as such Special Commissary,
and to pay attention to him in regard to the business with which
he is charged.
" At the same time, I beg that your Excellency will be pleased
to receive the Caballero de Salazar y Mazarredo favourably, and
in the meanwhile, I avail, &c.
(signed) LOKENZO AEBAZOLA."
Senor JRibeyro to Senor Salazar y Mazarredo.
" Lima, April 1, 1864.
" The Government of Peru, faithful interpreter of the public
feeling, is always ready to distinguish itself in its international
relations by acts of loyalty and goodwill. Guided by the principles
of this frank policy, it will receive Senor de Salazar y Mazarredo,
deputed to this Ministry by his Excellency the President of the
Council and Chief Secretary of State to Her Catholic Majesty,
with the most lively cordiality, giving him those facilities, and
conceding to him all those privileges which the law recognizes,
and which are necessary for the faithful discharge of his commis-
sion.
" As the communication of the 18th of January of the present
year, accredits Senor de Salazar in a purely confidential character,
to judge from its context, the Cabinet of the undersigned Min-
ister of Foreign Affairs, accepts him at once as such Agent of the
Cabinet of Madrid, because the denomination of Commissary, on
account of its not being in conformity with diplomatic rules and
usages, might lead perhaps to embarrassments in the course of
the negotiations, which, for the good of both Governments, ought
to be prevented at any cost. If Senor Salazar admits, as it is to
be hoped he will, this preliminary and necessary explanation, he
can enter upon his mission whenever he may think fit, secure of
meeting, on the part of Peru and its Administration, with the
most happy dispositions to come to a good understanding with
the Representative of the enlightened Spanish nation.
" With sentiments, &c.
(signed) JUAN ANTO. EIBETRO."
The foregoing letter needs little comment. It is urbane — even
friendly. The Peruvian Minister, construing the title of " Special
Commissary," as that of a " Confidential Agent," frankly admits
him in that character, and assures him that whilst he can com-
mence his mission without delay, he shall receive every facility
and courtesy in carrying it out.
16
Twelve clays elapsed from its receipt, before the Special Com-
missary made any sign, and when he at last did so, it was to fling
back one of the most extraordinary communications ever emana-
ting from a diplomatic personage. He seems himself to have
feared the consequences of his coarse and insulting epistle, for no
sooner was it despatched, than the " Covadonga," upon which he
had embarked, stood out to sea.
The singular effusion to which I have alluded, is thus conceived :
Senor Salazar y Mazarredo to Scnor Ribeyro.
" Lima, April 12th, 1864
"The undersigned, Special Commissary Extraordinary of Her
Catholic Majesty, has had the honour to receive the note which
his Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Peru has been
pleased to address to him, under date of the 1st instant. In it
the Government impugns the title of Special Commissary, on
account of its not being in conformity with diplomatic rules and
usages. The memorandum which the undersigned has addressed
to the Eepresentatives of the allied nations, and of which a copy
is annexed, will explain to his Excellency the Minister for Foreign
Affairs the significance that will be attached by Her Majesty's
Government to the proceeding of that of the Eepublic under these
critical circumstances.
"At one of the late sittings of the permanent Commission of the
Congress, it was stated that the present Administration enter-
tained the idea of contracting a loan of 70,000,000 dollars, which,
from being so vastly beyond the requirements of the treasury, is,
according to the opinions of influential politicians, for the purpose
of obtaining means to oppose the just demands of Spain.
" The Peruvian Government will do what it thinks best, but
the undersigned hopes that during his absence from Lima, the
Queen's subjects will be treated with respect in the territory of
the Republic, whatever may be the eventualities of the future.
The moderation of the Government, of the authorities, and of the
country in general, will give to that of Her Majesty the measure
of the conduct which is to be followed hereafter ; and if, unfortu-
nately, excesses shall be committed, the reprisals will be prompt,
energetic, and decisive, for modern Spain is firmly resolved not to
acquiesce in the ill-treatment of her sons, or in insult to her flag.
" The undersigned, &c.,
EUSEBIO DE SALAZAE T MAZABEEDO."
The " Special Commissary" would seem, after all, to think there
was some force in the objection of the Peruvian Minister to his
title, for in the remarkable production I have just quoted he adds
to it the denomination of " Extraordinary," which does not cer-
tainly appear in the letter of his superior, who accredited him to
17
Peru. If by extraordinary he meant it to be understood that
what he did and intended to do should be out of the ordinary
course, he may have been right in assuming the cognomen, for it
prepared people, as it were, to expect something eccentric and
marvellous. The reader cannot fail also to remark the coolness
with which this " extraordinary " individual reads a lecture on
diplomacy to a foreign minister grown grey in the service of his
country. The financial measures of the country are next brought
under review, and because Peru is about to contract a loan for a
larger amount than Senor Salazar in his wisdom deems necessary
for the Bepublic, that sagacious personage arrives, with certain
brother politicians, at the conclusion, that it is destined for a
crusade against Spain. The impertinence of the concluding para-
graph of his epistle, a mixture of inane pomposity and silly threats,
would alone stamp the measure of the man. If language such as
this had emanated from a person totally ignorant of Peru, it would
have been a trifle more excusable, but Senor Salazar, who knew
full well that his countrymen had always found protection and
favour on Peruvian soil, lays himself open, by using it, to the
greater censure, as he uttered calumnies well knowing at the time
that they were nothing else. My readers, who have already
perused the impartial communication of Mr. Jerningham, will
nave been enabled to form their own opinions of the manner in
which Spaniards were treated in Peru, and for their further en-
lightenment I transcribe another letter from that gentleman, as
fully worthy of praise as the former for its clearness, temperate-
ness, and impartiality.
Mr. Jerningham to Earl Russell.
•' Lima, April 28, 1864,
" MY LOED,
" Since forwarding my despatch of the 13th instant by lastmail,
in which I transmitted to your Lordship copies of a correspondence
which had taken place between the Peruvian Minister for Foreign
Affairs and Senor Salazar y Mazarredo, who came here claiming to
be received as a special and extraordinary Commissary from the
Spanish Government to that of Peru, as well as of a memorandum
addressed by Senor Mazarredo to the allied powers, I have re-
ceived from the Peruvian G-overnment through the official gazette,
" El Peruano,"copy of a note, herein inclosed, addressed by Senor
Eibeyro to the Minister of State of Her Catholic Majesty, with
reference to the proceedings of Senor Mazarredo and Admiral
Pinzon since their advent to Peru.
" But I now regret to have to report that an event has occurred
which has taken every one by surprise, viz., the forcible occupation
of the Chincha Islands by the Spanish squadron under Admiral
18
Pinzon, in conjunction with M. Mazarredo, by which Peru is sud-
denly deprived of the chief source of her revenue.
" This occurrence has caused in Lima, the greatest possible irrita-
tion and dismay, as well as much trouble and astonishment amongst
the foreign commercial body, especially the British members of it,
who have much capital engaged in Peruvian trade, and who anti-
cipate that much inconvenience and loss must ensue from this
strange proceeding of the Spanish squadron.
" To give your Lordship exact information how this occupation
was carried into effect, I beg to have the honour to forward copy of
a letter received from Mr. John Dartnell, British Vice-Consul at
Pisco, who happened to be at the time in the Chincha Islands.
" The day I received the copy of the memorandum (which I
transmitted to your Lordship), M. Mazarredo left Lima, and I was
told it was not known whither he had proceeded; but it now
appears that he then repaired to Callao, went on board the Spa-
nish war sloop " Covadonga," and feigning to sail for the north,
proceeded afterwards in search of Admiral Pinzon's squadron,
when he and the Admiral having met, they wrent to seize the
Chincha Huano Islands (Chinchas). The Governor was then
summoned to surrender, and menaced even with force, if he refused.
He had not sufficient force to resist, and, therefore, was made
prisoner; the Spanish flag was immediately substituted for the
Peruvian ensign and hoisted in the islands, whilst the 150 Peru-
vians who had been left there to guard the wealth of the Eepublic,
were, after a parley, allowed to depart to the mainland. The
convicts were also dispatched to the coast, and the Peruvian sloop
" Iquique," captured there by the Spaniards, was alone left with
a complement of ten men to guard the spoils which had been so
secretly and unceremoniously taken possession of by Admiral
Pinzon and Commissary Salazar y Mazarredo.
" After the consummation of this act, the legality of \vhich, no
doubt, Her Majesty's Government and other civilized nations will
discuss and decide upon, the Spanish squadron made their appear-
ance off Callao in the morning of Saturday the 16th instant, when
a note, without date, was despatched by Admiral Pinzon, accom-
panied by a declaration signed by him and M. Mazarredo of the
14th April, 1864, to Senor Eibeyro, the Peruvian Minister, copies
of which are hereto annexed.
" On the same day Senor Eibeyro replied to the Admiral, copy
herein inclosed, and his Excellency likewise addressed a circular
to the Diplomatic Body, copy of which I also forward to your
Lordship, together with my answer.
" I beg also to draw your Lordship's attention to the inclosure,
giving the official correspondence between Admiral Pinzon and the
Governor of the Chincha Islands, Senor Valle-Eiestra.
" On the advent of the Spanish Admiral to Callao on the 16th
inst., copies of this declaration were dispatched to the several
members of the foreign Diplomatic Body residing in Lima.
19
" I was, however, first made acquainted with it that day by Capt.
Douglas, of Her Majesty's ship "Shearwater," stationed at Callao,
to whom M. Mazarredo had given a copy, which I have since learnt
was intended for me.
" A few days ago the Members of the Diplomatic Body assembled
at the house of the Dean, the United States Minister, Mr. Kobin-
son, to take cognizance of the documents which had been for-
warded to them individually, and after some consideration it was
decided to issue a collective manifesto, copy of which 1 beg to
inclose (and also of Senor Eibeyro's rejoinder), and as the mem-
bers of the body signed it, I likewise came to the determination
to append my name. This is, as stated in the paper, only ad
interim, awaiting the instructions which our respective Govern-
ments may resolve on.
" The Erench Charge d' Affaires for certain reasons did not sign
the declaration of the Diplomatic Body, probably because M.
Lesseps holds a double character here, being likewise charged with
the protection of the Spanish subjects in Peru, and also because
he may have imagined that in case he has hereafter to mediate,
signing this paper might render his position less acceptable to the
Spaniards.
" I also entertained the same idea ; but as the United States
Minister signed it, I did likewise. If I had refused, the British
public in Peru, as well as the natives, would certainly have viewed
my silence in a very objectionable light.
" The situation of Peru, owing to the event I have just mentioned,
is of the gravest nature. At first there existed a strong feeling
against the Government, and even a large assemblage of citizens
thronged one evening the chief square of Lima, and crowded round
the Palace, when the President, Pezet, was induced to appear at
the window and address them.
" At Callao crowds appeared in the streets, and " Vivas" for
" Castilla !" (meaning the former President of that name) were
heard, and even an attempt at upsetting the Government was
anticipated by people who argued that by mismanagement they
had brought affairs to the present crisis.
" However, the Government have not been idle in endeavouring
to instil confidence, and the Peruvians, friends, or oppositionists
to the Government, feel the necessity in the present state of
affairs of uniting together to resist what they consider a most
serious aggression ; for taking the Chincha Islands is, in fact, tanta-
mount to seizing the chief wealth of Peru, for most of the trea-
sures this land contains are still hidden in the mountains, or are
to be sought for in the distant and thinly populated trans-Audine
districts.
" If the Islands are to remain in the hands of the Spaniards,
the detriment to trade and British capital circulating in Peru,
reckoned at a rough estimate at nearly 100,000,000 dollars, will be
most serious.
c
20
u The annual exportation of guano by the Peruvians is about
from 16,000,000 to 18,000,000 dollars, and their expenditure
about 23,000,000 dollars ; consequently, unless they impose taxes
and make loans, they remain with only 5,000,000 dollars to carry
them through the financial year.
" The Spanish Declaration gives out that money contracts made
hitherto with Peru by foreign companies will be respected ; but
what security have the British bondholders in this assertion, when
Spain has not yet met her engagements with regard to part of her
debt, and her paper, I am told, is not even admitted in the London
Exchange.
" If the Islands are to be kept by Spain, this is a very serious
affair for the Peruvians, but it is also a blow to British interests
involved in Peruvian trade.
" What has likewise stung the Peruvian mind, especially in the
seizure of the Chinchas, is the assertion contained in the Declara-
tion, that the Spanish Admiral and Commissary have resolved to
"revindicar" (retake or reconquer) the Islands, as if they still
belonged to Spain, and were not, after the lapse of nearly forty
years, an integral part of an independent State, which had been
recognized as such by most of the civilized world.
" But what has been the reason assigned for the occupation of
the Chinchas ? Is it the attitude assumed by Peru with regard to
Spain and her Agent ?
"The Peruvian Government have apparently only declined to
receive M. Mazarredo as Commissary, respecting which term they
required explanations ; but according to M. Ribeyro's note (inclosed
in my last dispatch of the 13tb instant), this Government con-
sented willingly to receive him as a confidential Agent.
"Respecting the term " Commissary" I will not offer to under-
take any remark ; but, supposing the Peruvian Government has
not found it advisable to receive M. Mazarredo in that character,
surely some other might have been devised which could not have
been objected to, and which might have prevented such an abrupt
and regrettable termination of a mission, -which reasonable persons
might have supposed could have solved all difficulties and led to
permanent friendship.
" The Memorandum sent home, contains a list of various
grievances, &c., such as the ill-treatment of Spanish subjects; but
even if all these turn out to be correct, surely the occupation of
the Chinchas, which may be considered as impounding the Trea-
sury of Peru, can hardly be considered in the light of a just
material guarantee for enforcing redress.
" Unwilling to believe that the Spanish Government can entertain
a permanent retention of the guano islands, I am led to look for
a reason for this sudden and secret occupation, in the idea that
the Spanish authorities may have effected it, as a means of pres-
sure for causing Peru to give satisfaction for certain grievances.
" By this coup de main, Peru has been reduced for the moment
21
/to a helpless condition. Her squadron consists of one frigate and '
several steamers, but these, especially the frigate, are not in a state
to resist or cope with the Spaniards, and although enthusiasm has
been kindled to the highest pitch, they are unable to attack the
Spanish squadron with any prospect of success. They have forti-
fied Callao, in a sort of a way, and the war vessels they possess are
placed under the protection of the Castle guns ; besides, I am
told they are going to plate some of their war steamers with iron
rails, fashioned for the above purpose ; but all this will take some
time before it can be accomplished.
" The President has applied to the Congress for resources, and
has been authorised to contract a loan of 50,000,000 dollars, and
to raise the army to 30,000 men. A private loan has also been
set on foot.
" The great Chilean capitalist Candamo has lent the Government
1,000,000 dollars, and the native commercial body is contributing
towards it. G-eneral Castilla, who is in the south of Peru, has
been sent for, probably to take the command of the army, and give
his experienced counsel to Government.
" It is thought by some, although I have no reason to partici-
pate in the belief, that this affair has been concocted previously
in the Spanish Peninsula ; and if so, the tenacity of the Spaniards
will probably cause them to keep their hold on the Chinchas until
obliged to relinquish them by the friendly mediation of the great
Powers, or till they are driven away by a sufficient force, which the
Peruvians may eventually be able to collect in the course of time.
"The Spanish Admiral has retained as hostages the Governor and
several officers of the Chinchas ; but there appears no desire to
injure or persecute the Spanish residents in Lima. They have even
addressed a letter to that effect, and stating that retaining the
above-mentioned officers as hostages is unnecessary.
" Since writing the above I hear that Admiral Pinzon has set at
liberty all the Peruvians he took, and Senor Valle-Riestra, &c. are
now in Lima.
" There has been a great show of patriotism, as far as offers of
services go, both moral and physical : the Archbishop and Canons
of the Cathedral and some of the clergy, the legal and other
bodies, and numerous private citizens, have placed their services
at the disposition of their country, so as to make use of them
for the just rights of the Republic as may be deemed most fib.
" The Memorandum to which I have constantly alluded has now
been printed in " Ei Peruano," and likewise Senor Hibeyro's
answer to it, both of which I have the honour officially to
forward to your Lordship.
" I have received from the French Charge d' Affaires, M. de Les-
seps, a copy, which I suppose is authentic (although not signed by
any one to that effect), of Admiral Pinzon's answer to Senor Ei-
beyro's note of the 16th instant, which I now inclose to your
Lordship.
c 2
22
" I have the honour also to inclose copy of a circular addressed to
the Poreign Governments by Seiior Bibeyro, dated the 26th instant,
and published in the official Gazette "El Peruano" of this day,
regarding the unfortunate incidents that have just taken place
between the Peruvian Government and the Spanish authorities on
this coast.
I have, &c.
(signed) WM. STAFFOBD JEKKENGHAM."
The despatch I have transcribed, joined to the other evidence
adduced, amply prove that Seiior Ribeyro did his best to main-
tain a friendly understanding with the impracticable man with
whom he had to deal. Discovering at last that it was the vainest
of hopes to conceive that the Spanish Commissary would listen to
reason, he on the 13th of April addressed a despatch to the Minis-
ter of State of Her Catholic Majesty, to which, notwithstanding its
length, I would beg my readers' careful attention. Its tone and
style cannot but be considered calm and dignified, even when per-
used at this distance of time and far removed from the turmoil
amid which it was indited ; but it must be held as infinitely more
praiseworthy, when we reflect that it was written at a period when
the very existence of the Government was threatened, when mobs
were parading -the streets, and every class of Peruvian society, as
described in Mr. Jerningham's letter, was shaken to its very
centre.
From Senor Ribeyro, to the Minister of State of Her Catholic
BLajesty.
" Lima, April 13, 1864.
" EXCELLENT SIB, — Peru has long entertained a strong desire
to re-establish her relations with Spain, a nation to which she is
united by the bonds of affinity ; but this often-expressed desire
has been foiled by difficulties not easily to be set aside. The
time has now come for the Government, as faithful interpreter of
the wishes of the people whose destinies they govern, to address
themselves directly to the Madrid Cabinet, in order to remove all
the difficulties which have hitherto prevented the reconciliation of
the two States so called upon by their origin and interests to live
in perfect peace and harmony.
" The war was scarcely over in America, when independent
nations were formed, which, in the exercise of their right, endea-
voured by every means to attain to prosperity, and initiate them-
selves into the paths of industry and commerce. Peru made no
exception to this enlightened policy. Her ports, fields, and
cities, without any exception, were thrown open to all laborious
foreigners ; and Spaniards, although without any previous agree-
23
ment, and as members of our Association, enjoyed and still enjoy
the same freedom, respect and prerogatives as our own people.
An enumeration of these facts, which are evident to all competent
and impartial persons who have visited our country, might be
made so as to prove them in a most victorious manner ; but Her
Catholic Majesty's Government, who so well know the proverbial
mildness of the Peruvian character, the excellence of our laws and
of our administrative organization, will no doubt not require such
a work to be made, as it would not increase the useful knowledge
possessed by them of all the regions of the continent.
" The benevolence of the Peruvian nation has been falsely in-
terpreted by passionate functionaries and private persons, who,
having found themselves deceived in their expectations, became
gratuitous enemies of the country which had given them hospi-
tality; but it was never believed that such statements would
loosen the bonds which unite nations for their mutual good. In
order to obviate and prevent fresh difficulties, which would per-
haps relax existing ties and endanger peace, the undersigned,
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Peru, has the honour to address
the Spanish Minister of State, in order to give him some explana-
tions, which, by their sincerity and frankness, cannot fail to in-
duce the two Governments to come to an understanding, and to
treat in a proper, frank, and harmonious manner.
" It has been observed, not without great sorrow, that for the
last four years the Press of Spain publishes articles against Peru,
which one person in the former country, in correspondence with
another resident in this capital, is careful officiously to prepare.
There is no imposture they do not assert, nor even which they
do not transfigure, stating that the nation is without laws, cus-
toms, and morality, and that all the inhabitants are abandoned to
the frenzy of a repugnant licentiousness, and that the G-overn-
ment is responsible for all these excesses. Lower in the scale
than a barbarous nation, Peru is considered to be a den of bandits,
where no right is respected, and where life is continually exposed.
These calumnies, systematically spread abroad, may have pro-
duced a bad feeling in some persons, and have no doubt given
rise to that dislike of the Peruvian authorities which has created
difficulties to the prompt settlement of questions between the two
countries.
" Let it be said, in passing, the motives for this conduct are to
be found in ignoble passion, which is the more inveterate as it has
no grounds whatsoever to justify it.
" When the Spanish squadron destined for the Pacific arrived at
Callao, the Government extended that generous hospitality to it
with which they receive their friends, and notwithstanding the
alarm created by the motives attributed to that naval expedition,
circumspection and common sense gained the victory over vague
and malicious reports. Neither the most rigorous rules of eti-
quette, nor civilities of all sorts, nor a marked deference were
24
omitted on the arrival of the sailors of the Peninsula, with whom
the sons of Peru felt they had ties of blood which were formed in
the most remote times. But this most refined politeness has not
been properly met, nor the most insignificant demonstration made
Buch as our society had a right to expect. The Admiral, chief of
the squadron, to whom all, from the Government down to the
private citizen, showed every sort of attention, used, from the
first, a disdainful tone both with the authorities and private
persons, and instead of studying our people and public men in
order better to carry out the intentions of his Government, he
avoided them, and accused them unjustly, surrounding himself by
a special circle, which made his stay amongst us every day more
intolerable. Anywhere else such acts would have led to fatal dis-
agreements. Fortunately, notwithstanding this, the Peruvian
Government were not wanting in the politeness necessary to dis-
sipate fears and disturbances which would have retarded the good
understanding between Peru and Spain.
" An unforeseen event, but a very ordinary one in every part of
the world, however civilized, gave greater extension to the Admi-
ral's already very extensive demands, and to those of the persons
who were desirous of a conflict. A riot unfortunately broke out
at a farm called Talambo, situated in the north, between some
Spanish colonists and the natives, in which a Spaniard and a Peru-
vian were killed, and some others wounded.
" As soon as the Supreme Administration heard of the event,
they cast aside their important occupations, and ordered their
delegates to do their duty by apprehending the culprits, and in-
vestigating the matter in order to punish the guilty. They were
not compelled to do this, but were stimulated by a desire to see
justice properly executed.
" The matter has been set on foot, and although not quite termi-
nated, measures are being taken to clear up the facts, and demon-
strate clearly who are the real authors of the crime.
" So far there has been no denial of justice nor culpable delay,
the only cases which, according to international right, authorize
diplomatic reclamations. The affair of Talambo has, however,
been painted in such colours that, to judge by these narrations,
Peru would be the last of nations. But, fortunately, unquestion-
able testimony and documents prove sufficiently that our criminal
statistics bear no proportion to our population, and that fewer
crimes are committed in the nation thus harshly treated than in
others more advanced in civilization.
" The enemies of the country — for those that give absurd infor-
mation must be considered as such — availed themselves of the
Talambo affair ; and M. Pinzon, lending an ear to passionate
assertions, has, it is affirmed, stated to Her Catholic Majesty's
Government that it is a most hideous event, that the authorities
have not moved in the matter, and pointed out the risks which are
always run by Spanish subjects. It is not strange that persons
25
ignorant of our institutions, or badly affected towards the -G overn-
inent, should judge in this manner; but it is strange, and in no
slight degree, that an authorized Chief, charged with a civilizing
and friendly mission, should disappoint, or tend to disappoint good
feelings engendered on both sides.
" The Talambo affair has been the cause of continual censure, as
has also the circumspect conduct of the Tribunals, not excepting
the Supreme Court of Justice, so worthy of veneration for its
wisdom, prestige, and traditional purity. The Spanish Consul,
to whom this Department communicated the state of the case,
although he has no diplomatic character, and it was only done out
of deference and to preserve good harmony between the two
nations, allowed himself, in a note dated the 25th of February
last, to make offensive allusions to a body which is the safeguard
of all right, the deposit of all judicial science, and which enjoys
the confidence of both the Government and the people. He also
made a protest, which being only a matter of pure form, did not
affect the case. This happened just as the sentences of the first
tribunal of the Republic were being hailed with public applause,
owing to their impartiality and justice.
" It is necessary to dwell a little over these points, not with a
view of provoking replies and engendering fresh differences, which
this Cabinet wishes to terminate irrevocably, but in order to call
attention to certain incidents which throw more than sufficient
light to bear witness to the uprightness and loyalty with which
Peru always deals with the other nations of the earth.
" Nor is it to be expected that in this country, where so many
Spaniards and foreigners of all classes and conditions live quietly
and easily at work without let or hindrance, many possessed of
the blessings of fortune, that these should be exposed to frequent
danger, as some have wished to make out, or should continually
run risks from ill-nature. If it were so there would be neither
that spontaneous emigration which flows to our country, nor
would those large capitals be amassed which we find in the hands
of those who are not Peruvians, nor those frank acknowledgments
of content be made, by which more than once strangers have testi-
fied to the honour of justice ;— acknowledgments which have
fully vindicated the honour of the Republic, which is wounded with
so little consideration. We have a proof of this in the speech
made by a distinguished Spaniard on board the frigate " Resolu-
cion," when, in the" name and presence of a great number of his
fellow-countrymen, he congratulated Admiral Pinzon on his fortu-
nate arrival in these waters.
" The Government of Peru, as well as all the society, was very
far from admitting that a common act of naturalization should
serve as a pretext for inventing absurd stories against a country
which prides itself, amongst other things, on its character for hos-
pitality. The Peruvian people greet all their guests with marks of
candour, and offer to all their riches, without reserve ; but they
26
naturally show themselves more demonstrative with Spaniards,
whom they look on as members of their own family, and whom
they distinguish by especial marks of preference, as well in their
domestic and social dealings as in the laws themselves, which give
them concessions with open-handed liberality. So far from enmity
to Spain and her sons, being exhibited here, so far even from mere
quiet intercourse, our people display towards them great tolerance,
much affection and vast generosity.
" When Senor Salazar appeared in this capital, various and con-
tradictory accounts were given of his mission, but the Cabinet
waited for his official presentation to judge with certainty, and
proceeded with the circumspection which they are accustomed to
use towards the Representatives of friendly nations, since such
they consider Spain, in spite of its not having been defined at all
explicitly in what position the two nations are placed on account
of events which we will not now speak of.
"As Peru never has wished for, nor wishes for, anything more sin-
cerely than a good understanding with that nation which formerly
was her mother-country, she hoped, not without sufficient reason,
that the mission of Senor Mazarredo, in spite of its special charac-
ter, might clear a path for a formal, definitive and explicit recon-
ciliation. The Grovernment, far from raising obstacles that might
retard the conclusion of this important result, was disposed to offer
every facility for coming to an understanding with the Envoy ; and
when the latter presented himself in order to deliver his creden-
tials to the Undersigned, he assured him that his intentions were
disinterested and noble, and that he was nothing more than the
faithful organ of the views of the country and the administration.
This act of marked courtesy, as well as others even more signifi-
cant, was, indeed, not returned in the same manner, because Senor
Mazarredo turned his attention to the consideration of certain ques-
tions and certain persons in the country, which, had they con-
tinued, might perhaps have led us to a fatal result. The tinder-
signed accepted the explanation which this gentleman made upon
the matter, when he called his attention to it, and begged him
to avoid discussions which might be left for another opportunity.
Thus ended the only interview with Senor Mazarredo.
" His credentials, contained in the dispatch of his Excellency the
President of the Council and Principal Secretary of State of Her
Catholic Majesty, were read without passion and without any
ulterior view ; but the Cabinet, without ceasing to accept Senor
Mazarredo in that character, made an observation which, rightly
interpreted, would have left the parties completely satisfied. It
told him, with the greatest moderation, that his mission being
purely confidential, they would receive him as a confidential agent
of Spain, because, in the course of negociations, the title of Com-
missary might offer embarrassments which, in the common interest,
it was necessary to avoid at any cost. It was not proposed that
he should change the title, because this was not in his power, but
27
in that of his Government, but then he should receive the explana-
tion that was made to him to be considered, even without attention
to the name given to his mission, only as a confidential agent :
this step was necessary, because before this Senor Tavira had
come accredited in this character, in order to satisfy a desire
generally expressed, and because in reality, the title of Commis-
sary was not the most fit to enter upon certain superior negotia-
tions of this nature. If the answer had been that the question
was of little moment, since, under one name or another, the aim
of the Spanish Government was to come to an understanding by
the means of a confidential agent, every thing would have become
smooth, and affairs would haply have taken a different course.
That your Excellency may perceive the sincerity of the Peruvian
Government, a copy of the note addressed to Senor Mazarredo is
enclosed, in which there is not a single phrase which is not deco-
rous and worthy, and in which the purest cordiality is revealed.
" Nevertheless, Senor Salazar y Mazarredo addressed to the un-
dersigned a note dated yesterday, accompanied by a memorandum
which he affirms he has sent to the allied nations, in which he
recapitulates a number of events and considerations, political as
well as historical, to prove the constant enmity which the Govern-
ments of Peru, during the forty years of its independence, has
manifested against Spain. As both of these documents were sent
to this office late in the day, and under the circumstance of Senor
Mazarredo having left this capital and embarked at Callao on
board the " Covadonga," it was not possible to answer them pro-
perly, especially the second, because the shortness of the time, as
the mail starts for Europe to day, does not allow of a discussion,
which could not but be conclusive for Peru, which has from every
point of view justice on her side. The undersigned will not omit,
however, to make some reflections to show that Senor Mazarredo,
taking for truth simple conjectures and isolated sayings utterly
destitute of anything like truth, by lavishing abuse upon the
nation and its authorities, which they certainly do not deserve,
betrays the prejudiced mind of a diplomatist to whom has been
attributed for some time the publication of certain articles in the
Madrid newspapers, highly offensive to the dignity of a country
whose culture has fortunately not been surpassed. The Govern-
ment of Peru, neither to resist the demands of the Government of
the Peninsula, nor for any other purpose, has had the idea of
raising a loan of 70,000,000 dollars. The same Deputy who pre-
sented a motion on this account to the Legislative Commission
withdrew it immediately, convinced of the inexactness and false-
ness of the rumour which had been maliciously spread. The ne-
gotiation of a loan for so large an amount as that referred to, is
of such a nature that it cannot be effected silently or clandestinely.
Whatever might have been the precautions adopted to keep it
secret, it must necessarily reveal itself, and become public pro-
perty.
28
" Senor Mazarredo's assertion has not the support of a single
fact, nor even of the slightest indication to show that the Govern-
ment had entertained such an idea. Time will prove the falseness
of a proposition which Senor Mazarredo should have examined
previously in order not to fall into a mistake which compromises
his prudence and outrages a Government, which up to this time
has not given reason to raise a doubt as to its loyalty.
" Peru and its present Government had so much confidence in the
moderation of those persons who direct Spanish policy, that it did
not think even for a moment that affairs would have arrived at the
lamentable state in which they now are. In spite of the course
which they have taken, there are some people who comfort them-
selves in thinking that the fortunate occurrences which have lately
taken place since the arrival of Senor Mazarredo will be carefully
studied by the Spanish Government, who, no doubt, will see in all
the steps and wise measures of which the undersigned has made
use, the signs of good feeling in accordance with the national dig-
nity, rather than acts of enmity against the Spaniards.
" Senor Mazarredo, on leaving Lima, has left in his note a cause
of deep grief for the Government of Peru, attributing to it evil
dispositions in entering into an arrangement with the Government
of your Excellency ; and this regret becomes the greater as
there are certain allusions relative to the insecurity of Spanish
subjects resident in the Republic. They shall continue, as up to
the present, protected by the laws ; they shall always be the ob-
ject of a cordial and sincere hospitality ; they shall not be injured
either in person or property ; and they shall be left in the exercise
of their industry, and in the enjoyment of the many benefits of a
country happy in its climate, and happy in the conditions of its
enlightened policy.
" And these guarantees, granted without restriction of any sort,
are not the result of the terror which Senor Mazarredo attempted
to inspire, by making reprisals which shall never take effect, since
Peru will act in a sense of justice, and since Spain is not able
to cease paying, as she always has done, a homage to virtue, to
reason, and to right.
" The undersigned reserves to himself the reasons and arguments
of greater consideration until he shall reply to the memorandum,
which he will do, so soon as the affairs of the moment allow him ;
and he concludes the present communication in the hope that its
contents may be a further proof of his just and upright conduct.
If, unfortunately (which he cannot bring himself to believe), this
frank exposition is not attended to, Peru puts her faith in the jus-
tice of her cause, in the incontestable testimony of real facts
themselves, and the generous sentiments and opinions of civilized
and impartial people.
" With the sentiments, &c.
(signed) " JUAN ANTONIO B/IBEYKO."
29
The course of events leads naturally to the conclusion, that if
the seizure of the Chinchas was not a step previously arranged in
the Peninsula, it was resolved upon by the Special Commissary
in order to make further friendly negociations impossible. The
unseemly haste which he used, may perhaps be attributed to his
apprehension that the voice of reason and common sense would
make itself heard by the Spanish Cabinet.
It is a subject of regret to very many persons that Admiral
Pinzon should have been made a party to the taking of the
Islands. All who know him cannot but believe he must have
acted in the matter under a misapprehension, for his brave and
generous nature, to which Mr. Jerningham in his letter to Earl
Bussell of the 13th May bears witness, would have scorned to
attack a defenceless place, without positive orders also from his
Queen, unless the whole affair had been grossly misrepresented.
It is therefore reasonable to suppose that when Senor Salazar
wrote to him at Valparaiso, he must have exaggerated both the
authority with which he was invested, aud the conduct of the
Peruvians with respect to him.
The Memorandum of the Special Commissary has been so often
alluded to, and it is indeed not only in a diplomatic point of view,
but in that of plain, common sense, so unique a production to
emanate from a Government Envoy, that, but for its great length,
I would have produced it in its entirety. As, however, my space
will not allow of such a step, I will transcribe literally those
portions to which my comments will be directed. Before doing
so, I may observe, that Senor Salazar y Mazarredo never made
known the precise object of his visit to Peru. As the foregoing
letter has explained, he had but one interview with the Peruvian
Minister for Foreign Affairs, during which, precisely as in his
writings, instead of argument he used invective, and had to be
reminded that the uttering tirades against private individuals was
not precisely the mode to open diplomatic negociations. His
truthfulness and temper may also be estimated from the fact that
he had no hesitation, when a point was raised as to the meaning
to be attached to his title of " Special Commissary" to call the
settlement of this necessary question, a refusal to receive Mm.
The very course taken by his vessel on quitting the roads of Callao
was a deception, — for having, while in sight of the townspeople,
steered in one direction, he is afterwards found in a completely
opposite one; and the close of his "mission of peace," is dis-
tinguished by a proceeding which common-minded people style an
act of piracy, but which goes forth to the world under the grand
but unfortunate term of a " revindication."
Senor Salazar' s Memorandum was ably answered by Senor
Kibeyro on the 20th of April, but as that gentleman has mainly
contented himself with refuting the calumnies cast upon the
Peruvian Government, I will direct my remarks to the misrepre-
sentation of facts in the affair of Talambo. I have already, on
former occasion, alluded to this occurrence, but I will now examine
it a little more in detail.
And first of all, I cannot help remarking that, taking their cue
from each other, Spaniards persist in depicting this Talambo riot
under false colours. They repeat the same story, with the usual
additions and exaggerations, but clearly show that they have not
taken the trouble to examine and judge for themselves. As I
fortunately have the whole of the debates, to which it gave rise,
before me, and have given them the most patient investigation, I
am enabled to speak upon the subject with a certain degree of
confidence.
The Memorandum says — I quote the exact words : — c< That on
the 4th of August, eighteen (Basques) being at the house of the
proprietor (Senor Salcedo) who had called them in to settle their
differences, on a sudden some seventy armed men entered into the
Court and rushed upon the defenceless Spaniards. One of them,
Ormazabal, fell dead ; and four others were wounded — two so
seriously that they received extreme unction. The house of the
dead man was pillaged, and one woman, the wife of Eguren, and
her son, died in a few days. After this butchery was completed,
they placed the villains as sentinels to keep close watch over the
colonists, continuing to treat them inhumanly."
2. " That it is a public and notorious fact that Don Manuel
Salcedo observed the murderers from the balcony of his house ;
that his steward, Carmen Valdez, was the man who headed the
band ; that he distributed to them the rewards of this treachery
by order of his master, and that for many days they were lodged
and maintained at the cost of Salcedo."
3. " That the Basques, wounded and others, remained for 17
days, viz. : from the 4th to the 21st of August, guarded by these
same murderers."
4. " That a quarter of an hour before the catastrophe, the
Governor of Chepen, the chief place of the district, breakfasted
with Don Manuel Salcedo, and that on leaving the estate he met
the murderers without putting any obstacle in the way of their
plans."
5. "That Manuel Suarez, the Juez de Aguas of the estate,
and two servants of the Governor of Chepen, were among the
murderers."
G. " That when the Justice of the Peace of Chepen went to the
estate to investigate (or take evidence) he remained four days
without taking any proceedings."
7. " That when the Justice afterwards received the declarations
of the wounded colonists and their companions they were still in
the custody of the armed assassins."
8. " That the turn given to the affair at Talambo in the Supreme
Court of Justice has a tendency to put off indefinitely the punish-
31
merit of the criminals, and has given rise to an energetic protest
from the Spanish Consul in Lima.'*
The eight charges here transcribed form the pith of the accusa-
tions contained in the Memorandum respecting the riot at Ta-
lambo, the main cause of the present hostile attitude of Spain.
The evidence is at variance with nearly all Senor Mazarredo's
so-called facts, which, from mere hearsay, and coloured to suit hia
own purpose, he has, with singular effrontery, set forth in a
document addressed to Foreign Powers as a justification for an act
of spoliation.
To begin, it is simply untrue that the 18 Basques who met on
the 4th of August at Senor Salcedo's house, had been summoned
there by him ; it is also untrue that when there, they were
attacked by 70 armed men. The evidence shows that the Spa-
niards were met together at the " Hacienda " at the request of
Miner (a Basque), who, a few hours previously, had assaulted Seiior
Salcedo himself, and, being turned out by that gentleman, was
trying to organize a conspiracy of his countrymen to take Senor
Salcedo's life. A proof of this is to be found in the fact that they
were armed, and not, as the "Special Commissary" asserts, " de-
fenceless ;" and that they used their arms is equally evident, for
on the approach of the Peruvians (labourers, be it observed, like
themselves), Fano (a Basque) fired upon them and shot Eosario
Salazar, one of the foremost, who instantly fell dead.
"What degree of credit then can be attached to the assertions of
a man, who will unscrupulously affirm that the Peruvians in this
case were the aggressors, when the first shot was fired by the
Spaniards, and the firsb victim to fall was a Peruvian ? "Why did
not the Commissary of Queen Isabella II. state this most impor-
tant circumstance ? Or did he in his wisdom think his case would
be all the better for its suppression ?
It is again untrue that the wounded Spaniards received extreme
unction. Their hurts were not of a nature to require the per-
formance of so serious a ceremony ; but more than that, there was
not a Catholic priest within miles of the locality I
The plundering of Ormazabal's house (the Spaniard shot in the
fray) has been proved to be simply false ; but the death of the
wife and son of Eguren is a statement almost ludicrous, in ita
employment of a fact with a view to draw from it false inferences.
The poor woman, it appears, died in childbirth ; her labour, per-
haps, hastened by the excitement occasioned by the disturbances.
Admitting, for the sake of argument, that it was so, is this a
charge to be brought against a Government, and to form with
others of a like trivial nature a casus belli ? Surely, after this,
we may cease to regard the voyage to Lilliput as a creation of the
brain ; we may safely adopt it as history, and think, that the
dispute about breaking an egg at the large or the small end was a
legitimate cause for war !
With respect to the labourers of Senor Salcedo keeping guard
32
over the Basques implicated in the riot, it is undoubtedly true f
but their surveillance only extended to a period of four and not
seventeen days, and the measure was rightly deemed a proper one
m the absence of a regular police, both in order to prevent fresh
disturbances and the escape of the guilty parties.
From the evidence it does not appear that Don Manuel Salcedo
was a witness to this unhappy disturbance.
The evidence does not show that rewards were distributed to
the rioters by order of Sefior Salcedo.
The assertion of Senor Salazar y Mazarredo that the Governor
of Chepen breakfasted with Senor Salcedo on the moraine* in
question, and that on leaving the ''Hacienda" he met°the
assassins without attempting to frustrate their diabolical plans,
rests upon the Special Commissary's word alone. None of the
witnesses examined hinted at such a matter ; and the circumstance
is so improbable that it may well be left to the judgment of the
impartial.
It is true that the Juez de Aguas and two of the servants of
the Governor were engaged in the affray; but as we have already
shown that the party of Peruvians were fired upon when pro-
ceeding to arrest the riotous Basques, the insinuation of Senor
Salazar only reacts upon himself and the cause he attempts to
uphold inasmuch as it proves that not even the presence of con-
stituted authorities was sufficient to restrain the Spaniards
Before quitting this ungrateful subject, I cannot refrain from
mentioning in reply to Sefior Salazar's assertions as to the general
ill-treatment of the '• peaceful » Spanish labourers engaged by
benor Salcedo, and who, as I have elsewhere described, so unscru-
pulously broke their contract, that many of these men who landed
upon .Peruvian shores penniless and shoeless, are at this present
ame on the road to, if not actually in the possession of a decent
competency. Some of them are reputed possessors of capital
ranging from 2000 to 8000 dollars, and Sorazu, who was one of
the ringleaders of the riot, is in the enjoyment of a revenue of
)0 dollars per annum, paid him by the " Beneficencia," for his
services as steward of a hospital !
m The seizure of the Chincha Islands,* without the slightest pre-
vious notice, has, it may well be imagined, caused serious injury
to the Peruvian Government, who, by the loss of four-fifths of
their revenue, are likely to fail in their engagements, through this
wanton act of spoliation. The mischief, however, does not stop
there. ^Ihe loss to many foreign merchants will be equally severe-
and it is no wonder that the event should excite amongst them
the very strongest feelings.
™16S.n? Maya meetinS was called, and was presided
Mr. William de Courcy. Among the gentlemen present
respectin£ the value of these Clauds will be found in the
33
I may mention Messrs. Higginson, Lewis, Seymour, O'Connor,
and seventy others, doing business in Peru. At this assembly
not only was warm sympathy expressed for the Peruvian Govern-
ment, but means were likewise devised to meet the difficulty by
force.
The Diplomatic Body residing in Lima, animated by the same
spirit, made a declaration on the 20th of April, which runs as
follows : —
" The undersigned Foreign Ministers who compose the Diplo-
matic Body in Lima, being met together under the presidency of
their eldest member, the Honourable Mr. Eobinson, Envoy Ex-
traordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary for the United States ;
" Having taken into their serious consideration the declaration
issued on the 14th instant, in the anchorage of the Chincha
Islands by the Commissary of Her Catholic Majesty, and the
Commander-in- Chief of the squadron in the Pacific ; and bearing
in mind, —
" That the Resolutions contained in that document were come
to without previous declaration of war, ultimatum, or other for-
malities which are dictated by the public right of nations ;
" That one of the reasons adduced for the occupation is the
right which the Commissary and General in command attribute
to their nation, to recover the islands belonging to Peru ;
" The undersigned, in the impossibility of receiving instructions
from their respective Governments in so short a time,
" Declare,—
" 1st. That they deplore sincerely that the Commissary and
Commander-in- Chief should not have regulated their proceedings
by the rules prescribed by international law in such cases.
"2nd. That they do not admit the right of recovery which has
been invoked as one of the reasons for the occupation, but will
continue to consider the Chincha Islands as belonging to the
Peruvian Government until their respective Governments shall
decide what they consider right.
" Signed at Lima on the 20th April, 1864.
(signed) " CHRISTOPHER EOBINSON, Envoy Extra-
ordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
of the TJnited States to Peru.
" J. DE LA CRUZ BENEVENTI, Minister
Plenipotentiary of Bolivia to Peru,
and named in the same character for
the American Congress.
" THOS. E. ELDRIDGE, Charge d'Affaires
and Consul- General of His Majesty
the King of Hawaii to Peru.
"WM. STAFFORD JERKTNGKKAM, Her
Britannic Majesty's Charge d' Affaires
and Consul-General to Peru.
" J, NICOLAS HURTADO, Charge d' Affaires
of Chili to Peru."
34
The foregoing declaration was received at Lima with the warmest
demonstrations of delight and approval. The President, through
Sen or Eibeyro, expressed the gratitude of the nation in these
terms : —
" Lima, April 21, 1864.
" The undersigned, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Peru, had
the honour to receive from the hands of the Charges d' Affaires of
His Majesty the King of Hawaii and of Chili, the declaration
which they were pleased to present to him in the names of their
Excellencies the foreign Diplomatic Body residing in Lima, in
which, after taking into serious consideration the declaration
which was sent on the 14th instant from the anchorage of the
Chincha Islands by the Commissary of Her Catholic Majesty
and the Commander-in-Chief of the Spanish squadron in the
Pacific, the said excellent and honourable Ministers have thought
proper to declare in a solemn manner —
" 1. That they lament sincerely that the Commissary and the
Commander-in-Chief have not proceeded in accordance with what
is prescribed by international law for such cases ; and,
" That they do not accept the right of revindication which has
been appealed to as one of the foundations of the occupation ;
but that they shall continue to look upon the Chincha Islands as
belonging to the Peruvian Eepublic, until their respective Govern-
ments shall determine what they shall consider expedient.
" The Government of Peru, in protesting against the acts of
violence committed in the Eepublic by foreign naval forces, was
convinced that its procedure was founded on those just claims
which depend on imprescriptible and sacred rights. It was its
duty to maintain those rights, and if it be considered that they
are bound up with those of the independence and sovereignty of
Peru, the most excellent gentlemen to whom the undersigned has
the honour to address himself, will readily feel how satisfactory it
has been to his Government to see those rights recognized and
solemnly supported by the enlightened and most competent
opinion of the Diplomatic Body resident in Lima.
" The Peruvian Government, with such a favourable precedent,
cannot but feel its faith and confidence increased in the issue of
the great question which has brought out the above-mentioned
declaration, and also feels itself strengthened on finding this
honourable body on its side, in the maintenance of those saving
forms which have been trampled upon by the Spanish Commander
and Commissioner, and are prescribed by the law of nations as the
ultimate guarantee of international intercourse.
" The undersigned has very great pleasure in fulfilling the
grateful duty of making known those feelings which his Govern-
ment cherishes ; and by order of his Excellency the President of
the Eepublic, who highly estimates all that is favourable to the
interests of the Eepublic in yesterday's declaration, he inserts
them in this note, in order that those thanks may be public and
35
manifest, which he has directed him to communicate to the Diplo-
matic Body, for the noble and spontaneous manner in which
this declaration was made.
" The undersigned requests his Excellency the Envoy Extraor-
dinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States, the
Dean of the Diplomatic Body, to accept for himself this manifes-
tation of the gratitude of the Peruvian Government, and to
communicate the same to the representatives of the friendly
nations who signed the declaration with him.
(signed) " JTTAN ANTONIO EIBETEO."
Nothing of particular moment transpired from the date of the
protest of the Diplomatic Body, until the 7th of May, when the
British sloop " Shearwater" arrived at the Chincha Islands, having
on board the Ministers of Prance, England, and Chili. Those
gentlemen had come to the Islands with a view to effect, if pos-
sible, a settlement of the existing difficulties. Admiral Pinzon at
first received them with a little coolness, being under the im-
pression that the Peruvian Government had sent them to inter-
cede ; but on the assurance of M. de Lesseps that they had come
spontaneously, he changed his tone and entered into negociations.
As a proof of good feeling he gave up to them the " Iquique,"
captured on the 14th of April, in order that it might be restored
to the Peruvians. The Spanish officials at the same time, by way
of explanation of such a proceeding, issued the following Memo-
randum : —
" The events which took place on the Chincha Islands on the
14th April have been properly explained in the documents which
are before the Eepublic.
" The Eepresentatives of the Queen have always trusted that
the moderation of the Peruvian people, acknowledged in the
memorandum of the 12th of that month, together with the natural
calmness of their minds, will ultimately put the question on its
true footing.
" To-day that the Diplomatic Corps residing in Lima has been
pleased to depute to the Chincha Islands a Committee of its body,
composed of the Ministers of Great Britain, Prance, and Chili, to
confer upon the present situation, the undersigned declare again
of their own accord, that Spain has no pretensions to interfere
with the form of the Peruvian Government, and that the occupa-
tion of the Islands by way of reprisals, until her Majesty's Govern-
ment should decide, was, for especial reasons, preferable to other
acts of hostility, which, by causing bloodshed, would render the
settlement of the pending questions difficult.
" The Eepresentatives of the Queen have not in the smallest
degree prevented the traders of the Eepublic and of the Peruvian
dependencies from attending to their transactions, and discharging
their duties, as if the question were one of interest appertaining
to friendly nations ; and from, the first day they have decidedly
36
forbidden the loading of any guano on boats which have not the
visa of the Callao authorities, who also, in accordance with the
existing instructions, legalize all the documents of the captains
previously to their departure for the places they are bound to.
" Being desirous to furnish a proof of their good wishes, the
undersigned request the Ministers of England, Prance, and Chili,
to be pleased likewise to make known to their colleagues —
" That the " Iquique " has been restored ;
" That the Spanish squadron will keep on the defensive, if it be
not compelled to do otherwise, and that a term of forty-eight
hours will be given to the respective authorities, if there shall be
any necessity to bring hostilities against any part of the Eepublic.
" That Her Majesty's Government, as it was verbally stated on
the 16th of April to the chiefs of the foreign naval stations, will
not claim the payment of any debt of private persons which does
not possess the following conditions, namely, Spanish origin and
continuity and present existence of rights in Spanish subjects ;
" That the debts or claims of private persons which in any way
admit of doubts, shall be laid before a Mixed Commission ;
"And, lastly, that the reports which represent Spain to be
desirous of establishing European dynasties in Peru, or in any
other of the non-recognised Eepublics in America, are destitute of
any sort of foundation.
'' Anchorage of the Chincha Islands, on board the frigate
* Resolucion,' May 7, 1864.
(signed) " Luis H. PINZON.
EUSEBIO DE SALAZAE T MAZABEEDO."
Senor Eibeyro refused to receive back the little sloop " Iquique,"
unless the Islands were likewise restored, and judging from the
subjoined letter of Mr. Jerningham to Earl Russell, the only
result obtained by, or likely to accrue from, the action of the
Diplomatic Body, was to receive from the parties in dispute the
customary polite thanks for their interference.
Mr. Jerningham to Earl Russell.
" Lima, May 13, 1864.
" MY LORD,
" Upon our return to Lima from the Chincha Islands, the
Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Mr. Robinson, with two of its mem-
bers, waited on his Excellency, Senor Kibeyro, at his private resi-
dence, to inform him that the Peruvian war-sloop " Iquique" had
been made over by Admiral Pinzon to the Diplomatic Body, and had
been brought to Callao, and that they consequently presented to
the Peruvian Government the vessel that had been restored.
" In this interview Admiral Eibeyro seems to have been rather
short, and refused on the spot to receive the " Iquique."
" She is at present in Callao, but I believe that it is determined
37
by the Diplomatic Body to return her now to Admiral Pinzon,
which step will require a great deal of tact, as he may conceive
the non-acceptauce as an offence offered to himself, and perhaps
to the Diplomatic Body, and might, therefore, consider himself
released from his declaration of remaining at present on the
defensive.
" It is a great pity that when Admiral Pinzon has, by the act of
restoring the "Iquique," although without saluting the Peruvian
flag, made a sort of step towards an arrangement, that this
Government has not received the vessel under protest, and thus
not permitted a fresh difficulty to be added to the many others in
the road to reconciliation.
" The pressure from without has been the reason, and they fear
a revolution if they do anything which they apprehend may pos-
sibly be disapproved of by the public mind, which at present is in
a most excited state.
" I have, &c.,
(signed) " WM. STAFPOKD JEKNINGHAM."
On the very day of the signature of the joint Memorandum
which accompanied the restoration of the " Iquique," viz., on the
7th of May, Senor Salazar y Mazarredo announced his resignation
of the post of "Special Commissary," by means of the following
note appended to the document alluded to : —
"Senor Salazar y Mazarredo, Commissary of Her Catholic
Majesty in Peru, and her Minister in Bolivia, wishes it to be
publicly known that he has made the sacrifice of his amour propre
to the importance of the questions in debate between Spain and
Peru, having resigned by the last post the appointments which he
owed to the confidence of the Queen, because he is of opinion that
when serious conflicts take place, men who respect themselves
ought, in the nineteenth century, to place their Governments in a
position to conquer without embarrassment, and with a lofty spirit
of impartiality, all the difficulties which may offer themselves,
always unmindful of persons and dwelling only on principles."
On the following day, Senor Salazar quitted the "Resolueion"
and embarked on board the " Shearwater" for Callao. He reached
that place on the 9th, and shifted his quarters to the " Leander,"
on board of which vessel he remained till the 13th of May, when
he began that eventful, nay miraculous journey, the narrative of
which it is now my purpose to examine.
D 2
PART SECOND.
THE VOYAGE HOME.— PERSONAL ADVENTURES.
The circular of 'Senor Don J. F. Pacheco to the Bepresentatives
of Her Catholic Majesty at Foreign Courts, dated Madrid, the
LMth of June, 1864, was, as I have elsewhere mentioned, accom-
panied by a despatch of Scnor Salazar y Mazarredo, giving an
account of Ins voyage home, and the perils he encountered
in the course of it. This is so singular a revelation that I propose
to examine it in detail, applying, as I go on, my personal know-
ledge of the events and scenes he describes by way of testino- their
accuracy.
His narrative commences thus: —
" On the 8th of May I arrived at Callao with Senor Lora, a
midshipman (the bearer of despatches for the Island of Cuba), 'on
board her Britannic Majesty's corvette " Shearwater," commanded
by Mr. Gordon Douglas, in company of the Ministers of France,
Great Britain, and Chili, who had made a voyage to the Chincha
Islands for the purpose of a conference with General Pinzon and
myself. On the 9th I shifted my quarters to the British war
frigate " Leander," from whose Commander, Commodore Harvey,
I received,— as I had already received from Mr. Douglas,— the
politest attentions. I remained on board the latter vessel till the
13th — the day for the starting of the Panama steamer, by which I
intended returning to Spain.
" On the 12th, I received private advices to the effect that I
must be cautious, as something was hatching against my person ;
and the Chancelier of the French Legation, Mr. Vion, confirmed
this intelligence, advising me among other things that I ought
not to go on board the packet at the spot, (near the Mole)
where she lay at anchor, and counselling me to beg the Captain
to take me from on board the " Leander " itself."
If the lines just quoted are intended by Senor Salazar to sub-
stantiate the charge which the Spanish Minister asserts, "eclipses
all the other charges ivhich Spain conceives that she has against
Peru'' I feel satisfied that all serious men will agree with me that
the vague suspicions thus set forth are not only insufficient to
support a grave accusation, but they strengthen the doubt as to
the goodness of the other causes which have led Spain to her
present hostile attitude towards Peru. It is not perhaps surprising
39
that a man like Salazar, who, during the time that the events to
which he alludes were taking place, was labouring under a degree
of nervous excitement bordering on distraction, should exaggerate
the position and see danger and menace where they did not exist,
but it is astonishing that a Minister, in the calm retreat of his own
cabinet, should be found ready to endorse the accusations against
Peru, although founded upon the merest hearsay and conjecture.
Admitting, for the sake of argument, that Senor Salazar was
justified in believing that a plot was hatching against his person,
still it must be held as most strange that private individuals should
have been in possession of the secret days, nay weeks, before it
was to be realized ; and if such a plot were contemplated, what
right had he to infer that the Government of Peru was a party to
it ? For he does not allege that the parties who were so anxious
for his safety, informed him where the plot was hatching, or who
were the parties aiding or abetting it.
The only ground upon which Senor Salazar can base his charge
against the Peruvian authorities must be sought for in his own
notions of self-importance, which will not permit him to believe
that a private individual would dare to conspire against his life.
Although a little reflection might have taught him, that national
insults such as those which he had heaped upon the Peruvian
flag, had more than once met with condign punishment at the
hands of obscure enthusiasts, without endeavouring to instil into
Senor Pacheco's mind the idea that the "plot" was set on foot by
the Grovernment of Peru, and thus create a greater cause of com-
plaint against the Eepublic than any that had hitherto been
alleged against her.
The narrative thus proceeds : —
"On the morning of the 13th, the English merchant ship
" Dauntless " cast anchor in the Bay, having on board Senor
Cerruti, Professor of Languages to the midshipmen of the frigate
" Resolucion," who, on the advice of General Pinzon, was to
accompany me to Europe in the capacity of private Secretary. As
soon as his arrival became known, the authorities at Callao en-
deavoured to get him into their power ; but the Commodore, who
had notice of the outrage contemplated upon the British flag, sent
an officer on to prevent it, who arrived so opportunely, that he
almost snatched him from the hands of the Peruvian soldiers."
This part of Senor Salazar' s letter is a mixture of truth and
misrepresentation. "When Lieutenant Henry Mclnroy came on
board the " Dauntless," he was courteously received by Senor
Jose Leon, the Deputy- Captain of the Port, who, on being in-
formed that Senor Cerruti had sent to the frigate " Leander " for
a boat to take him off, said at once, " Well, he may go ; but
I protest." Before leaving, the English Lieutenant, the Deputy,
an<} Senor Cerruti had a parting glass, which they drank to the
toast of " A speedy settlement to the existing difficulties."
40
No " snatching" occurred, nor was there occasion for it. It is
true, that prior to the arrival of the authorities, certain parties on
board undertook to kidnap the private Secretary, but with what
justice or right can the Government of Peru be blamed for the
acts of private individuals? Moreover, even if Senor Salazar's
statement were the exact truth, I doubt the right of the Spanish
Cabinet to interfere in the matter, for the private Secretary is not
a Spaniard, nor did he travel with a Spanish passport, and as the
whole affair occurred on board of an English vessel, it would be
the province of the Government of Great Britain, and not that of
Spain, to interfere in the matter.
And here I cannot refrain from inquiring how it is that Senor
Salazar, who is so lavish in his praise of those who assisted him
either by word or deed, has no commendation left for Mr. William
Corwan, the Master of the " Dauntless," who broke the standing
rules of the Port of Callao for the purpose of befriending the
private Secretary of the Spanish Commissary, thus enabling that
gentleman to save the despatches which the Commissary asserts
were judged by the Peruvian Government of so high a value that
they were willing to give 22,000 dollars to emissaries in order to
induce them to steal the " coveted documents ?" And wherefore
is it, that Senor Salazar omits to mention that Captain Corwan,
on being offered the sum of 100 dollars for his trouble, flatly
refused it, and with a dignity well becoming a noble sailor,
asserted that gratitude and not gold was the motive which had
induced him to act as he had done towards Senor Cerruti ? And
again, why does Senor Salazar lay a certain stress on the fact that
Monsieur Eurange drank champagne with the Captain of the
Port of Paita, and not record the circumstance of the parting
glass and toast of his private Secretary, Lieutenant Mclnroy and
Senor Jose Leon at Callao ? The answer is obvious. Silence in
two of the cases and communicativeness in the third, answered
his purpose ; but that purpose, malignant as it is, is too trans-
parent to impose upon the serious and unprejudiced.
The narrative proceeds :
" A few hours before the departure of the " Talca," the Com-
modore observed on board a Peruvian vessel of war certain
suspicious movements, and as he apprehended that some outrage
might be attempted upon me, he offered me a guard of ten marines
to carry me to Panama, an offer which I did not accept for con-
siderations that your Excellency will easily appreciate. He then
proceeded to the house of Eear-Admiral Valle-Eiestra in com-
pany of the English Consul, when the latter declared in Spanish
to the chief of the naval forces of Peru, 011 the part of the
British naval authorities, that if any attempt were made against
me on board the "Talca" he would seize every vessel of war
belonging to the Eepublic, to which Senor Valle-Eiestra replied
by giving all kinds of assurances that nothing whatsoever should
be attempted against me."
41
"With respect to the above, I beg leave to observe that Senor
Salazar's memory must be strangely defective if he indited the
foregoing lines in good faith. I will, for his own sake, presume
that his recollection is at fault, and, by a simple narration of facts,
point out how incorrect is his version of the affair.
On the very evening to which he alludes, viz., the 13th of May,
a little before sun-down, four persons on board H. B. Majesty's
steam frigate " Leander" were dining in the cabin of Commodore
Harvey. Those four persons were the Commodore himself,
Eusebio de Salazar, Cecilio de Lora, and the writer of these lines.
The dinner had scarcely commenced when the steamer "Tumbes,"
under Peruvian colours, was seen entering the harbour of Callao,
but, being met by a boat from the Peruvian flag-ship " Amazonas,"
she steamed out again.
The movements of this little vessel in an instant deprived Senor
Salazar of all his good humour. He started up from his chair,
turned pale, and after a few seconds reflection, addressing himself
to Commodore Harvey, exclaimed that he had received notice that
the steamer " Tumbes" was going to watch outside the harbour
for the mail packet, in order to kidnap his own precious person.
It is therefore clear that this third charge which Senor Salazar
raises against the Peruvian Government is totally incorrect. As
it stands it not only makes a strong case against the authorities,
but is an insinuation to the serious disadvantage of Commodore
Harvey, who, as representing a power with which Peru was at
peace, could have no right to interfere in matters that were
foreign to his duty. Of course, if any violation of the English
flag had taken place, the gallant Commodore could not, nor would
he have hesitated a moment to use the forces at his command ;
but he observed none of those "suspicious movements" referred
to " on board a Peruvian vessel of war;" the Peruvian fleet lay
quietly at anchor under the guns of the fort ; and the coming in
and going out of the "Tumbes" was a matter so insignificant as
to be almost unworthy of notice ; and I certainly should not have
alluded to it, had not the wording of the Commissary's charge
required the explanation.
"With respect to the visit which the Commodore paid to Bear-
Admiral Valle-Eiestra, I may explain, by way of correction of
Salazar's account of it, that Commodore Harvey considered it his
duty to call on the Peruvian Rear-Admiral to mention to him the
report which had thus reached his ears. That officer heard him
with amazement depicted in his features, and assured the Commo-
dore in reply that he was totally misinformed : — that the mission
of the " Tumbes " was one of an ordinary, peaceful nature, and
that under no circumstances would the British flag be violated.
The Commodore, satisfied with this assurance, returned on board
the " Leander," and explained to Senor Salazar that he run no
risk whatsoever. Perceiving, however, that the Commissary still
had misgivings, he offered him an escort of marines to protect him
42
in case of danger. This proposal was refused, for it was obvious
that if any mischief were intended on the part of a war steamer, a
handful of soldiers could offer no effectual resistance.
Resolving then, after all, to confide in the good faith and
plighted word of the Peruvian Rear- Admiral, Seiior Salazar and
suite embarked on board the " Talca " on the evening of the 13th
of May.
The story thus goes on : —
" At seven precisely the said steamer weighed anchor, and
coming alongside the " Leander," I passed on board, together with
the gentlemen mentioned, Seiiores Lora and Cerruti. On the
14th I was advised by persons who were deserving of credit, to be
very careful about my living, and as these same warnings were
repeated on the 15th, I kept my cabin. One of the passengers,
Mr. E- — , the brother-in-law of a naval officer residing in Callao,
endeavoured to gain my confidence, and I tried, through him, to
obtain such data as I possibly could, respecting the intentions of
the Peruvian Government regarding our squadron."
We find in the passage just quoted the same belief uppermost
in Seiior Salazar's mind, that not only was his life sought, but
that the conspirators had used so little caution, that even indifferent
persons were made acquainted with it. The supposition is so
childish and improbable that it may with safety be left to the
judgment of thinking men ; but we cannot help noticing that in
order to curry favour with the Minister to whom he addressed his
letter, he thus publicly confesses that he did his best to pump
from his casual acquaintance the secrets of the Peruvian authori-
ties. It was unfortunate for the Special Commissary that he
should on this occasion have made a confidant of a man who, not
perhaps out of malice, but from that simple love of fun, which dis-
tinguishes his countrymen, " fooled him to the very top of his
bent," and was only rejoiced at the opportunity thus offered to
while away the tedium of a sea voyage.
This gentleman, whom Seiior Salazar describes as Mr. R ,
was a Captain Eugene Rurange, a French officer, who bore the
decoration of the Cross of the Legion of Honour for bravery in
the Crimean war, and could boast also of the possession of a large
silver medal, bestowed on him by the Congress of the United
States of America for his gallantry in rescuing the crew of an
American whaling ship in distress. It was a peculiarity of Seiior
Salazar's to leave out the handle to the names of persons against
whom he entertained any grudge, although he was diplomatically
careful to append them to those of his friends.
Information as to the intentions of the Peruvian Government
respecting the Spanish squadron or otherwise, he failed to obtain,
and it may be said, in passing, that if he had succeeded in getting
so-called " data," they could scarcely be considered reliable, view-
ing the quarter from whence they came.
43
. I resume the narrative :
" On the morning of the 16th, Prank, the English steward who
waited on me, confirmed the suspicions which had been awakened
in my mind by other Spanish passengers (with whom he was not
acquainted) observing: ' Take absolutely nothing but what I bring
you, for one of the passengers,' — and he pointed out a person who,
from the observation of Senors Lora and Cerruti, never ceased to
dog my footsteps, — ' Senor L , a merchant, has just offered
nie 1000 dollars if I put a certain white powder into the cup of
tea you take in the morning, 500 down, and the remainder at a
later period ; he says, it is only to throw you into a slumber so as
to be able to get from you certain important papers you have got
in your trunk. To this I answered, that I was an Englishman, a
Christian, and an honest man, and that I would never lend myself
to so infamous a transaction/ It is very evident that this powder
was to do something more than merely send me to sleep, for as
my two travelling companions never quitted my side, it was im-
possible to catch me alone. At night-fall, as the warnings were
continued, we barricadoed ourselves in the cabin, piling our trunks
against the door, and between that time and midnight, when all
was perfectly dark, we heard some one trying the fastenings.
Senor Lora immediately got up and heard the footsteps of some
one gliding along the passage."
As regards this very romantic story I shall premise that not
having been present when this honest English Christian made the
foregoing revelation, I must pass it over in silence, but a little
explanation may perhaps throw some light upon it, as also upon
the other incidents of the narrative.
The attendant went to the Commissary's cabin on this occasion
under the following circumstances. I had surprised him in close
conversation with a gentleman who, as I fancied, was frequently
watching Stiior Salazar's movements. Calling him to me after
his conference was over, I said: "Tom," (not Frank) "if any-
thing happens to Mr. Salazar, I shall hold you responsible." He
was stammering out some explanation, when I stopped him with
the words : " If you have any declaration to make, go to the cabin
and speak with Mr. Salazar himself."
He did so, and I had almost forgotten the occurrence, when, on
arriving at Taboga, he told me that he had been offered a
thousand dollars if he consented to put some morphine into the
drink of his master.
This is all I know of the affair, and I therefore dismiss it,
without other remark than that it would be absurd indeed to
found on this reported revelation of a menial an accusation against
the Peruvian Government or against a private individual.^
Any way, before giving credence to it, it would be advisable to
have the servant put upon his oath, and, in the presence of a
44
magistrate, confronted with the merchant, Senor L . By this
means, one might perhaps arrive at the truth.
As to the passage of the story respecting the proposed abstrac-
tion of the papers and the barricading the cabin door at night, I
must explain, that throughout this voyage, Seiior Salazar was
under the fixed persuasion that his life was to be attempted, and
hence the singular precautions to which he alludes. It is true
that some one did try the door, but so far from our (his com-
panions) attaching any moment to the circumstance, we thought,
as was doubtless the case, that in the darkness some one had
made a mistake, and, on his discovering it, immediately moved
away. To believe otherwise, — to believe that any single indi-
vidual would attempt anything in a cabin occupied by three
persons, two of them officers and armed, — surpasses ordinary
credibility.
Senor Salazar continues : —
" On the 1 6th we reached Paita ; on board the steamer were
various peasants and Peruvian officers who were to remain at that
port ; two of them (one a naval officer) had formed the project of
shooting me with their revolvers from a boat if I showed myself
on deck. But they had discussed their plans with so little pru-
dence that, through the passenger who occupied the adjoining
cabin, it came to the ears of the Spanish actress, Dona Matilde
Duclos, who was proceeding with her family to the Havana, so
that, warned by her, I did not appear on deck until leaving Paita.
This officer, by the peasants' statement, had said, ' If we get rid
of Mazarredo, we will give you a deal of money, and they will
promote me to the rank of Captain of Corvette.' "
I can readily conceive the astonishment which an Englishman,
who is accustomed in all matters of accusation to look for the
proofs with which they are supported, will feel at such loose
statements as the foregoing being uttered by a public diplomatic
official, and received by a Minister of State as good evidence
against the accused ! If we are to take as gospel all these
wondrous revelations, which crowd upon us more thickly than in
the tales that are dished up for the especial consumption of the
readers of some of the penny journals, we must believe that the
Peruvian G-overnment is so unscrupulous that it stops at no
measures to be rid of a disagreeable adversary, and that the
Peruvian people are so degraded that tools are to be found among
all classes ready to commit the basest of crimes.
"Would it not be thought the proper course for a gentleman in
Senor Salazar' s position to prove by means of affidavits, or other
binding forms, the serious charges which he brings, and openly
publishes to the world ? And, if he cannot so substantiate them,
to suppress them altogether ? Is it sufficient to thrust them thus
publicly forward upon the mere report of individuals, designated
45
by initials ; and is he justified, even supposing his facts to be as
he states them, in laying these charges at the door of the au-
thorities of Peru, because, to use his own words, he left no private
enemies in the country ?
Comment on the foregoing passage of the narrative would seem
superfluous if the Spanish Minister, Senor Pacheco, had not
allowed it to pass muster, and were not apparently disposed to
support both that and kindred assertions with such powerful
arguments as iron-plated steamers and other paraphernalia of war.
Concluding, therefore, that the incidents alluded to must be of
greater worth than I should otherwise have attached to them, I
must express my regret that Senor Salazar has suppressed the
name of that gallant naval officer who aspired to be promoted to
the rank of " Captain of Corvette," if he were fortunate enough
to put an end to the career of the Special Commissary. For the
information of the public I can inform them that there was but
one Peruvian naval officer on board the "Talca" on the occasion
alluded to, and, if I am not mistaken, he was a deputy of the
Captain of the Port at Paita.
And will Senor Salazar or Mile. Duclos kindly inform us who
the passenger was whose cabin adjoined that of the conspirators,
and who overheard and reported their conversation ?
To resume : —
" I thought that my adventures were to terminate here, and
scarce thought it necessary to observe the ordinary behaviour of
the passengers, but it really was but the beginning of them.
M. E feigned, when at Paita, — no doubt with a view to
inspire me with confidence, — that the Captain of the Port was
desirous of seizing him ; and then, after a scene where much talk
and insultiDg language were used, sat down quietly to drink
champagne with the authorities of the town ; — a proceeding which
was not very calculated to induce me to fall into his nets."
This is another of the numerous instances of misrepresentation
of facts to suit a purpose to which I have more than once had
occasion to allude as a distinguishing feature of Senor Salazar's
narrative.
The Captain of the Port did not merely feign to arrest M. E — ,
but did in fact arrest him and bring him on board the steamer bound
for Panama ; and he moreover put a guard over him to prevent
his returning to Callao. The motives which induced the Cap-
tain of the Port to take this step, would have justified him in
adopting still harsher ones ; and if I do not here reveal them, the
Special Commissary ought to feel grateful for my silence.
As to the champagne which was drunk on the occasion, I cannot
but admire Senor Salazar's ingenuity in thus wresting from a
simple incident a meaning of so significant a kind.
It happened that among the passengers was a kindly tempered
gentleman, by name Miro Quesada, who having a great dislike to
46
squabbles, and wishing to obliterate from memory the disagreeable
scene of the arrest, invited the Captain of the Port, M. E — , and
several of the passengers to take wine with him. They consented
and drank, and Senor Quesada paid the score. What comes then
of all this story of manoeuvres "to inspire confidence," and danger
to personal safety ?
The narrative continues : —
"I learnt indirectly through this gentleman the contents of a
letter which I had written the day previous to Don Mariano
Prado, our Charge d'Affaires at Quito ; it was entrusted to the
Clerk of the steamer, and notwithstanding that it was in a double
envelope for the English Consul at Guayaquil, it was opened by
the Post Office authorities at Paita. Fortunately I had put
nothing in it that was of importance."
This charge is as serious as it is sweeping. It raises a doubt as
to the integrity of the Purser of the steamer (who was not a Pe-
ruvian), and openly attacks the Post Office officials at Paita, thus
raising a feeling of distrust throughout the community of South
America as to the safety of their correspondence ; for it must be
borne in mind that all the mails from Europe to Ecuador, Bolivia,
Chili, and Peru pass through the hands of the agents referred to.
But can this story be true ? Would one single quarter of an
hour, — the time that the passengers remained on shore, — suffice
for the contents of Senor Salazar's letter to be made known ?
The narrative runs on : —
" There was on board the " Talca" a Frenchman, who, desirous
of paying but little for his passage, had offered himself, as was
frequently the case, to serve at the passengers' table. On the eve
of reaching Panama, he came to inform me that the said M. E —
had desired lam to bring a small bottle of ale to his cabin, where
he said to him, 'I have remarked that Senor Salazar takes a bottle
just like this at his dinner ; if you give him this, after putting
into it a white powder (showing a paper packet), I will make you
a present of 300 dollars down.' The Frenchman, instead of
accepting the proposal, related the occurrence to several of the
passengers. Directly I heard of it, being unable to restrain my
anger, I called M. E — , shut him up in his own cabin, and had
my suspicions confirmed by the mode in which he replied to the
unmeasured terms in which I accused him. He excused himself
in a miserable way, and with faltering aspect drank the contents
of the bottle before me to prove his innocence. I complained to
the Captain of the steamer, who corroborated the rumours which
had reached my ears as to the intentions of certain Peruvians, and
we were both of opinion that a formal plaint should be made
before the French Consul at Panama, as E — had had plenty of
time to get rid of the evidence of his intended crime. I must
mention here that both the man Frank, and the Frenchman
alluded to, enjoy the beat reputation."
47
Senor Salazar appears in the foregoing exciting incident, in
quite a novel character. Hitherto, we have observed him wonder-
fully careful of his person ; according to his own confession, very
unwilling to appear on deck as a mark for aspiring naval officers
to fire at, and barricading his cabin with portmanteaus to prevent
the entrance of midnight purloiners and assassins. But on this
occasion, we find him acting with an energy that is quite startling ;
—shutting himself up alone in Captain Eurange's cabin, and
compelling that gentleman to go through a little private perform-
ance to prove his innocence, while he assails him in the most "un-
measured terms."
I can say nothing about the truth of a story which had but two
actors, — one of them the narrator, — and no spectators ; but I
refuse to give it credence, because I find one of the premises to be
false. The M. E — alluded to had no cabin of his own, and there-
fore could not be shut up in it. His sleeping place was in the
after saloon, where he occupied a berth with Messrs. Galesi, a
Peruvian doctor, whose name has escaped me, and two others.
All those gentlemen had paid first-class fare and were therefore
entitled to cabins, but the steamer " Talca " being a small vessel,
several of the first-class passengers were compelled to sleep in the
dining saloon, and others, as I have stated, in the after saloon.
But what are we to think of the passage referring to Captain
Galloway, the gentleman in command of the steamer, who, respon-
sible as he is for the safety of his passengers, allowed rumours of
attempts to be made on Senor Saiazar's life without an effort to
inquire into or stay them ; and says not a word of their being
afloat, until the Special Commissary broaches the subject ? This
is a grave charge, and it behoves Captain Galloway to clear his
reputation of it, lest his silence be misconstrued. By coming for-
ward, either to corroborate or refute this declaration of Senor
Salazar, he will be doing a public service, and if I judge him cor-
rectly he will not fail to do so when this romantic story shall reach
his ears.
It is a singular fact that although the Special Commissary insists
upon accusing Peru, — her government and people, — of these con-
tinued attempts upon his life, and has induced his superior, Senor
Pacheco, to coincide with his views, he has, up to this point of his
narrative, brought upon the scene as the intended assassins,
Frenchmen, Englishmen, any countrymen but Peruvians. The
Senor L — for instance is a Canadian ; M. E — is a Frenchman ;
and the two men in attendance are English and French respec-
tively. Is it at all likely that the Peruvian Government, if bent
on taking Senor Salazar's life, should have used foreign agents for
such a purpose ?
"With respect to the Commissary's assurance that both the attend-
ant, Frank, and the Frenchman enjoyed the best reputation, I can
only say as regards the former, that if he did enjoy such reputation,
he did not deserve it. His honesty may be judged from the fact that
48
he was paid at Taboga by Senor Emilio Galesi, the sum of four
dollars, partly in requital of his service and partly as prepayment
for the removal of the trunks of his (Sefior Galesi's) sick cousin.
Honest Prank pocketed the money with a Christian spirit of con-
tentment, but failed to perform the duty for which it was part
consideration.
The tale then proceeds as follows :
"We reached that port in the afternoon of the 20th, and I
walked about the town, accompanied by the French Consul, Mr
Zeltner, without meeting with any molestation. We fell in with
the Frenchman whom they had attempted to suborn to poison me
and he made a full declaration before the Consul. A short time
after we learnt that a Peruvian, an employe of the tailoring
establishment at Callao, in connection with the State Navy and
the travelling companion of M. E— , had struck him before one
the hotels for having denounced his friend.. The Frenchman
came to make his complaint, and Mr. Zeltner summoned him for
the following day."
As I know most positively that the employe or clerk to whom
allusion is here made, is not a Peruvian but an European, I at
once call attention to the mistake, for it would ill-accord with the
Peruvians' repute for "mildness of character," to find them thus
on the slightest provocation, brawling in the public streets. Senor
balazar s account too of the quarrel, is not, as I am informed
quite the correct one.
It would appear that the Clerk, a Mr. L— , had high words with
the Irench servant of excellent reputation, because, when at
Panama, he denied having said anything against M. E . Whilst
they were disputing, a certain Gomez, a diamond merchant, came
up, and positively declared that the Frenchman had accused
Jk E — of intending to poison Senor Salazar, and asserted that he
had brought the charge in the expectation of reaping a good
reward.
This asseveration of Gomez' led, after some more words, to
blows, but the whole affair was over in a few minutes, none of
the parties receiving any serious hurt.
With regard to the summons for the following day, I can only
observe that if there were any intention to issue it, such resolve
was never carried out, for the simple reason that Mr. Zeltner left
Panama for Aspinwall at half-past four in the morning. But
suppose he had issued it, what result could it have led to, since'
as Senor Salazar assures the Minister, the assaulting party was a
Peruvian? What authority can the French Consul at Panama
exercise over Peruvian subjects ?
I transcribe Senor Salazar' s words in continuation :
" The seizure of the Islands, known twenty days previously,
had not occasioned any great stir at this place ; on the contrary*
when General Herran, who had emigrated to Peru, arrived by the
49
previous packet, charged with a commission from the Government
of Lima to purchase munitions of war in the United States, the
authorities ordered the troops to be put under arms, directly they
heard of his coming, and opposed his crossing the Isthmus."
The reader will observe that the Spanish Special Commissary
thus complacently attributes to a feeling of consideration of the
people of Panama towards himself, the steps thus taken against
General Herran. Eut the motives of such measures were of a
perfectly different kind. General Herran was known to be op-
posed to the actual state of affairs, and it was also known that his
influence in New Granada, where he had held the post of Minister,
was so great, that his presence only was needed to light the torch
of civil war in that country. The whole statement is a garbled
one ; for General Herran was bound to California on this occasion,
and not to the United States ; and the authorities could not be
said to prevent his crossing the Isthmus when he had no intention
of doing so.
The story continues : —
" At night-fall, General Iriarte, formerly Commandant General
of Panama, whose acquaintance I had made 011 board the " Eeso-
lucion" months before, came to inform me that he had learnt from
a safe quarter that something disagreeable was hatching against
me, and that he thought I had better push on to Colon. M. de
Zeltner and the English Consul, Mr. Henderson, called at once
upon the Governor of the State ; but his servant replied that he
was not at home. Commodore Harvey and Mr. Jerningham, the
English Minister at Lima, had given me letters of recommendation
from Mr. Petrie, the General Agent of the Pacific Steam Naviga-
tion Company to his private agent in Panama. This gentleman
transferred the recommendation to Mr. Nelson, Superintendent of
the Isthmus Eailway, who displayed his kindness, when he heard
what had passed, by lodging me in his own house, ' because,' he
said, * no one would believe that the Minister of Spain had taken
refuge in the dwelling of the representative of a North American
Company, when European Consuls placed their residences at his
disposal.' "
The above passage was doubtless written with the object of
contrasting the reception of General Herran with the one accorded
to himself; for as, in the one case} he describes nothing but hos-
tility and menace, in the other he brings forward the most puerile
details in order to exhibit the anxiety to render service. Myself
and others put a different construction upon General Iriarte's
attentions. Knowing full well the excitable nature of the Panama
populace, composed as it is of a most miscellaneous character, he
was apprehensive of so strong a " bone of contention " as Her
Catholic Majesty's Special Commissary making any stay in the
50
place, and therefore used every means to get him speedily out of
the way.
The narrative proceeds : —
'* In fact, at half-past ten at night there assembled before the
Trench Consulate from thirty to forty negroes, followed by as
many boys, who uttered the strangest cries, and made a horrible
noise with all sorts of implements. This uproar being over they
went away, but before twelve the negroes came back and called
out ' Death to Spain ! Death to the Queen ! Down with Prance !
~the Emperor ! General Pinzon and myself !' They then smashed
the windows of the Consulate ; they injured the Imperial Arms,
and would have torn down the flag which M. de Zeltner had
ordered to be put out when the tumult began, if a person who was
v\ iih them had not called out, ' No, no ; don't touch the flag,' when
they retired, contenting themselves with pelting it with dirt. I
was an ear-witness to these scenes from the house of Mr. Nelson ;
and when they were over, the French and English Consuls came
in, and it was resolved that M. de Zeltner, Seilor Lora and myself,
should leave at four in the morning for Paraiso, — the name of a
station on the railway about eight miles distant from Panama."
Senor Salazar here endeavours to convert a paltry demonstra-
tion on the part of a ragged mob, who seemed as much moved by
fun as mischief, into one of political significance. lie says he
heard all that passed from Mr. Nelson's house ; but he describes
things which required also a little ocular demonstration to make
them valuable as evidence ; otherwise he must repeat them on
hearsay ; now I both saw and heard the whole affair, and I assert
that, to my knowledge, no windows were smashed and no injury
done to the Imperial arms of France. The mob, too, must ha ve
had long arms if they intended pulling down the flag, for it hap-
pened to be flying at the top of the house. There is some
inaccuracy, also, in the Commissary's record of the cries that
were uttered. I did not hear them shout " Death to the Em-
peror !" or " Death to General Pinzon !" But I did hear them
exclaim, " Long live Pinzon!" which I attributed to the fact that
during that gentleman's stay at Panama in the month of November
last year, he had endeared himself to the townspeople by many
acts of kindness. Senor Sulazar suppresses, and for obvious reasons,
the cry that was most predominant of all, viz., "Death to the
truce of 40 years !" The recording such a circumstance might
have read as an uncomfortable commentary on that principle of
" revindication" which was promulgated on the 14th of April,
with the seizure of the Chincha Islands ; and he therefore perhaps
deemed it most prudent to suppress it.
His story follows on thus : —
" Mr. Nelson gave me the two annexed letters, numbered 1 and
2, for the chief official of the station at Panama, Senor Diaz, and
51
for the station-master at Paraiso, Mr. Hughes ; but after mature
reflection, he preferred accompanying us himself in the vehicle
that was to convey us to the station. This was a hand-car,
uncovered, which, moved by two men by means of a species of
mechanism, can run upon rails at the rate of seven or eight miles
an hour. On reaching the station, Mr. Nelson said to me: 'I
will give you two confidential negroes who will accompany you to
Paraiso. You will there wait for the train which brings the
treasure from California (the specie train), and by this means
avoid all annoyance. I have the telegraph at my disposal, and
will give orders to prevent any suspicious message from being
transmitted.' Seiior Diaz added, that during the night several
negroes had gone along the line, and advised us to proceed with
great care. We got our pistols in readiness, and in little more
than an hour reached the appointed place, in the midst of a storm
which wetted us completely through, although it is not improbable
it may have saved us from something worse than a wetting."
The foregoing extract contains a good deal of matter of a per-
fectly indifferent character, and as it does not bear upon the
question at issue may be dismissed with a few passing words.
The party of travellers were of course justified in taking such
precautions for their personal safety as they considered the gravity
of their position required ; and not even Senor Salazar, who can
scent out a plot with almost as keen a nose as King Jamie him-
self, of glorious memory, will attempt to prove that the wetting
which he publicly records was specially designed by the Peruvian
G-overnment to make him uncomfortable. He however perhaps
holds that it was sent by a special Providence to guard him from
the machinations of his enemies, for he observes that " it is not
improbable it may have saved us from something worse than a
wetting."
But the words which Senor Salazar puts into the mouth of
Mr. Nelson, if correctly reported, make that gentleman liable to
a serious charge. The telegraph is a public institution, estab-
lished under certain conditions, it is for the use of the public, and
no official having it under his control, is justified in making it an
instrument for the exclusive advantage of any private individual.
The story is a doubtful one; but under any circumstances, the
freedom with which the Special Commissary compromises persons
in responsible positions in order to make out his own case, is
an ugly peculiarity which will not escape the attention of the
reader.
He then proceeds : —
" At Paraiso I conceived the happy idea of continuing on instead
of stopping ; we changed our negroes, and resting every four
miles arrived at Colon (Aspinwall) at a quarter to one. Im-
mediately on my alighting, the station-master handed to me the
E
52
annexed telegram, marked 3, to the effect that Mr. Nelson had
refused to allow several very suspicious messages from going
forward. Mr. Nelson was under the impression that we should
start from Paraiso by the specie train. By that train, the
employe of the tailoring establishment at Callao had in fact crossed
the Isthmus, and as I was informed afterwards, on board the
steamer by Mr. Madellan (the master of one of the intermediate
stations), he had exhibited the utmost surprise and annoyance
when he learnt that I must be already on board the " Solent." I
may here observe that the speed with which we traversed the
forty-eight miles freed us from other danger ; for as Mr. Nelson
was not aware of our having continued on by the hand carriage,
he had given no notice to the guard of the train, and it would
have been very easy for us to have been run down by the one
conveying the specie.
" The train that followed brought on M. K with a party of
negroes wretchedly attired, armed with chopping-knives and
revolvers. On reaching Paraiso, where they expected to fall in
•with me, they sought for me in every direction. They then took
counsel and decided upon going on. They were seen in the train,
in one of the carriages (an American one, holding forty passen-
gers), by Sir Greville Smythe, Bart., Captain Paul,M. Daignoux,
one of the proprietors of the Hotel Aspinwall at Panama, M. Leon
Plaus de Couteret, M. Peyroux de Pontacq, Messieurs Pontanilly,
Eiembasc and others, foreigners and Spaniards. Of the latter I
shall subsequently speak. As to the foreigners, they assured me
that if the negroes had fallen in with me, there would have been a
terrible struggle, for all wero disposed to take up my defence."
Passing over, in my comments on the foregoing extract, the
mysterious re-appearance somewhere on the road, of the tailors'
clerk, who, according to Mr. Madellan, gave vent to his surprise
and annoyance at having missed the Special Commissary, 1 am
bound to express my sympathy at the awful danger run by Senor
Salazar of being crushed by a train which did not arrive at Aspin-
wall until Tie had been Jive hours at least on board the Solent ! My
feelings are modified by the reflection, that, as he had a nine hours'
start of the specie train, and as the distance to be run over was
only forty-eight miles, the peril he encountered was not very im-
minent after all. He is correct in stating that a suspicious party
of negroes came on by that train ; but not so in the assertion that
on reaching Paraiso they " sought about for him in every direc-
tion." The train only stopped about one or two minutes in that
place, and had any of the passengers wandered away, they would
most certainly have been left behind. Senor Salazar instances
certain persons who observed the negroes, but one among them
at least, M. Daignoux, could not have seen them. That gentle-
man was at Panarnd at the very time referred to, and did not
53
arrive at Aspinwall till half-past seven that night, having come on
bj a slow train.
Senor Salazar then proceeds : —
" The negroes and the two emissaries came up as far as the very
wharf where the steamer was moored. The Captain of the
"Solent," for whom the English Consul in Panama had given me
a letter, and his officers ordered them off; but the emissaries
managed to come on board. M. E even succeeded in speak-
ing to me, and begged that I would intercede with the French
Consul so as to prevent any further proceedings ; he said that the
Frenchman withdrew his charge and other things of a similar
kind ; to this I replied before Mr. Zeltner, ' The French Consul
will do what he may consider advisable.' "
Senor Salazar here asserts that the Captain of the " Solent,"
together with his officers, drove away from the wharf the negroes
who, armed as he has described, had travelled from Panama to
Aspinwall for the purpose of taking his life.
Will the Captain of the "Solent" and his officers make an
affidavit to that effect, and declare that they did so because they
were of opinion that the ragged band meant mischief to the
Spanish Commissary's person ? If so, it will give a colour of
truth to this assertion. By Senor Salazar's own showing, they
could not keep out the ringleaders, for they actually forced their
way on board and had speech of the envoy.
And what are the proceedings to which he alludes ? None cer-
tainly had as yet been taken, and how could they be initiated or
gone on with in the absence of the prosecutor ? The whole is a
tissue of contradictions; for if the Frenchman alluded to had
retracted his supposititious charge there did not even remain a
witness against M. B .
Again, are Aspinwall and Panama French Colonies that the
Consul of the Empire is to do "what he may consider advisable"
in the matter ? Besides, had not Senor Salazar himself spoken to
the friendly feeling towards him of General Triarte and many
other parties in Panama, both officials and private individuals,
and were not they much more likely— were they not indeed the
parties to take up the affair rather than the French Consul ?
But what becomes of the statement of the Special Commissary
when I assert, as I unhesitatingly do, that it was at Senor Sala-
zar's request, made to Messrs. B and L through me, his
private Secretary, that those gentlemen went on board the
I' Solent" to have an interview with him ? What passed at that
interview I cannot, of course, reveal ; but as the manner in which
it was brought about is incorrectly stated, no great value can be
attached to the Spanish envoy's revelation of what took place
at it.
He then goes on : —
" On board the steamer, the North American Consul at Colon,
E 2
54
Mr. Mac Eice, presented himself to me and offered his services
under these critical circumstances.
" A short time afterwards, the Callao employe approached the
Spanish bullfighter Marin, who was proceeding with us in order
to cross from St. Thomas to the Havana. Marin knew him to be
from Peru, assailed him in the strongest terms of abuse, and if I
had not interfered, he would have knocked him down on board the
steamer. Both he and E confessed to Marin that the scene
at Paita was a regular comedy, and that they had obtained some
0 dollars and had the promise of 20,000 more if they suc-
ceeded in getting possession of my papers. That is to say, that it
was the story of the steamer " Talca" continued. But were so
many armed negroes required for such a purpose ? Should I
have allowed my papers to be taken from me? And what
would have been the result of the struggle which must have
ensued?"
So we find from this strange story, Messrs. L and E- ,
those redoubted chieftains, at length coming out in their true'
colours, and, honest for once, actually confessing the part they
had taken in the foregoing persecution, and the reward they
were to receive if successful in it. But to whom do they make
the revelation ? Is it to some Father of the Church, who by the
ecclesiastical laws is a safe depositary of human secrets ? By no
means. The avowal is made to an erring mortal like themselves,
a Spanish Bullfighter ! Doubtless, it was the indignation caused
by this confession of their villainy which roused the Torero to
such a pitch as to almost knock them down on the deck of the
steamer, although Seiior Salazar reverses the order and makes
them quarrel first, and be boon companions afterwards j with a
man too of the lowest class, as his occupation betrays, and who
was indebted to Senor Salazar's own bounty for the very journey
he was taking.
Seriously, how comes it that I, who was on board the vessel,
and had the actors of the singular scenes thus described constantly
in sight, knew nothing of this quarrel until the appearance of
Senor Salazar's letter ? And yet, if Marin had been concerned in
it, and had carried it on to the point alluded to, where words,
namely, are about to give way to blows, I could scarcely have been
ignorant of the fact, or indeed any individual on board,— for of all
the noisy fellows I ever fell in with, Master Marin was about
the most boisterous.
It is a thousand pities that the confession about the money
part of the transaction should be so meagre, for could Senor
Salazar have boldly asserted ^vho it was that advanced the 2000
dollars in cash, and was to advance the 20,000 more, it would
have saved a vast amount of conjecture, and prevented the sus-
picion being cast perhaps upon the wrong parties. It stands as
an isolated and doubtful assertion, and I shall greatly err, if
55
thinking men will in its present shape attach the slightest weight
to it.
To resume the narrative : —
" In spite of ^everything, the employe referred to did not con-
sider that his mission was at an end, and it came to our knowledge
that he intended to take a ticket for Southampton. M. Zeltner,
however, observed aloud, ' This man last night ill-treated a French
subject, and I shall resolutely oppose his embarkation/ As soon
as this threat reached ^ his ears, he quietly went off to join his
negroes, who kept within pistol-shot of the steamer ; not without,
however, previously exclaiming that if I came ashore, he would
blow my brains out.
" On board the steamer I received a letter from a Spanish mer-
chant established at Panama, advising me of the journey of the
negroes and their intentions. I cannot find it among my papers,
but Senor Garcia is very well known there.
" The authorities of the Isthmus did nothing to prevent their
excesses, and I have, upon this point, written likewise to the
Captain-general of the Island of Cuba. The head of the police
at Panama, when accused for his indifference, replied, ' that if he
quarrelled with those few negroes, there was reason to fear that
all the others would make common cause with them, and that the
result might be as fatal as the emeute which occurred a few years
back, and that cost many North Americans their lives,' "
Passing over in the foregoing extract the extraordinary autho*
rity with which M. Zeltner is invested by our Special Commissary,
I cannot help expressing my admiration at the boldness of the
man, who, in order to pleasure his protege, thus beards the ring-
leader of a band of negroes, armed as we have seen, and who were
within pistol shot of the steamer, ready to answer his call !
"With respect to Senor Garcia, to whom he alludes, and whose
wonderful power of divination in penetrating the intentions of the
negroes is not obscurely hinted at, I cannot forget that Seilor
Salazar did not always speak of him so politely. The using his
name in the way in which it appears in this extract, is another
proof of how little the Spanish envoy is stayed by any scruples
when he has a purpose to serve. He is right in stating that
Garcia is well known at Panama :— perhaps better known than
trusted. Does Senor Salazar forget how that worthy gentleman
charged him 540 reals, or £5. 10s. sterling, for merely forwarding
a small trunk and hat box from Panama to Aspinwall ?
The Spanish Commissary is unjustly severe upon the Chief of
the Police at Panama for his so-called indifference to the charivari
at that place, when we all passed through it. His reply, even as
reported by Senor Salazar, was by no means an unreasonable
one. That functionary had but thirty-two men at his disposal,
and as he saw the mob contenting itself with empty noise he very
wisely refrained from interference. If our Special Commissary
56
had only possessed a little of the discretion displayed by the
Panama Police Officer, and which he is so ready to condemn, it is
just possible that the present hostile attitude between two kin-
dred nations might have been avoided.
"These are in simple form," observes Senor Salazar in conclu-
sion, " the facts of the case. From St. Thomas I wrote to the
Captain- General of Cuba to draw up an official account of the
affair. At the Havana, whither proceeded Senor Lora and various
Spaniards, viz. the actors Ortiz and Duclos, the bullfighter Marin,
a Banderillero (Hag carrier in bull fights) whose name I do not
remember, and others to the number of ten, proper declarations
will have been made by those parties."
It is to be hoped so. It is most desirable that proper declara-
tions should be made; but one would have thought that the
Minister of Spain would wait till some such documentary evidence
came forward before so readily endorsing a narrative whose pueri-
lities and reckless assertions are patent to every attentive reader.
The narrative of Senor Salazar winds up as follows : —
" In view of the foregoing, it is evident that my life has been
saved by a miracle, and I believe that Her Majesty's Government
will be doing an act of justice by expressing its thanks to Com-
modore Harvey of the English Navy, to the Superintendent of
the Isthmus Eailway,Mr. Nelson, to the Consuls, Messrs. Zeltner,
Henderson, and MacEice, for the support given by them to ita
representative ; and such thanks are more especially due to the
Trench Consul, as he ran serious danger in performing the act of
abnegation of which I have made mention.
" I \\ill close this despatch with one simple reflection ; that I
have not left in Lima any personal enemies. The expense occa-
sioned by the wicked attempts referred to, must have been very
considerable, for the mere crossing of the Isthmus costs 500 reals
a head, and as it is scarcely to be supposed that patriotic enthusi-
asm against my humble person could assume such proportions, I
may be permitted to ask, * Who was interested in the committal
of such attempts ? And who, feeling such interest, could have
incurred so vast an outlay ?' '
The conclusion at which Senor Salazar wishes us to arrive is
obvious. As he asserts that he had no personal enemies in Lima,
and yet his life was in imminent danger from poison, the bullet,
and the chopping knife, from the moment of his quitting it until
he stood beneath the flag of England bound for its shores, his
would-be assassins must be public ones, must in fact be emissaries
of the Peruvian Government, who alone, — as he carefully insinu-
ates,— could have borne the expense,
The reader must decide, after a perusal of the Spanish envoy's
letter (which I have, although in detached portions, transcribed
in its entirety) and the light which my personal knowledge has
57
been able to throw upon it, what credence should be given to
these^ heavy charges against the authorities of Peru.
It is natural to suppose that a man whose insulting words had
wounded the pride of an entire nation, and whose unscrupulous
deed had just deprived the Republic of one of the main sources of
her revenue, would not meet with particular courtesy at the hands
of the Peruvians who happened to cross his path ; it is also not
improbable that some of the more unscrupulous among them would
have done him a mischief if they had found the opportunity ; but
it is base to endeavour by such assertions as I have exposed to
cast a stigma upon a whole people, and most wicked by such insi-
dious accusations to raise to a still higher pitch the angry feelings
already excited.
The more, however, one reflects upon the matter, the greater
becomes the hope of a pacific solution to the present difficulties.
It cannot be that the act of a man, capable of inditing such
a tissue of misrepresentations as is here set forth, will be permitted
to plunge whole nations into all the horrors of war. The idea is
too preposterous to be entertained ; common sense forbids it ; and
although in the course of this unhappy dispute, it is a commodity
that has been very sparingly used, I still believe, as I do most
fervently pray, that it will ultimately prevail.
POSTSCEIPT.— Before closing these pages, I cannot refrain
from laying before my readers a letter which appeared on the 14th
of July in one of the official organs of Madrid; " El Eco del Pais,"
to which Seiior Salazar y Mazarredo is a contributor. The effusion
will at least confirm what I have before stated, viz. the utter
recklessness with which assertions are made, when a purpose has
to be served or a spite to be vented. It is fortunate in produc-
tions like the present that the cunning with which they are com-
posed is inferior to the venom that they contain, and that their
very animus almost invariably betrays their worthlessness.
" Panama, 20th June, 1864.
" On the steamer ' Chile ' arriving off Pisco (Peru), there
came on board, requesting a passage to Panama, two officers of
the Spanish squadron in the Pacific ; their request was immedi-
ately complied with.
" Those passengers were Don Jose Oreyro, second commander
of the Spanish frigate '^Resolution,' and the other an officer also
of the Spanish navy. Seiior Oreyro at once, in presence of wit-
58
nesses, and with the greatest solemnity possible in such cases
«±rM° thf °aptf U0f the Burner" Cliile,'' a well closed bag!
sealed with red wax, bearing a clear impress of the arms of France
the bag itself being addressed to the French Consul at Panama
H Offl • f P6 rmg thi5 bagj . efi°r °re?ro said thafc ifc contained
the Official Correspondence between France and Spain, that he
wished it to be put into the iron safe, so as to prevent any risk of
i being stolen, and kept and conveyed under his (the Captain's)
responsibility. Captain Sivell took the bag and had it scored in
the ron safe; in a word, the correspondence between Spain and
trance was deposited in the hands of an English Admiralty Agent
on board a ship of war of Great Britain
fWlS tb%afLernoori of the 19th of June, the steamer arrived in
the J3ay of Panama, and before any of the passengers landed
Senor Oreyro asked Captain Sivell for the bag containing tl'e cor!
respondent which he had consigned to his care in the Bay of
Pisco. The Captain ordered the Purser to deliver up the W
which he did at once, without the slightest remark ; but on
receiving it, Senor Oreyro observed that the seal had been broken
and half covered with common wax, the cord which closed the baz
USS. u?m?Vf dj the corresP<>ndence stolen and its place sup-
, M.«v i^^ and envelopes, addressed to various parties
"The Captain, instead of preventing anyone from going ashore
Before reporting the matter to H. B. Majesty's Consul or to
ither of the Commanders of the two English war vessels which
were lying at anchor near him, allowed the passengers to land and
uiS? S^>epS whatsoever to c]ear the honour of Great Britain.
11 Purser endeavours to exonerate himself by saying that
without doubt the theft was committed in Callao, but no one
believes this, not even the Purser himself. On board the < Chile'
there embarked at Callao and came on to Panama on the 19th
June two persons, worthy servants of Peru (judging them by
their deeds), and unfortunately well known to Seiior Don Eusebio
balazar y Mazarredo, against whom, as all the world knows, they
plotted at Panama and Colon, in the month of May.
" Those two individuals, Juan Noguier and Eugene Buveran
are French renegades. According to their confidential reports!
the assertions of their friends and private letters from Lima, they
are commissioned by the Peruvian Government, especially to Steal
official correspondence, to persecute diplomats wherever they may
tall m with them, and who knows what more !
"In exclusion, the Purser of the ' Chile* 'is a Peruvian, and
Captain Sivell is married in Lima."
The writer of this precious epistle doubtless fancies that the
inference to be drawn from the concluding remark will be a
clincher ; but what must be the state of a cause which is attempted
to be bolstered up by silly letters such as these ?
59
Any way, the composition is well worthy of its author, whether
it be written by Monsieur Zeltner, as the " Espiritu Publico" seems
to think, or by his whilom protege Senor Eusebio de Salazar.
Its origin, and the origin of many others published at the same
time, is clearly this. The famous despatch of the 20th June,
which we have recently taken occasion to analyse, required some
collateral support, and it is obtained by the insertion of this and
similar letters in the Spanish journals.
" Dans le pays des aveugles, les lorgnes sont rois /" says the old
proverb, and true it is, that the mass of readers must necessarily
be so ignorant of matters occurring at distant points of the globe
and of the localities where they are enacted, that it becomes com-
paratively easy for those who have but a trifling knowledge to
impose upon them. They cannot, however, deceive the initiated ;
and when I turn to the letter in question I find an error at the
very outset. Don Jose Oreyro was not second commander of the
" Resolucion ;" the gentleman who holds that position being Don
Pedro Ossa y Geraldo, an officer of distinction and promise. The
name of Oreyro nowhere appears upon the frigate's books, and no
officer of that name proceeding from the flag-ship of the Spanish
Pacific squadron could have embarked at Pisco.
Passing this over, however, I come upon a passage which
betrays the romance writer by profession. The circumstantiality
of the description and the solemn way in which the subject is
introduced and the reader prepared for something mysterious and
strange, are in their way not devoid of cleverness : —
" Senor Oreyro at once, in presence of witnesses, and with the
greatest solemnity possible in such cases, delivered to the Captain
of the steamer ' Chile ' a well-closed bag, sealed with red wax,
bearing a clear impress of the arms of France ; the bag itself being
addressed to the French Consul at Panama."
But why the arms of France, since the bag was supposed to
contain the despatches of the Spanish authorities, and was being
conveyed by a Spanish official ? Scarcely do we learn that the
Imperial Arms were sacrilegiously defaced, and Frenchmen
thereby made to feel uneasy at the audacity of some party or
parties unknown, but pretty clearly hinted at a little farther on,
than England comes in for her share of insult, as thus : " The
correspondence of Spain and France was deposited in the hands
of an English Admiralty Agent on board a ship of war of Great
Britain."
Unfortunately for the veracity of the writer, every person who,
of late years, has travelled from Valparaiso to Panama, is aware
that there is no Admiralty Agent in the Pacific, and that under no
circumstances is a mail-bag transferred to an English vessel of
war. But what has the author of this tissue of calumnies and
absurdities to do with truth ? Is he not at least fully acquainted
with the correctness of the doctrine, " Throw plenty of mud, and
60
some of it is sure to stick," and does he not thoroughly act up to
it ? His story goes on to say, that " when the steamer arrived in
the Bay of Panama, and before any of the passengers landed,
Senor Oreyro asked Captain Si veil for the bag, &c." In order to
understand what a wonderful feat this Senor Oreyro here per-
formed, it is necessary to know that the " Chile," on account of
her draught of water, or some other cause, does not go further
than Taboga ; on this occasion, however, most probably with a
view "to point a moral and adorn this tale," she is made to go
up to Panama !
The authorship of the epistle peeps out in unmistakeable terms
in the concluding paragraphs, for not only the style of the com-
position, but the unscrupulous use of slanderous assertions, in-
dicates that the famous Despatch is own brother to the letter
under review. But why, I would ask, is our old acquaintance
M. E , and whom I have before described to bo Captain
Euverange, converted into Eugene Euveran? And why does
another old acquaintance, formerly introduced to us as M. L
now assume a different cognomen ?
But I am ashamed to continue the critical examination of a
document which would be beneath contempt if the malice which
dictated it and the great interests that it helps to imperil did not
give it and similar productions an undue weight. I have done
enough, however, to enable those who wish to judge with fairness
to form an unbiassed opinion ; and if I were to fill volumes with
commentaries I could scarcely hope to succeed in convincing
those whose minds are clouded by prejudice and passion.
APPENDIX.
I.
THE following extract of the circular of Seiior Pacheco, the
Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, to the Representatives of
Her Catholic Majesty at Foreign Courts, dated Madrid, the 24th
of June, 1 864, will be perused with interest, as being the docu-
ment which accompanied the despatch of Senor Salazar y Mazar-
redo, already analysed : —
" I need not speak to your Excellency either of the agitation
which has been excited by the above-mentioned incidents, both in
Peru and in other parts of America, nor of the unsuccessful steps
taken by several of the diplomatic agents resident in Lima, in-
tended to bring that Government to an agreement with Senores
Pinzon and Salazar. "With regard to those steps, Her Majesty's
Government is grateful for them, although they have not produced
any effect ; with regard to the agitation, as it was chiefly caused
by the idea that it was to revindicate ancient rights, it was natural,
and it is natural, that it should have been calmed, or that it will
be calmed, so soon as it shall be known in America that Spain
and her Government did not admit, but rather had disapproved,
such revindication.
" But I have now to inform you of a matter still more unex-
pected by us than the rejection of our agent, and which I do not
intend to designate. I mean the voyage to Spain undertaken by
Senor Salazar, and I refer to the deplorable circumstances which
attended it, from the waters of Peru to the passage across the
Isthmus of Panama and the arrival at Colon.
"What occurred in the voyage to which I allude, your Excel-
lency will find related in extenso in the despatch of Senor Salazar
himself, copy of which I enclose. It would be useless to repeat
it, and I therefore confine myself to a recapitulation thereof in a
few words.
" In the port of Callao, an armed force, with orders from the
Peruvian authorities, endeavoured to take possession of the Secre-
tary of Senor Salazar, who was on board of an English vessel.
" From the very port of Callao to Paita (Peru) first, afterwards
to Panama, and lastly to Colon or Aspinwall, Senor Salazar was
accompanied and followed by certain Peruvians, who, now by
means of poison, and now by other modes, endeavoured to put an
end to his life.
62
" Of the first of those two acts— the attempted capture— the
Peruvian Government, without any doubt, has the responsibility.
Of the second — the attacks on the person of Senor Salazar — I dare
not, I will not, I cannot accuse that Government, because it
appears to me impossible that any Government in the world
would do it ; but its being done by Peruvians, and appearing to
be a continuation of the other act which attaches to the said
Government of Peru, there is no doubt that there is reason to call
upon it to refute it on its part, and to declare its innocence by
giving satisfactory explanations thereupon.
" Thus it will be said by public opinion on hearing the details
of Senor Salazar ; thus it is said by the Spanish Government on
hearing the statement of its Eepresentative, which it cannot but
look upon as true.
" It is not possible to hide the importance of these events from
your Excellency's penetration and patriotism. They surpass those
which preceded them, and they supersede them, because questions
of honour take the first place amongst those nations who have a
sense of honour in their hearts.
" In such a state of things your Excellency will understand
what the conduct of Spain ought to be and must be who recog-
nizes the Eepublic of Peru as an independent, free, and sovereign
nation, but who cannot abandon without defence her citizens who
reside in that country, nor permit an outrage against her Eepre-
sentative.
" The Spanish Government has not revindicated the Chincha
Islands, nor does it think of holding them as a property belonging
to it. It declares that it retains them as belonging to Peru, and
that it will restore them to Peru. But it holds them now by an
act of force calculated to compel that nation to administer justice
to Spaniards ; and as the outrages against Senor Salazar have
taken place subsequently, it will not restore them until it has
received satisfaction for them, and until it is persuaded that such
justice will be administered. This appears to us now to be a clear
and indisputable right.
" "We do not wish to humiliate Peru, nor to take away from her
anything which is hers ; but, as I have said to your Excellency,
we have to place our honour in safety, and we cannot abandon
either the rights or the interests of the nation. "We have asked
for nothing, we shall ask for nothing, which should humble or
degrade that state. In disapproving the conduct of its agents
who endeavoured to capture the Secretary of the Spanish repre-
sentative,— in declaring that it had nothing to do with the criminal
attempts made against the latter, and that it is ready to exact
punishment for them, — in receiving a Commissioner charged to act
("gestionar")for administering justice on the crimes of Talambo, —
in nothing of this can there be any more than a fulfilment of the
obligations incumbent on all of us by reason and justice. That is
what we shall demand. "We, on our part, as soon as those satis-
63
factions are given to us which are required by our rights and our
dignity, in that same instant we shall deliver up the Chincha
Islands to the Commissioner who shall be nominated by the
Government of Peru to receive them.
" We hope that this will put an end to a difference unpleasant to
us, which we have not sought, which we do not exaggerate, but in
which we cannot yield what our honour will not allow us to yield.
"We had a right to send a Eepresentative to Lima, and the* Go-
vernment there had no right to refuse to receive him. We have
a right to demand satisfaction for the attempts to which our Ee-
presentative was near falling a victim. In the error which that
[Representative and Admiral Pinzon committed, expressing ideas
which were not those of Her Majesty's Government, I have made
no hesitation to disapprove of them : before I knew they had taken
possession of the Chincha Islands I protested against the idea of
revindicating or of wishing to acquire territory ; after becoming
acquainted with their acts I made the same protest with equal
frankness, with equal precision.
" Let not our ideas, then, be misrepresented ; let not our words
be forgotten ; let not the basis of our conduct be misunderstood.
What we demand is that which we ought to demand, that which,
with God's help, we are determined to maintain, that which we
cannot persuade ourselves that a civilized nation like Peru will
refuse to us.
" May this explanation serve your Excellency to enlighten your
judgment, as also to be a rule and a guide in your relations to the
Government of Her Britannic Majesty to which you are accre-
dited, to which you may give a copy of this despatch.
" God preserve, &c.
"J. F. PACHECO."
II.
In order that my readers may form, an idea of the effect pro-
duced among the South American Eepublics by the act committed
against Peru, and the motives put forward as a justification for
the seizure of the Chinchas by the Spanish Officials, I append a
few translations of circulars to which the occasion gave rise, and
which I arrange in the order of their date.
" Argentine Legation in Chili.
" Valparaiso, May 1, 1864.
" The Undersigned, Minister Plenipotentiary of the Argentine
Eepublic, accredited to the Eepublic of Peru, according to the
authentic copy of the credentials which he has the honour to in-
close, hastens to make his appointment known to his Excellency,
64
induced by the serious nature of the circumstances, in order to
make his adhesion to the protest which the foreign Diplomatic body
drew up on the 21st April last, in consequence of the violent oc-
cupation of the Chincha Islands by Spanish forces, and the un-
usual principles upon which it is pretended to give fair appear-
ance to an act, the object and form of which are not in accordance
with the practice of civilized nations.
" The Eepublics of South America belong to the community of
Christian nations which governs itself by international law ; they
exist by their own right, which they themselves have conquered,
as proved by history, and secured by universal concurrence ; whilst
the people from whom they have severed themselves can in no
manner deny their existence, by urging the absence of Treaties or
of explicit acknowledgment after forty years renunciation of all
pretension of dominion, and a virtual approval of the Treaties of
Ayacucho, which put an end to the war between the metropolis
and its former colonies.
" The act consummated by Spanish forces at the Chincha Islands
without any of the formalities which precede a declaration of hos-
tilities between nations, endangers the peace of the greater part
of the South American States, by delivering them up to the un-
foreseen hazards which would arise from any toleration of that
ignorance of the principles of the law of nations, which the ser-
vants of the Crown of Spain proclaim with reference to a portion
of the Peruvian territory.
"The undersigned therefore, awaiting instructions for his
future conduct, for which he has applied to his Government, ful-
fils a duty belonging to his commission, and does himself honour
by inscribing the name of the Argentine Republic amongst those
of the States which, through their Ministers Plenipotentiary,
have protested against the unusual doctrines and unlawful acts
which make the armed occupation of the Chincha Islands by
Spanish forces a scandalous exception to those practices and laws
which govern the civilized world. At the same time, in his own
name, and in that of the Argentine people, the undersigned ac-
companies the Government of Peru in the just indignation pro-
duced by such unjustifiable proceedings.
" The undersigned, &c.
" (signed) D. F. SAKMIENTO.
" Legation of the United States of Colombia,
" Valparaiso, May 3rd, 1864.
" Sir,
" The undersigned was yesterday preparing to embark for
Lima, which city he had for a time quitted, when, by reason of
grave unforeseen events, he finds himself detained for 15 days
65
more, and for a like period delayed the day for reassuming the
exercise of his functions as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary of the United States of Colombia to the Govern-
ment of your Excellency.
" Above all, the undersigned was proposing immediately to adhere
to the Declaration^ made on the 20th of April last by the Diplo-
matic Body, to which he has the honour to belong, in consequence
of the unheard-of outrage committed by the Spanish squadron,
denominated " scientific commission," which is under the orders
of Admiral Pinzon and the Envoy Mazarredo, by occupying the
Chincha Islands, belonging to the Eepublic of Peru, without pre-
vious declaration of war, and not eyen as a security or pledge for
the payment of preferred claims.
"If we may judge by the Declaration of MM. Pinzon and Ma-
zarredo, in which they set forth the grounds for that act of depre-
dation, they proceed in virtue of the right of " revindication" of
a property belonging to the Crown of Spain, inasmuch as the war
between Spain and Peru was interrupted only by a de facto truce of
forty years, counting from the memorable 9th of December, 1824.
It is scarcely credible that the insane occupation of Peruvian
territory, and the still more insane ground upon which it is sus-
tained, can have been dictated by the Government of a nation
which calls itself civilized, and which not long ago claimed tt>
figure amongst nations of the first rank. But, on the other hand,
it is not less difficult to suppose that agents selected by the Spanish
Government for a special and important Commission, whatever it
be, would dare in so decided a manner to exceed their instruc-
tions.
" Until in possession of other data we must reason upon the
last supposition.
m " Spain invades Peru without previous declaration of war, as a
simple continuation of that which the world had looked upon as
concluded, and as recovery of property which all nations recognise
as belonging to the Peruvian Eepublic, to a Eepublic as indepen-
dent as any one of themselves.
" In such a manifestation one is at a loss which most to admire,
its audacity, or its imprudence. Any one might say that Spain
coolly and deliberately coofident in her power, and in a right
derived we know not whence, comes and knocks at the door of
each of its former colonies, now nations of long existence, to give
them notice, foolishly and stupidly, that she undertakes the re-
conquest of possessions which were, but which have for ever ceased
to be hers.
" Colombia, most excellent Sir, like Peru, is one of these Re-
publics, which by their own fault have not been recognised by
Spain, and to which with equal force may be applied the declara-
tion and argument of the Spanish agents.
" Nor has Colombia been willing to purchase an independence
which the arms and blood of its best sons have gained in innu-
merable combats, and which the names of Torres and of Caldas, of
Jirardot, and of Kicaurte, of thousands and thousands more, defend
by their own virtue.
" Consequently, the undersigned has conceived it to be his duty,
not merely to adhere to the declaration made by his honourable
colleagues. He firmly believes that his Government, and the
noble people over which that Government presides, will consider
the cause of Peru to be its own in the present emergency, and in
every other one of the kind. He thinks, and in so thinking he
fears not to differ from that Government and from that people,
that the alarm of Spain at the Chinchas will not sound in vain for
Colombia ; that, heard throughout her mountains and valleys, it
will raise, armed for combat, the old and young, the rich and the
poor, all classes and all parties.
" Tor, if Spain, as it would seem, has learnt nothing during her
truce of forty years, America, her former slave, has raised herself
to the rank of Sovereign ; has cultivated relations with really
civilized nations ; has tasted, even amidst disturbances, the sweets
of liberty ; has drawn morality from sources purer than those
known to Cortes and to Pizarro, to Pinzon and to Mazarredo ;
has shaken off the absurd fanaticism of Philip II. and of Torque-
mada ; has acquired a true notion of political and social economy ;
has broken the chains of the slave ; and, finally, has learnt to
exist without her former master, whose obstinate and proud
moroseness has been a constant matter of amazement for hier
better instructed descendants.
"Although the Government of your Excellency cannot doubt the
sentiments and purposes of the Colombian Union in the crisis
which Peru is going through for her own glory, the undersigned
has been unable to resist the desire here to interpret them, in
like manner as he desires, very earnestly, that your Excellency
will accept, &c.
(signed) " JUSTO AROSEMENA."
CIRCULAR ADDRESSED BY THE CHILIAN MINISTER FOR FOREIGN
AFFAIRS, TO THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENTS.
" Santiago, May 4^, 1864.
" SIR,
"The occupation of the Chincha Islands by the naval
forces of Spain in the Pacific, has caused in the mind of the
Chilian Government the most profound and painful impression,
and awakened in all the Eepublic a lively alarm, which will be
equally felt from one extremity to the other of the American
continent.
" Her Catholic Majesty's Commissary and the Commander-in-
chief of the squadron in the Pacific, under whose personal
responsibility this act appears to have been perpetrated, are not
67
unaware of its gravity, and they have endeavoured to justify it,
setting forth, in the declaration issued from the anchorage at the
Chincha Islands, the motives which had decided them to take that
resolution.
" If this measure be considered as reprisals, calculated to obtain
reparation for some injury or offence proffered to Spain by Peru,
it is necessary to inquire if the moment had arrived to appeal to
an almost extreme resource, when the pacific measures employed
by nations to avoid the calamities of war were not exhausted.
" The right which Sovereign States ascribe to themselves to
obtain justice, is marked by certain proceedings, which the constant
practice of nations has constituted as tutelary principles of the
peace and harmony upon which the common welfare of societies is
based. To deviate from them without a just motive is an offence,
which not only affects the interests of the State to which it is
proffered, but also involves a general deviation from those general
and obligatory rules, in the faithful observance of which all the
members of the great family of sovereign and independent nations
should interest themselves.
" The declaration set forth by the Commissary of Her Catholic
Majesty, and by the Commander-in-Chief of her squadron in the
Pacific, besides being liable to a just censure, viewed in the light
which has been indicated, is neither more nor less than the sanction
of principles which place in doubt the independence of Peru, and
provoke a conflict throughout all America.
"Thus, the Government of Chili cannot do otherwise than to
reprobate, as it does most explicitly, such doctrines, and to protest
against them, although confident that they will not be sanctioned
by the Government of Her Catholic Majesty.
(t The independence of Peru, and its existence as a free and
Sovereign State, is a fact not to be disputed, and even to doubt
this it would be necessary to obliterate the history of half-a-cen-
tury, converting into a simple truce what in reality has been a
durable and indefinite peace, universally accepted, and acknow-
ledged by Spain herself in a long series of public and official acts.
The Government of Her Catholic Majesty for many years has
invariably styled " Republic" that which formerly was her colony.
This is repeated in the credentials of the Commissary, which she
has just sent to Lima ; she has received the Consuls of the
[Republic and allowed its ships to frequent the ports of the
Peninsula, and between the two countries a reciprocal commerce
has been maintained without interruption; lastly, she has con-
sidered the Peruvians as foreigners in the Peninsula, in the same
manner as the Spaniards are looked upon as foreigners in Peru.
As a Sovereign State, Peru has negotiated Treaties of Peace,
Friendship and Commerce with nations of both Continents ; and
with these facts before us, known to the Government of Her
Catholic Majesty, can any force be attached, in the face of truth
F
68
and the law of nations, to the want of a formal recognition, so as
to found upon this a state of truce ?
" A truce supposes no communication, and it may even be said
that this is its characteristic ; nor is a long and indefinite armis-
tice ended without a previous declaration of the intention to
renew hostilities, an essential formality set forth by the practice
of ancient and modern nations.
" According to the judgment of the Commissary of Her Catholic
Majesty and the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific, the Crown of
Castille is in a position to recover the dominion of the Chincha
Islands, and appears to derive this right as a logical consequence
of the supposed truce. A nation constituted for forty years,
exercising independently acts of sovereignty throughout all the
extension of its territory, is not, nor can be, subject to a demand,
of recovery. The taking possession of the Chiucha Islands by the
Spanish squadron becomes, in such a case, an act brought about
by force, and is destitute of all the requisites which constitute a
legitimate act ; the right of recovery would become a right of re-
conquest.
" The armies of Chili fought side by side with those of Peru in
the war of independence ; the two Republics were one and the
same in a common cause, as were also the other sections of
America. Hostilities being renewed, there having been only a
truce, what is the situation in which the old belligerents of all the
Continent and their Allies are forcibly placed ?
" In view of so grave an event, it is the rigorous duty of the
Government of Chili to reject, in the most public and solemn
manner, the principles which form the bases of the declaration,
and protest against the occupation of the Chiucha Islands by the
naval forces of Her Catholic Majesty, and it does not acknow-
ledge, nor will it acknowledge, as legitimate owner of those Islands,
any other Power than the Republic of Peru.
" It entertains, however, the conviction that the Government of
Her Catholic Majesty will not accept nor approve of the principles
proclaimed in that declaration, because, if the principle of recovery
were sanctioned, the Republics of America would find themselves
called upon by duty to combine their forces in order to maintain
the integrity of an independent sister Republic.
"It would be painful if the rapid and inevitable development of
events should bring about complications, either by retarding the
conclusion of an international question, to which the Government
of Peru is disposed to lend due attention in order to arrange in a
firm and permanent manner their differences with Spain, or by
preparing new difficulties which considerations of a superior order
would render necessary to be opportunely avoided by the Govern-
ment of America.
" The manifestation which I have now set forth, in compliance
with the orders which I have received from the President of the
Eepublic, will be considered, I hope, by the Government of your
Excellency, as the faithful expression of the general sentiments of
all America.
" The Government of abounding in the same senti-
ments will, I doubt not, be pleased to learn the views of Chili, and
the disposition in which she finds herself to act in conjunction to
avoid a conflict which may disturb the peace of this Continent by
interrupting the friendly relations which happily she has culti-
vated, and desires to cultivate with the Spanish nation.
" I have, &c.,
(signed) " MANUEL ANTO. TOCOENAL."
" Caracas, May 2&th, 1864.
" EXCELLENCY,
" The Government of the United States of Venezuela has atten-
tively read your Excellency's despatch of the 26th of April,
conveying the information of the unlocked for despoliation of the
Chincha Islands suffered by Peru, at the hands of the Spanish
squadron in the Pacific, without any previous declaration of war.
Your Excellency's note, that of the Venezuelan Plenipotentiary
resident in Lima, and the documents sent by that diplomatist,
have placed my Government in possession of all the necessary
antecedents to form a clear opinion of the events, and to enable it
to express its intentions relative to their future development.
rt Eirst of all, the Venezuelan Government sympathises with
that of Peru in the defence of her property seized so greatly in'
opposition to the civilization of the age ; for whatever be the mo-
tives of complaint which Spain entertains against your Excellency's
Government, the Representatives of Her Catholic Majesty could
not consider themselves exempted from the forms which the law
of nations has consecrated in favour of the world's peace, and of
the confraternity of its inhabitants, as a guarantee to the weak,
and a barrier to the powerful.
" No doubt it was to remove the universal condemnation of the
non-compliance with international usage, that the right of domi-
nion was appealed to by Spain over the Islands she has seized
under the pretence that no explicit recognition of the independence
of Peru existed on the part of the mother-country. But it cannot
be admitted that the right of dominion can be imprescriptible for
ever ; this is the opinion of my Government ; to admit such a
right would be equivalent to a deprivation of the right appertaining
to all the peoples of the world to assume their sovereignty, and to
inscribe their names amongst nations.
" In the case of Peru, forty years of independence undisputed
by Spain, her recognition by the Governments of Europe and
America, and the diplomatic and other intercourse carried on by
Spain herself with her former colony as between State and State,
70
for a long interval of time, are sufficient to uphold that the inde-
pendence of the Peruvian nation is a positive fact, and consequently
to impugn the pretension put forward that the occupation of the
Chincha Islands, an integral part of the territory of that Republic,
is considered as a continuation of the war of independence in
America. In the opinion of the Venezuelan Government, that
war terminated de facto at the surrender of Callao in 1820, and
it also ended by right, since Spain admitted Peru in its relations
as a sovereign nation, recognising in this implicit manner that she
was irrevocably separated from the Peninsular dominion.
" From all these precedents, the necessary consequence to be
deduced is, that Serior Salazar y Mazarredo and Admiral Piuzon
have violated, without any justifiable reasons, the sovereignty of
Peru, and wounded the honour of America, the people and Govern-
ment of which are by the nature of their institutions, history, and
civilization, united in the preservation of their prerogatives.
" My Government, nevertheless, entertains the hope expressed
by your Excellency, that the r Government of Madrid will dis-
approve the conduct of their 'Commissary and of the Commander
of the Spanish squadron, and will renew their diplomatic inter-
course with Peru, so as to arrive at a pacific understanding
honourable to both Powers. But, if contrary to all expectation
and considerations of justice, our hopes should prove fallacious,
and the Government of Her Catholic Majesty should accept the
responsibility of the acts of their Representatives, Venezuela will
consider herself authorized to suspect, in view of such serious
facts, that the designs of dominion over America attributed to
certain European powers, are not an unfounded supposition, and
to believe that it is time to look out for her own independence,
declaring from the present moment, as my Government does
declare, that she will not sever the unity which binds her as an
American and Republican Government to the other Republics of
this Continent, for the defence which they may be called upon to
make of their autonomy and institutions.
" The President of the United States of Venezuela, in giving me
instructions to reply to your Excellency in the manner I have done,
has directed me also to state, that a copy of this note will be
transmitted to the Diplomatic agents of Venezuela accredited to
sundry Governments ; and directly to those of America where
there are no agents, so that the attitude assumed by the Vene-
zuelan nation in consequence of the violent despoliation suffered by
Peru, may be generally and officially known, and that it may serve
them as a guide in every instance when the nature of events does
not permit them to obtain special instructions.
" The Undersigned, &c.
(signed) " J. G. OCHOA."
71
III.
THE OHINCHA ISLANDS.
THEIR IMPORTANCE TO PERU.
A few words respecting these Islands will not perhaps be deemed
superfluous.
They are situated in the Bay of Pisco, on the coast of Peru, in
Lat. 13° 38' S. and Long. 76° 12' W. and are about 120 miles to
the North of Lima. They consist of a group of three naked rocks,
lying in a line from North to South, each of about two miles cir-
cumference, presenting the form of flattened cones, and on the
eastern side a perpendicular wall of rock. From the craggy edge
of this wall, Huano or Guano, as it is indifferently called — being
the accumulation of the excrement of millions of sea-birds, (pelicans,
gannets, mews, mutton birds, divers, gulls, penguins &c.) formed
during thousands of years, — slopes towards the middle of each
Island, where a pinnacle of rock rises above the surface, whence
there is a gentle slope to the western shores, with Guano to
within a few feet of the water.
The ancient Peruvians, there is no doubt, used the Q-uano as a
manure, and under the Incas it would appear that very severe
laws secured the birds from being disturbed during the hatching
season at these Islands. "When the Spaniards took possession of
Peru, the Chinchas fell into desuetude, but although unused, it
cannot be ascertained whether the deposits of Guano have increased
during the subsequent 300 years.
These deposits of Guano have been formally declared the pro-
perty of the State, and the Peruvian Government authorities have,
since 1840, made them a source of revenue of yearly increasing
importance.
The revenue derived from them forms the security for the pay-
ment of interest and capital of the public debts which Peru has
contracted, more especially in England. In 1859, the revenue
derived from Guano, amounted to ... $15,875,352
From Customs, to . 3,391,342
And from all other sources, including a
balance of nearly a million from the pre-
vious year, only .... 1,688,097
Making together $20,954,791
To meet an expenditure of $20,387,756
This shows at a glance the importance of these Islands to Peru,
and, I may add, to her creditors.
From the beginning of 1841 to the end of 1860, that is to say,
in 20 years, Peru exported 3,220,939 tons register, equal to more
than 4,000,000 tons weight of Guano ; by which the Government
72
is estimated to have realized net proceeds to the amount of above
£20,000,000 sterling.
In September, 1853, the Government sent a Commission of
Engineers and Naturalists to the Chincha Inlands to ascertain as
accurately as the case admitted, the amount of G-uano still exist-
ing on the Chincha Islands.
The surveys of these gentlemen go to prove that the deposits,
On the Northern Island were about 4,189,477 effective tons.
On the Middle Island 2,505,948
On the Southern Island 5,680,695
Together, 12,376,100 tons.
The Chinchas are popularly called the Guano Islands, from the
circumstance of the Guano having been hitherto drawn from them ;
but Peru possesses some others further north, the Guano deposits
of which were surveyed and measured last year, with the folio wing
results, as published in " El Comercio" of Lima on the 13th June,
1863.
Tons. Estimated net proceeds.
Lobos Islands (two) 3,000,000, 1st class, £6 per ton ^618,000,000
1,000,000 2nd „ 4 „ 4,000,000
Do. 1,000,000 2nd „ 4
Macabi Islands (two) 1,500,000 1 „ 6
Guanapa Islands 2,500,000 1 ,,6
Not less than 8,000,000 tons.
Add the deposits of the Chincha Islands,
making an allowance for the exports be-
tween 1858 and 1863, six years, and reduc-
ing it to, say (11,000,000 tons) at £6.
And we obtain a total from this source of
9,000,000
15,000,000
£46,000,000
£66,000,000
36112,000,000
THE END.
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