The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-02 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, JUNE 2,186 G.

There will be little sympathy felt in this country
for the discomfiture of the Spaniards in the Pacific.
An unjust and aggressive war, begun on the most
frivolous pretexts, has been prosecuted in a manner
which has called down the unanimous reprobation
of all neutral Powers. At the very outset public
favour naturally inclined to the side of the gallant
little Republics, who had so hardly achieved their
independence against heavy odds, and whose
liberties were threatened on no better ground than
le droit du plus fort. The resolute attitude at once
assumed by Chili, and the unflinching deter-
mination maintained by her Government and
people not to sheathe the sword until some
guarantee were obtained for future tran-
quillity and independence excited still warmer
interest in her fortunes. Peru had tried
concession and conciliation to very little purpose.
Chili, warned by her example, followed the natural
inclination of her brave and high-spirited people,
and met insult with dignity, attack with defence.
After the first excitement of the struggle had a
little abated, and when it h2d become clear that
the great Powers intended to hold their hands
and let Spain do all the mischief she would
or could, a fresh movement on the part
of the Spanish Commander again drew the
attention of the English public to the coasts
of the Pacific. The bombardment of a defenceless
city, in which large quantities of neutral property
were stored, created the deepest indignation
among all civilised peoples. The remonstrances of
the representatives of the different Powers proved
entirely ineffectual, and as none of the naval com-
manders present were willing to go beyond words the
ships opened fire, and in a very few hours Valparaiso
was a heap of ruins. It was currently reported
that amidst the consternation and sorrow of the
inhabitants of Valparaiso, beside their smouldering
homes, that Admiral NUNEZ had instructions to
pursue the same plan all round the Chilian coast,
and that Callao was to be the next victim. No
doubt the Spanish officers, flushed by their inglori-
ous triumph over a defenceless city, anticpated a
brilliant series of similar successes ; but the
Chilians, recovered from their shock were not to be
taken unawares again. They had learned by a bitter
lesson how much to trust in the humanity of
their adversaries or the courage of their
allies, and they fell back upon their own resources
as more hopeful than either. Callao was defended
with such good effect that, on the 2d inst., after
four hours' fighting the Spanish fleet was repulsed
by the shore batteries, with the Admiral wounded,
and two ironclads disabled. We may guess the energy
and resolution with which the Chilians threw them-
selves into the struggle from the fact that the Secre-
tary of War was among the killed, but their efforts
were successful, and the Spaniards had the mortifi-
cation of retreating, leaving Calao still in existence,
with the prestige of their previous successes sadly
deteriorated.

There is one thing which cannot fail to strike the
close observer on receiving this news from Callao.
Why was no effort made to protect Valparaiso, when
the Chilians have shown themselves fully capable of
confronting, and even of defeating, their adversaries?
We fear the answer is one that is extremely mor-
tifying and humiliating to this country. The
Chilians did not attempt to defend their chief
seaport, because they relied on the presence
of their allies, especially of the English fleet, to pre-
vent such a barbarous act as the bombardment of a
defenceless city. England, always ready with her
cautious advice, had begged the Chilians not to
affront or provoke the Spaniards by making any
appearance of resistance, and the Chilians had care-
fully followed her instructions, never supposing
that a fleet was kept in the Pacific for show. how
cruelly the expectations of the people were disap-
pointed we all know, how ship after ship steamed
out of the harbour so as not to intercept the work
of destruction ; the city was laid waste, and the pro-
perty of English merchants destroyed by fife mil-
lion. If the fleets had just kept their places without
firing a gun, does any one suppose that Admiral
NUNEZ would have dared to involve his country in
a war with England and America by opening fire
on their ships ? But it is the fashion in these non-
intervention days to run away first and consider
afterwards, by which wise and pacific policy we are
rapidly succeeding in embroiling the whole of the
civilised world.