The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1866-08-23

not yet terrify us but the augmentation of
the power Of o neighboring State, and above
all the conditions Of European equilibrium
which are necessarily varying, imposes on us
the necessity Of demanding compensations
proportioned to the situation of Prussia in
Europe"
M. Katkoff advises the Russians to profit
by the occasion to seize on the Grand Duchy
Of Posen.
THE sPANIsH-cHILEAN wAR-ExPO-
UNITED STATES.
The following important dispatch has been
addressed to General Fitzpatrick by Mr.. Sec
rotary Seward:
DEPARTMENT OF srArE,
WAsHsGroH, June 2, 1866.
To Jmdson Fitzpatrick. Enjoy Extraordinary and
MinSstr Pienipofemiary:
SIR: Your dispatch Of the I'd of May, No.
7, has been received. appreciate your So
licitude that the. course of proceeding which
this Government has pursued in regard to
the war between Chile and Spain should be
understood and appreciated. Perhaps, how
ever, the difficulty in the way Of such appre-
citation results from the peculiar circum-
stances Of Chile. Her statesmen and people,
like the statesmen and people of oil coun-
tries, may be expected to interpret not only
the rights Of that republic, but the capacities
and duties Of other States in the light of
their own interests and wishes.
The policy of the United States in regard
to the several Spanish American States is,
or ought to be, well known now, after the
exposition it has received during the last five
years. We avoid in all cases giving en-
couragement to expectations which, in the
varying course Of events, we might find our
selves unable TO fulfil, and we desire to be
known as doing more than we promise
rather than Of falling short of our engage
ments. On the othAy hand, we maintain and
insist with all the decision and energy which
is compatible with our existing neutrality,
that the republican system which is accepted
by the people in any one Of those States,
shall not be wantonly assailed, and that it
shall not be subverted as an end Of lawful
war by European Powers. We thus give
to those republics the moral support Of
sincere, liberal, and we think il will appear
q useful friendship. We could claim from
foreign States no concession to our own no.
litical, moral, and material principles, IL we
should not conform our own proceedings in
the needful intercourse with foreign States
to the just rules Of the laws of nations. We
therefore concede to every nation, tho right
to make peace or war for such causes other
than political or ambitious as it thinks right
and wise. In such wars as are waged be-
tween nations which are in friendship with
ourselves, il they are not pushed like the
French war in Mexico, to the political point
before mentioned, we do not intervene but
remain neutral, conceding nothing to one
belligerent that we do not concede to the
other and allowing to one bellgerent what
we allow to the other.
Every complaint made by the Chilean
agents Of an attempt on the part Of Spain TO
violate the neutrality Of the United States
has been carefully and kindly investigated,
and we have done the same-no more, no
lcss-in regard to the complaints instituted
against the neutrality Of the agents of Chile.
We certainly thought that it was on act Of
friendship on our part that we obtained as
surances from Spain at the beginning, and
at the other stages Of the present war, that
in any event her hostilities against Chile
should not be prosecuted beyond the limits
which have before described. We under
stand ourselves to be now and henceforth
ready to hold Spain to this agreement, If,
contrary to our present expectations, it
should be found necessary. In this we think
we are acting a part certainly not unfriendly
to Chile. 1t was thought to be an act Of
friendship when we used, our good Offices
with both parties to prevent the war. We
have thought that we were acting friendly
part, using the same good Offices to secure
an agreement for peace without dishonor or
even damage to Chile.
Those who think that the United States
could enter as an ally into every war in which
a friendly republican State on this continent
became involved, forget that peace is the
constant interest and the answering policy
Of the United States. They forget the fire.
quency and variety Of wars in which our
friends in this hemisphere engage themselves,
entirely Independent Of oil control or counsel
Of the United States. We have no armies
for the purpose Of aggressive war, no ambi-
ton for the character Of regulator. Our
Constitution is not an imperial one, and does
not allow the executive government to en-
gage in war, except upon the well-considered
and deliberate decree Of the Congress of the
United States.
A Federal Government, consisting of thir-
ty-six equal States, which are in mhny re-
spects self-governing, cannot easily be COM
mitted by its representatives to foreign wars,
either Of sympathy or of ambition. If there
Is any one characteristic of the United States
which is more marked than any other, it is
that they have, from the time of-Washing-
ton, adhered to the principle Of non-nterven-
ton, and have perseyerngly declined to seek
or contract entangling alliances, even with
the most friendly States.
1t would be pleasant to the United States
to know that the government and people Of
Chile have come TO correct understanding
Of our attitude and feeling towards them.
Nor do we fear that injurious misapprehen,
sions can long prevail among the enlightened
and spirited people Of that State.
! am, sir, your obedient servant,
WILLIAM H. SEWARD.