The New York herald., 1868-06-15


alton by the United States in the wars between
the allied republics of tho west coast and
Spain and between the allied forces of the
east and Paraguay. Although over q year has
elapsed since our mediatory Offices were ten
| dered in the former case, during which time
| they have been urged upon the belligerents
with all the earnestness consistent with dig
nifty, they have signally failed of their object,
and there appears to be no more probability
now of our government influencing our South
American neighbors for the termination of q
technical war 80 prejudicial to the interests Of
| all neutrals than when Spain was bombarding
the defenceless city of Valparaiso, two years
ago. Our friendly efforts Of q similar charac-
| ter east of the Andes have met with no better
| success, and the question naturally presents
itself, why have the United States so little in
auence among the other republics of this Con-
tinent?
The designs of France and Spain upon the
Spanish American republics, as manifested by
their late expeditions against Mexico and the
west coast of South America, and the attitude
assumed by the United States, which brought
those campaigns to termination unlocked for
by their authors, are well understood and, it
would seem, should have placed our govern
ment in position to successfully insist upon
the adoption of more generous and enlight-
ened policy by the Spanish American States
To the careful observer of South American
affairs, however, the causes of this disregard
for tho uiahoo IF tho TIp;fod Cfotoo avn v>or
fectly plain. Those republics were born of
bloody struggles for independence from Spanish
rule-struggles of which they are as proud as
we are of our Revolutionary epoch-and for
the last quarter of century they have been
steadily developing their vast mineral and
agricultural resources with the aid of European
men and capital, while the United States,
absorbed in the expansion Of territory and
home industry, by their Indifference have vir-
tually ignored the existence of the sister repub-
lies eager to follow our example and advice.
Our commerce has been, less with them than
with almost any other country, and our inter
course of every kind with them has been 30
limited that the people of the United States
and even our national legislators have re-
mained until a very recent period in almost
total ignorance of the Importance Of our rela-
tions with those States. While the masses
Of our citizens have regarded the South
Americans as being scarcely civilized the
latter have been constructing railroads and
telegraphs, establishing steamship lines, beau
tifying their cities, opening vast districts Of
agricultural and mineral wealth to European
| monopolists and introducing every improve
| ment Of art and science. Their universities
| and public school system are but little behind
| our own their armies are as well disciplined.
| equipped and armed as those of Europe and
| Callao and Valparaiso have become two of the
| strongest fortified ports in the world. Peru
has beautiful squadron Of iron-clads and
wooden ships, and the late naval operations
against Paraguay have taught new and
| valuable lessons in iron-clad warfare.
| During all this rapid growth from primitive
civilization, unaided by an immigration OF
young and aspiring spirits that has SO much
contributed to the progress of this country, the
United States paid little or no attention to
South American affairs, and left those States
to endure as best they could the extortion and
injustice which European capital and COM
merce imposed upon them, until they learned
to distrust the expressions of our interest in
their well being, and to wholly disbelieve in
our practical sympathy. When we offered
them mediation they did not hesitate to init
mate that our own interests were the principal
motives for that step, and while their govern
ments to-day, Judging from our Indifference in
the past, have little or no faith in the disinte-
RESIDENCES of our intentions, their people at
large, compa ring our insignificant squadrons
of little river gunboats in their waters with the
magnificent iron-clad frigates of France, Eng
land and Spain, doubt onr strength and scott
at our protestatons of friendship. Our foreign
policy as regards the Spanish American re-
publcs has not possessed any element cal
culated to impress them with our power or en-
courage their confidence; and humilating as
it is we cannot shut our eyes to the fact that
| we have no claim upon their friendship and
no moral vantage ground from which to die
tate unless it be in the case of Mexico, where
we forced out foreign intruder dangerous to
| our own interests.
Our paramount duty at this junoture is un-
mistakably clear. It is not our policy to be-
come regulator In any affairs except our own !;
but it is incumbent upon us as the champion
of civil liberty to stand by our weaker and less
fortunate sisters in their efforts for advance
ment. This is not the time to patronizingy
offer our services to adjust their difficulties
with other Powers or among themselves; but
If we desire to become a model to young re-
publics and to influence their governments
we must cultivate an intercourse of cordial in
timacy with them, and, above all, must foster
the dissemination of knowledge Of each other
In the respective countries until mutual sym
pathy and confidence shall have been estab lished