Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-12-28
The South American Republics.

The South American Republics.
Somewhat less than three years ago, the
exaction of tax by Bolivia on all the salt
peter shipped from her single seaport was
deemed by Chill violation of treaty rights,
and was made the pretext of war. The
small strip of Bolivian territory which
abuts on the ocean between Chill and Peru
is the only feasible outlet for the products
of the vast beds of inter found in that re-
gion. Large sections of Peru and Chill
also find their only egress to the sea by this
natural gateway. The imposition of the
shipping tax by Bolivia was considered by
Chill blow aimed directly at Chilian in
terests. In the war which followed, Peru
espoused the cause of Bolivia. Chill speed
lily overcame the Bolivians and secured their
permanent elision from the Peruvian alli-
ance. The war was then transferred to the
soil of Peru and on that power the full force
of the superior naval and military strength
of Chilli was precipitated. The Peruvian
navy was annihilated, her army in several
successive battles was overthrown and de.
stroyed, and last summer the victorious
Chilians occupied the Peruvian capital.
Pierola, dictator of Peru, became a fugitive
among the mountains, and the extinction of
the government in every branch was COM
plete. The victorious Chilians were forced to
take measures to organize a government
with which to treat for peace. For this
purpose Senior Calderon, distinguished Pc
ruvian representing the character and intel.
ligence of his countrymen, was encouraged
by Chilli to organize government. Mill
tary support and protection was extended
to him, and by dint of exertion of military
power the Peruvian congress was assembled.
In the early summer, Mr.. Christiancy, the
American minister, acting under instruc-
tons from Mr.. Blaine, recognized the Calde-
ron government as the supreme authority
in Peru and its minister was received at
Washington. 1t was government in name
only. 1t had no effective organization. 1t
had neither army nor navy nor the sem
blance of civil organization. 1t had neither
the moral nor the financial nor the political
means for creating and maintaining these
essential Prerequisites of government. 1t
could not command the obedien ce of a sim
gle Peruvian without the aid of Chilan
bayonets. Its jurisdiction extended only
over few hundred acres of territory, in the
immediate locality where it had its seat, in
a small district outside the city of Lima. |
Such substantially was the Calderon govern. |
ment as appears from the lengthy diplo. |
matte correspondence whichhas recently been |
published. This was the government which |
Mr.. Blaine recognized as the responsible |
guardian of Peruvian interests. The Swiss
excepted, no European power recognized
the Calderon government. Mr.. Hurlbut,
who superseded Mr.. Christiancy as Ameri-
can minister to Peru, literally construed
Mr.. Blaine's instructions and extended to
Senior Calderon cordial recognition. Chill
had made the cesson of Peruvian territory
condition precedent to negotiations for
peace. In lieu of territorial cession Calde-
ron insisted upon satisfying the CHILEAN
demands by the payment of an equitable war
indemnity though the nation was hopelessly
bankrupt. To supply his government with |
funds, Calderon was preparing to issue a
large amount of paper money. Disregard
ing the fact that he had been accredited to
Peru and not to Chill, our Hoosier diplomat
opened correspondence with the CHILEAN
commander-in-chief in which he took
ground against the terms of peace which
the victors exacted from the vanquished.
He intimated that persistence in the de-
mand for territorial cession would be re-
garded by the United States as incompati-
BILE with dignity and public faith and would |
be regarded with disapprobation by that
power. He laid down as international law
certain rules of his own invention by which |
Chill should be guided in arranging peace |
with Peru. These "rules limited Chili's |
right to demand territorial cession from |
Peru as the price of peace, and otherwise
seriously interfered with the exercise of the |
conqueror's undoubted rights in settling |
with beaten enemy,-such rights as the |
United States exercised at the close of the |
ooa;ns, p,an.o ,.,;.Son. =, a;.,'.- 49,
rno,aat ~ ;..oss..o IS $50 s' 'n'
10 IT, 10 on.S - - 10y I..a Ip pa
.ots nv 10 ,anr,san...;ua ~. tho Irs;,as
o. !, a. 49, =. ,.,',N
;ntornos;nr - $500. Ch;u tror, 49,
tho frr;to 81 har u;,,oru Tha ;n,orforano
-; -. ~.
the Calderon government and placed its