The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-05-14
Has Minister Adams Been Recalled 2

Has Minister Adams Been Recalled
A report comes to us from Lima that Mr..
CHARLES ADAMS, the American Minister to
Bolivia, has been recalled. This step should
have been taken earlier, for although his
performances at La Paz have escaped the
severe scrutiny to which Gen. HUBLpUTs
action at Lima was subjected, they were
quite as Objectionable. The rumor, indeed,
now current that the peace between Bolivia
and Chill, whose preliminaries were arranged
some months ago, has been prevented by Mr..
ADAMs's Vaccinations is entirely credible in
view OF tho course which he has pursued
throughout the recent complications
According to the news from La PaZ, Presi-
dent CAMpERo, who is earnestly desirous Of
coming to terms with Chill, has for some
time been absent from the Bolivian
capital In command Of an army in
the field. During his absence the chief
executive power in civil matters de-
volved, under the Constitution, on the Vice.
President, who, influenced, 1t Is alleged, by
the United States Minister, has rejected the
conditions OF peace proposed, and which, 1t
will be remembered; involved a cession Of
the Bolivian coast strip to Chill. Strong rea-
sons for believing tho charge against Minis
ter ADAMS to be we'll founded are supplied
by the fact that he did precisely the same
thing at the africa conference, in October,
1880, rs he boastfully acknowledges In n let
ter to Mr.. EvARTs, printed on page 81 of the
volume OF published documents.
It appears from this extraordinary de-
spatch that the Gillian ENJOYS at africa,
finding Peru determined to refuse the cession
OF Tarapaca, on which the SantiagosGovern-
mcnt insisted as an Indispensable prelim
mary of peace, endeavored to bring about n
termination Of the war In another way by
concluding q separate arrangement with
Bolivia. This they had a perfect right to do,
and 1t was obviously matter In which a
representative Of our Government that pro-
fessed to entertain an impartial regard for
all parties to the quarrel had no
business to interfere. No attempt was
made to thwart these negotiations by
our Minister to Lima Mr.. CHBIsTIANCY,
or by Mr.. OSBORN, our envoy to Santiago,
both Of whom were present at africa. Here
we may say that in all respects the conduct
of the last-nained Ministers seems to have
been scrupulously conformed to their in
structions, and will bear the closest investi-
cation in the light Of the published docu-
ments. But while Mcssrs CHRIsTIANCY and
OSBORN carefully refrained from hindering
the efforts Of Chill to arrive at an under
standing with Bolivia, the course followed
by Mr.. ADAMS is described in his own words
to Mr.. EvARTs as follows:
1.-THE main endesvors Of the Chians in private con-
fcrences with the Bovians, communicated 10 ne CONF
dettap BY the latter made to break the alliance
between Peru and Bolivia, and engage the latter re-
public in alliance with themselves IT, on being
suited that subject took decided stand In de-
elaring that such proceeding matter how beneficial
1t might he TO Bolivia you'd be considered BY GOrer
nent Of The most infamous transactions IN history
and that would neither be party thereto even be
considered officially cognizant thereof hope that only
erpressed sentiments The advances made by
one of the CHILEAN penipotentaries were rejected"
| or course the pompous talk about an Amer
lean Minister being party to peace be-
tween Chill and Bolivia is mere surplusage,
for no one could have suggested such ridic-
ulous idea; while as to Mr.. ADAMss "cogni-
Zance" Of the negotiations, he obtained 1t, we
| see, by confidential communications" The
| important point demonstrated by the above
despatch is that but for the Intervention Of a
United States Minister peace could in all
| likelihood have been concluded more than
eighteen months ago between the original
| parties to the South American quarrel, after
| which event Peru no doubt would have felt
constrained to abandon war policy which
was destined to such acknowledgements
Now, was Mr. ADAMS warranted in the
hope which he signiied that in the ofllcious
intermeddling pursued by him he " only ex-
pressed the sentiments Of Mr.. EvARTs
Here singularly enough, We are baflled by
the lnexplicable absence Of document from
| IN y,nbIishnI onrrncnnnIanoa Thara 10 q
despatch from Mr.. EvARTs acknowledging
the receipt OF previous communication from
Mr. ADAMS relating to the africa conference,
and dated fortnight earlier, but the de-
spatch of the State Department referring to
the strange letter above quoted, and which
we know was received on Dec. H. 1880, is
missing from the published correspondence.
Did Secretary EvARTs announce to Mr.
ADAMS his approval Of the ENJOYS action in
preventing the conclusion Of peace between
| Bolivia and Chill, and was it in reliance on
the countenance Of the State Department
thus formally bestowed that Mr.. ADAMS has
again ventured to play the same improper
part, and defeat the conclusion of treaty
between the Governments OF La Paz and
Santiago, whose preliminaries were adjusted
some months ago? Or did Mr.. EvARrs dis
tinctly inform the Minister that he had no
right to speak for the United States Govern
ment in such a matter, and is it Mr.. BLAINEs
encouragement that led Mr.. ADAMS to repeat
his performance We need information on
this matter, and 1t would be well for the
present authorities OF the State Department
to investigate and explain how it happened
that the despatch referring to Mr.. ADAMs's
letter, numbered SO, and, in fact, oil of Mr.
EvARrss correspondence relating to Bolivia
subsequent to his despatch dated Dec. H.
1880, are missing from the published COM
pilation Of documents.
| An OrIhndnn Claruuu, r, nn 20 MD IIorasu