The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-04-27
THE PERUVIAN COMPANY.
The Examination Of Mr.. Blaine
Continued.
INTERESTING FACTS REGARDING
GARFIELD's FOREIGN POLICY.

WASHINGTON, April 26.-Before the Iorelgn
affairs committee Mr.. Blaine today began by
saying he desired to correct press report that
he read a letter from Ex-senator Eaton. He
had no correspondence whatever with Mr..
Eaton upon the subject.
In answer to an inquiry by Mr.. Williams
witness said mono of these South American de-
spatches were prepared during the Presidents
sickness. / am glad this question was put be-
cause the press have widely stated that as
de facto President had assumed certain line
of policy which might plunge the country into
war.
Mr.. Blaine in illustration of this point men.
toned the fact of certain dispatches which
were blocked out before the President was
shot, but which remained in sstdtu quo until
after the succession of President Arthur. In
explanation of President Gartield's views upon
the subject Mr.. Blaine said Mr.. Garfield in
conversation with me said sMr. Lincoln direct
cd Secretary Seward to bring all foreign mat
ters to him and not to the Cabinet unless he so
desired" Continued Mr.. Blaine, IRON that
time forward never submitted anything to
the Cabinet which involved permanent
policy or change of policy, and no step. which
would involve change OF policy on the part
of this government was ever taken by me with
ont first submitting it to the President and re-
ceiving his entire approval and directions.
Mr.. Williams then asked MI. Blame IN re-
gard to the instructions given Mr. Trescott.
in reply Mr.. Blaine produced the original
draft of the instructions given Mr.. Trescott,
which he read, and pointed out corrections
made by the President, some OF them at MS
(Blaine's) suggestion, and commented upon the
corrections and their merits and dement's lie
added, "I do not by any means find fault with
the President for changing his mind, Dut TINS
is the original draft of instructions TO which
President Arthur gave his assent, and which,
following a precedent, i kept. desire
to state most solemnly that the assumption
that ever interpolated a line or syllable IN the
dispatch after it was agreed to by the Presl-
dent is as false as the lie circulated over the
country that was, during the Presidents SICK
ness blocking out foreign policy OF my own.
The witness stated that he never clnSns made an an
Landreau claims. He had considered the
Landreau claim as res dqjudacdtd.
Mr.. Belmont propounded a series soI queS-
tions in regard to the terms good ofnces ana
Officially" and Ia somewhat livery uit gu
sued between the examiner and witness, which
was suddenly brought to a climax by Mr, We,
Blaines remarking with some emphasis, l
hope, Mr.. Belmont, you will be gentleman l
shall be one and shall treat you as such. am
not in police court to be badgered., | must
answer questions in my ewn way and you must
not attempt to correct me-"
Mr.. Belmont disclaimed any lack of courtesy
or desire to badger. He entertained the high
est respect for the witness both on account OF
his age and the high position he had occupied.
The witness explained at some length just
WnaL lEStIuCllOuS WoIc SlV6u W 1uIlput III IL
lation to the Landreau claim, that he should
simply use bis good offices to secure hearing
for Landreau in the courts of Peru.
Mr.. Blaine explained at length that the
Landreau claim was owned by an American
citizen who was an American citizen when he
obtained the title to the claim; that Mr.. Hurl-
but was instructed in regard to it; that, while
this government did not undertake to construe
the contract between the Peruvian gov
ernment and J. G. Landreau he (HurlbuD
was to call the attention of the Peruvian gov
ernment to the injustice of not according Lam
dreau a hearing in the courts and to ask that
some means be taken to afford him hearing
ri was adventuresome enough" added Mr..
Blaine, ito ask foreign government to give
an American a hearing in its courts: You Will
find further, he continued, "that the instruc-
tions to Mr. Hurlbut say that his Qandreau'e)
claim is fairlyharbitrated in his favor; that il
ought to be treated as lien on the property OF
Peru in the event of a settlement of the diff
culties with Chill involving cession of Peru
Wan territory Well, it was not fairly arbi-
trated and the property has gone the way of
all the world. England has gobbled up the
guano and million tons of 1t are now adver-
tised in London worth probably 100000, ,00o."
Mr.. Blaine continued with much earnest
ness, "English bondholders put up job of
war upon Peru and it was for loot and booty,
just as Give and Hastings made war upon In
aia. The English feet was upon the west
Coast of South America all the tims ready to
swoop down. They make a mistake who
speak of this war as a Chilian war. 1t was an
English war on Peru and I take the response
bility to SO put it, and dared to ask that a
hearing be given humble citizen OF a govern
ment that hardly dares be out over night, and
my foreign policy, to quote an expression,
would have driven this country into a war
with Chill had it not been thwarted. Why is
it believed all over Chill that the United
States got out just in time to save sound
thrashing? That hair-brained secretary of
State was just about to involve her in war
when she was saved by his removal and we
are laughed at and cartooned in their papers?
A little gathering of 81 100000 people on the
west coast of South America would have given
the United States terrible thrashing! So We
let the dismemberment of Peru go on and al.
low England to bag the spoils.
(Pausing and adding with much emphasis)
History will hold the United States RESPONSE
BILE for it.
The examination proceeded for some time
and lapsed into continuous rattle of repartee
and counter retort which frequently convulsed
the spectators with laughter and left it a mat
ter of some dought as to which was the exami-
ner and which the witness Akclimax however,
was reached when Mr.. Belmont deprecatingly
remarked, "well, Mr.. Blaine, am through
now with any more nontense."
Mr. Blaine responded, "well am very glad
you are, Mr.. Belmont, in fact may say am
exceedingly glad"
Mr.. Belmont inquired, sdo you know who
were behind the Landreau claims?"
Mr. Blaine replied he did not; that neither
the Landreau claim nor the Cochet claim had
ANYTHING more to do with the policy of this
government toward the Sa7'h American re-
publics than did the bottom oi the ship which
bore Mr.. Hulbut to Lima.
As Mr.. Belmont had not concluded the ex-
- -1k 4l..