The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-01-31
TELEGRAPHIC
Blaine Explains.

Washington. 29.-The Post. to-mor-
row, will have an interview with ex-Sec-
rotary Blaine upon the subject of the
diplomatic correspondence relating 10
Chill and Peru. The secretary SAYS the
statement published that the instructions
10 NJ. Trescott, signed By him, had been
drafted aud committed 10 Prescott with.
cut TIE knowledge of the President, has
absolutely no foundation in truth. The
Instructions were not only talked over
fully with the President, but when writ
ten were twice read to him fer criticism
and change. have the original draft
in my possession, with the notifications
desired by the President clearly noted.
1t is inconceivable that an extraordinary
mission, important enough to be men
toned in an annual message to congress.
could be allowed to leave the country
without the President knowing the in
structions by which its action should be
governed. No friend OF the President
could possibly make that suggestion, and
on his behslf / repel it. The President
specifically referred in his message to the
Instructions given Mr.. Prescott, and be-
sides, what possible interest could have
myself in sending an instruction without
the full knowledge Of the President? l
was to leave the department in fort
night, and l would naturally take care
not to send An instruction merely to have
it revoked. In addition to all other con-
siderations, l had no desire to send Mr..
Prescott on FOOLS errand.
How do you account for the change of
policy? A-Thst is none of my bus
ness. It is the undoubied right of the
President, as it is of private citizen. to
change his mind. Either President Gar
field or President Arthur So " every dis
patch OF importance that WAS sent, and
no step was taken without the full con-
currence and approval of the executive.
During the late Presidents Illness no
dispatch OF any special moment was sent
either TO Peru or Chilli. as the dates will
show. l have seen no reason to change
my mind as to the wisdom Of the course
marked out. Time, reflection and the
development Of events have all the more
strongly confirmed me, and fear that
one result Of the change will be the utter
destruction of the commercial interests Of
the United States or the South Pacific
Coast.
The ex-secretary was asked what he
meant by the expression SO FOOLS err
rand" and he answered:
81 meant there seems no possible need
Of Mr.. Prescott being in Chill if he is
there to be helpless witness of the utter
spoilstion OF Peru. That could have
taken place without the presence of
special envy of the United States who
was forbidden to protest. 1t actually
sppearsas il be were aiding and abetting
the spoilation. What / mean by spoila-
ton appears plainly enough from Tres
colts original dispatch, published in Sat-
urdsy morning papers. He says Chilli
demands the absolute cession of the en- :
tire province of TarapAca and besides
that, $50, 200, 900 in money payable in
sixteen yesrs, during which time AFRICA
is to be occupied By Chill and if $40, 000,-
600 is not paid, africa is to be absolutely
annexed to Chilli. Besides all this Chill
AppropriAtes the Guano deposits of Lobos
Islands. Mr.. Trescott adds that il
Peru refuses these conditions Chill
will then decline further mediation
of the United States. In other words,
Chill is willing and glad to accept the
mediation OF the United States, If that
mediation can be used 10 induce Peru to
submit quietly to destruction, but if the
United States special envoy cannot be
used for that end, Chilli will have no
more to do with him, and he can pack
up and come home, in meek and iowly
f1ame of r2ind that would be fit for such
returning journey. The demand of Chill
is equivalent to the destruction of Peru
for the reason that it takes from the lat
ter country the great body Of her guSns
and all her nitrate beds, and thus de-
prives her Of her sources of revenue.
What Chill is taking from Peru Is rela.
lively far greater loss to Peru than the
loss Of the eleven seeding states would
have been to the American Union; far
greater than that, greater, indeed. than
Ifths Pacific Coast had joined the rebel
lion and gone out forever. That would
have takea all the cotton lands, all the
sugar lands, and all the precious mineral
lands from the United States, and would
have destroyed our power and our very
existence. Precisely that fate is to be in
aicted on Peru; and Chill now permits
the United States to mediate only on
condition that she will promote this
wholesale destruction OF q friendly re-
public, destruction as complete and as
cruel as the partition of Poland.