Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-07-25
MIR. TREsCOr TO MIR. BLAINE
An Important Letter.

Yoak, MAINE, Jsly IL, 1852
HoS. JAnEs BLAME:
DEAK SfR-l an In receipt Of yours, aeking me,
a. late Special Envoy Of the United States the
belligerepu 10 Sosth America. to state my knovl-
edge u certain matters connected with your admin
istrssion ~ Secretary Of State.
From your formal instructions to me and the
personzI Cancellations had with you before my
departure on that mission. have never been able
20 that tbsre any ground for misunder-
staLding or miseonstruinz your position in regard
10 the Credit Indsztriel. II has been consistent
throughout ~ understood IL.
You always expressed yourself TO me - DESTROYS
that the Credit Industriel might. il possible, be
made useful TO Peru in her distress But you were
entirely un willing that the United States should
make the programme of that company . part OF
their own negotiation should assume guarantees
Of the arrangenspt which 1t might make with the
Peruvian Government You did not favor the
project Of Professionals over any port of South
America. Your idea WAS TO leave Peru free to
negotiate With the Credit IndustrieI, and you in-
| siructed Gen. Hurib1t and afterwards myself to
report the result Of such negotiations to the De-
pArtment. What action might lie beyond was
necessarily for the decision Of the Government,
and ,s policy would in all probability have depend
cd largely upon the report made by the Minister
As matter Of fact, neither Gen. Hurlbut nor my
self was ever called upon TO take any action IN
regard 70 the Credi, Industriel during our respec-
tive missions 10 South America.
2. As To yoar designing . war, that superstition
10 absurd for serious consideration II you bad
any such purpose il carefully concealed from
me- and I left for South America with the i'm
preston that would have completely failed in my
mission If did not succeed in obtaining an ami
cable settlement Of tho differences between the
| belii gerents You will allow me TO add that /
would have declined the mission If had thought
| otherwise As understood you, your object wac
by the friendly solution Of the existing difcultes
| to prepare the way for the meeting Of the Peace
Congress at Washington, when you hoped to estsb-
Iish such relations between the Republics Of the
two Americas. would prevent the possibility Of
future But for the strange misconception for
which I cannot account, which reached and misled
| the Gillian Cabinet, through come Of the leading
| and influential papers Of the United States, be-
| Iieve that purpose could have been accomplished
under your Instructions.
; In regard to the Cochet and Landreau claims
il is sufficient to say that you rejected the FIRST
| absolutely. As to the second, you instructed
Gen. Hurlbut to ask, if the proper time for such
request should come, that Landreau should be
hes I'd before Peruvian tribunal in support OF his
claim, and that in case of n peace providing Tor
the cession Of Peruvian territory the condition OF
his claim should be brought to the attention Of Chill
and Peru This instruction, stated in your dis
patch was made in view of the fact that numer-
Gus claims of Europeans for fabulous amounts
were being pressed and you were anxious, as you
| OK pressed it, that the resources of Peru should
not be exhausted in the settlement of the claims
Of foreigners to tho prejudice of one belonging to
an American citizen. This notification would not
have interposed obstacle to the co cluson of
treaty OF peace, but would have simply signihed
to both pa rites that its provisions could not put
aside any rights which Landreau might be found
to possess after an impartial, judicial investi-
cation.
Under the restrictions Of your instructions,
Gen. Hurlbut, although himself approving the
Justice Of Landreaus claim in his despatch OF
Sept. Il, 1851, never brought it in any way to
the consideration of the Peruvian Government.
During my mission in South America, l never .e-
ferred to it, so that in point Of fact during your
secretaryship the Landreau claim was neNei
mentioned either to the Gillian or Peruvian
government by the ministers of the United States.
1t could not therefore have affected the then
pending diplomatic questions in the remotest
degree.
Yours very truly
and respectfully
WIN. HENRY TRESCOT.