New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-13
THE LANDREAU CLAIM

n,rty INSTRUCTIONS SHOWN TO BE GROUND
Fditor Of The Tribune
c., So lnuch has been said ana so many ms
atoms have been made touching 'ho i1'''
-, claim that have thought 1t might oe wen ~
-. in a condensed form every word WT'''ei IL
pIosou' .h.roto Inv Mr. Blaine and by the late Gen
oral Hurlbut The entire corresp pnu'I1o - -
-, ,ccnnies less than one hundred lines w
tn' -. 1'-,o Duhlshed by the Department ana
'n' - .bs whole of it. occasionally uslng tallo'
sn''' -. .b. noints If importance demanding INC
!" .,o,ton of the reader On August - 1901
sl'',ai 1,rot. to General Hurlbut as follows;
-, N the Iandreau claim see 10 r.sy scep 10
g., non. ne conclusion 10 Th'ch My IN american cti-
Ie yo.i John G. Landreau was an A ,ra,t ~ rea
hqre arr,tly entitled under la"ful cout 40 he Pc
.onaSe compensation for mporlant In ne established
s; AZ or Government ,chHe HoN eadmo of ms
MAKE an ofFcGl demand lor fss 10 procure us
cS,n .ou ,riR employ goT g92d W ; Saye observed
@ n, gyd j,,si construction You VII government
fai In tne contract made by lnt "a 1nres.v stipulated
tat av guestions arising under ts and that in no
submateH dniomatic intervention be asked: Vu
sso n0ce that the Supreme Co 1T tbat II had no ur
Serisou az the court below, mas ruieu -aon in 20
t,on ~ mis- contract. thus leaving o -
sifion in which be can neiIher 20 iSnnas TO which,
mi nor obtain a judgment nom we llDi.l''' ~ ~
hlth ~ NO onfracf he was authorized to apply. ~
Will ms Gor@T S ~, ' eotcee or 10 deede upon the
r,e.f ~ me compensation due Ldndreda, 70" o.
sructod ca the attention 81 tne b oycrnment Of
IL T-nied states viii expect some adequate anu prpel
J;cigi decsoa upon has Rights II toe @
tse Peruvian courts or the Interpretation % w inch
i-,an indres depriVes Landreau OF the ustcc nlc1
The contract itself guaranteed him. then, I'D we oO "a
rms government Peru IS bound ~ duiy anu III IuV
V,end The Jurisdiction Of the present courts ur si
eA,eIu &c ~ Tandrpan to arbitration desire 10 call
MI t IN The faci that ia the anticipated treaty
cb /. fo adjust the relations OF ChI ana - 40
NJ NAV possibly be compelled 10 submit to the ios' OF
l1t,tt Ia The territory 10 be surrendered should IN
slnde he guano deposits when were Us u.s., t c,
Iproa and for the discovery OF when fer "a
80 MIN a ROYALTY uTOn the tonnage reio ,o
peruvian Government should IN me treaty t M
with chill for the pre-erVai on ana p"5 stransier
,n %, the amount due under the cohliact' u i
Ia mad 10 Chilli it should De underrtSou t1aY 1..S
o an American citizen VJ0"y ~" rrsrtv 10
sbaJ be- treated proper Heh on ln ne, pIo,en5 ~
which attaches and ina, nl ~CCeI ,'rITred tbaf
that condition annexed As u ma nc - ~ he ne.
- ,i De- fully Informed 70 the pro-rtss ol ne nc
maze sicn erorr a. you judciously can to Sc
cIre for Laudreau fair stttenth OF NJ Sllni o.
rryan authorities Of the character ana sia'us o 'e
claim IL order than 10 dehuiiiNe lItt9 %, d 49, may he
made ia disregard OF the rights NHloH '-'- o'0 ~
found TO possess II,
Tnder date Of September H. 1851, General Hurl-
bnt ,vrat, 10 Mr.. Blaine IN reply to the foregoing
rs follows:
In the Iandreau The proofs are suhc ent ana me
cond non in which the Peruvian Government pa zen
IN complainant forms just ground ior ut'.eu up
10 thcr ofjusuce shall follow 'ne gic's," I al
yogr dispatch and mterpo7e Cd Dcuan 81 t - ~ a..
Other American claims II any hegulld.ion t"A'S ~,
between Peru and emil which Involves me I,ss W t
1orv shall take special care that thle Ci4n al ny
atude of the United states in respect 10 II be ON lazy
made known 10 the proper aunoildes Of Do'H Oo'e'"
neut-.
This letter was received at the state Department
obort the middle of October. Thence onward TIL
November 8, Mr. Blames attention was almost
wholly engaged as Secretary OF state with the
Yorktown celebration and the hosplialltes OF our
Government to the French and German guests.
Abont November 10 or i Mr.. Blaine returned To
The recnlar business of the Department. On No.
vember l. lie wrote General Hurlbat as follows:
Your proposed course in REGARD 10 the Landreau claim
.reSSeJ in 1ng rnanner thai rptld eabGr Peru
~ The hour o. her great distress Your previous lnsuc-
ton 10 Use your good offices m PROCURING an S'uulct
ton Of the fandreau claim was made IN view OF the pos
sible fac--of which there was wide runor-that
numerous French and Ens lsh claims were 10 De pre-
scented which ereH rms a,Jtous hd ne resources Cf
Peru sh0d not be exhausted ~ me settlement Of other
an 4nerioyq ct-cn. You viii stin De guided by the
spirit aud intent OF that instruction.
These three letters constitute the entire CORE
spondence between Mr.. Blaine and General Hurl-
but touching the Landreau claim-two brief let
ters rom Mr.. Blaine one brief note from General
Hurlbut. Just after Mr. Trescot left, December 8
ON his special mission, there an outcry in Ger
tain journals about the United States presenting
claims IN order to deprive Chill Of the fruits OF bel
victory over Peru. Thereupon. December is ter
DAYS after TTescOt sailed, Mr. Blaine wrote the fol
lowing 10 him:
The os claim for scheb Ills Department has INSTRUCTED
as ne Laadrequ cdiD amt HiS 10 he extent ontg Of m
sising mat Mr. LGndye0u sbod be pe1 he to hore an
otiOire tHreSiigdiOn al has clam on the Feruct0a
Corer,iigent and that If found 10 be good and valid u
should hs provided Tor in any treaty WIN Chil when
The law officer Of the Department OF state. as long ago
a. - made exhaustive report on TINS clam, and
recommended that this Government should lnterpose It's
good offices ID behalf thereof
F4f u~fr
good offices with he Peruvian authorities IN Dehalr OF
that Government speedy investigation auO adJ-elmeht
On hc 90,h day Of Februarv 1850 the House Of Rep.
Tesen tycs Of the last Congress UNANIMOUSLY passed
The following resolution:
ihal TIE petition If John c. Landreau. the report
made thereon By The Committee on Foreign Affairs, and
The accompanying papers DE transmitted 10 the EKecu
tive DEPARTMENT, with the request that the President
take such steps in his opinion, may be proper and ID
accordance with nerna Ono law 10 secure 10 the sal
john g. Landreau hnal settlement ana a'OusmeDt OF
L. claim agAnst the Government OF Peru; ard that, f
IL III aon If proper t. d. 30 the President lnNils
States in this behalf"
OF my instructions O. Mr.. Hrrbut on TINS subject II
gives pleasure to say in this connection, that M
lurbu = action in regard 20 both the Landreau and
C0chet claims has been marked Dy enuIe prudence ana
discretion
ren 5ealf Of prirdfs claims bey0nd tpe use Of as
god OceS YOU viii say thar justice seems 20 demand
in supp m Of ms Claim before tribunal in Peru com
petent 10 decide H. and that II decided IN MS IaNor
treaty OF peace which might cede territory TO Chm
should he made ia disregard Of any rights which Mr.
Laudrcau be found, ater al impartial Judicial IL
VestlcatlOn. 70 pOsses5-
Further this tie Department OF State has not felt
authorized 90 ard must express the hope that the
Governments Of Peru AMI Chill to hoth Of which YOU
accredited. Will ecngnlze the moderation and JUS
tee OF The request made by this Government
In reading these dispatches it seems hardly con-
cevable IL the light Of all the scandalous stores cir
culated that they constitute all that has been
said by Mr. Blaine on the subject There is not an
imprudent or incautiOus word IN the entire CORES
pondence Allowing for the difference in their re-
spectlve styles of writing Mr.. Blame said not one
word ia reference IN the iaudeau claim which had