The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-02-09
NO. %.
BLAINE'S POLICY.
The eN-Secretary is interviewed
ON His Instruction 10 Our
SOuth American Rep
reseutatiVeS

Ghe eN-Secretary is interviewed
ON His Instruction 10 our
SOuth American Rep
rescntatiVes.
WAsHINGToN.-The Washington
Post contains an interview with ex-
Secretary Blame upon the subject
of the diplomatic correspondence
relating TO Chill and Peru. The sec
retary says the statement published
that instruction TO Mr.. Trescot.
signed by him, had been drafted and
committed to Trescot without the
knowledge of the president, has alb
solutely no foundation; in truth. the
instructions were not only talked
over fully with the president, but
when written were twice read to
him for criticism and changes.
81 have the original draft in my
possession, with the notifications
described by the president clearly
noted. 1t is impossible that an ex-
traordinary mission, Important;
enough TO be mentioned in the an
nual message 10 congress, could be
allowed to leave the country with
out the presidents knowing the in-
structions by W hich its action should
be governed. No friend of the
president could possibly make that
suggestion, and on his behalf | repel
If. The president specifically re-
ferred i'll his message TO the instruc-
uons given Mr.. Trescot, and besides
what possible interest could have
myself i'll sending an instruction
without the full knowledge OF the
president? | was TO leave the de-
partmont in fortnight, and
would naturally take care not TO
send an instruction merely to have
1t revoked. In addition TO all the
other considerations, l had no desire
TO send Mr.. Trescot on fools er-
rand"
GLOW do you account for the
change OF pOlicy?"
"That is none of my business. IL
is the undOubted right of the presi-
dent, as it is OF a private citizen, to
change his mind. Either President
Garfield or President Arthur saw
every dispatch of importance that
was sent: no step was taken without
the full concurrence and approval
of the executive. During the late
presidents illness no dispatch of
any special moment was sent TO
either Peru or Chill; the dates will
show that. have seen no reason
to change my mind as to the wis
dom of the course marked out; time,
reflection and development of events
have all the more strongly con-
firmed, and L fear that one result of
the change will be the utter de-
struction of the commercial inter-
ests of the United States on the
south Pacific coast"
The eX-secretary was asked what
he meant by the expression "a
fools errand," and he answered: 81
meant there seems no possible need
of Mr.. Trescot being in Chill, if he
is simply there to be a helpless wit
ness of the utter spoilation of Peru
that could have taken place without
the presence of a special envoy of
the United States, who, forbidden
to protest, actually appears us aid
ing and abetting a spoilation. What
| mean by spoilation appears plainly
enough from Trescots original
dispatch, published in the Saturday
morning papers. He says Chill de-
mands the absolute cession of the
entire province of Tarapaca, and,
besides that, twenty millions in
money, payable in sixteen years.
during which time africa is TO be
occupied by Chill, and if twenty
millions is not paid africa is to
be absolutely annexed to Chill.
Besides all this; Chill appropriates
the guano deposits OF Lobos island.
Mr. Trescot adds that, if Peru re-
fuses these conditions, Chill will
then decline the further mediation
Of the United States. IL other
words, Chill is willing and glad to
accept the mediation of the United
States if that mediation can be used
to induce Peru to submit quietly to
destruction, but if the United States
special envoy cannot be used for
that end, Chill will have no more to
do with him, and he can pack up
and come home in meek and lOwly
frame of mind, that would benefit
such returning journey. The de-
mand of CLili is equivalent to the
destruction of Peru, for the
reason that it takes from the
latter country tho great body of
her guano and all her nitrate
beds, and thus deprives her of
her sources of revenue. That which
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, and far greater than that
greater, indeed, than if the Pacific
coast had joined had joined the re-
bellion and gone out forever. That
would have taken all cotton lands,
all the sugar lands and all the
precious mineral lands from the
United States, and would have de-
stroyed our power and very exist
ence. Precisely that fate is to be
inflicted on Peru, and Chill now
permits the United States to medi-
ate only on condition that she will
promote this wholesale destruction
of friendly republic, destruction
as complete and as cruel as the par
tition of Poland"