National Republican., 1882-12-07
The New York "Trlbune" " in Trouble.


HuYsEN in Trouble" the Tribune of yesterday
had the following:
1t would hardly be courteous to assume that the
Secretary of State would lead the President to
make msstatement in his message, and yet the
following paragraph conveys, no doubt uninten-
tionnlly, an erroneous impression as to the facts
involved:
A year since, as you have already been advised
by correspondence transmitted to you in January
LAST this government sent special mission to the
belljgerent powers to express the hope that Chill
tpoitd be dtspostdt 10 accept money indemnity for The
expenses Of the tear and 10 retnQuiSh her demand for
portion J the territory o her antagonist This recon-
incubation, which Chilli declined to follow, this
government did not assume to enforce nor can 1t
he enforced without resort to measures which
would be in keeping neither with the temper of
our people nor with the spirit of our Institutions.
MIR. TREscoT was undoubtedly sent to South
America to express the hope contained In the ital
iciZed words above. But the very day he pro-
cured audience with BALMAsEDA, the Chlian
minister of foreign affairs. he learned from that
official that his instructions referred TO above had
been Withdrawn Mr. FRELINGHUYsEN commune
Gated their withdrawal to MARTINEZ, the Chilian
minister in Washington, who promptly cabled
them to Santiago. Perhaps it is the first time in
the history of diplomacy that minister received
his instructions from the foreign secretary of the
country to which he was accredited
to above" were withdrawn; and so it follows
that it is not true that Mr.. FRELINGuUYsEN
communicated their withdrawal to the Chill
ian minister at Washington, and that they
were by the latter cabled, &c. The instruc-
tions "referred to abOUe" were as the reader
can see by again looking at the passage quoted
that Mr. TREscoT should "erpreSS the hop" 4"
that "Chili would be disposed" to pursue a
certain course deemed by this govern
ment desirable. 1t was recommended
tion" which was not to be enforced
because we had no jurisdiction in the case.
We had no more right to dictate to Chill con-
corning Peru than we had to dictate this year
to England concerning Egypt, or to Germany
concerning France in 1870. The Tribune and
Mr. BLAINE and Mr.. TREscoT all know very
well that at no time did President ARTHUR
instruct Mr.. TREsCoT on behalf of this gov
ernment to dictate to Chill or Peru, or
make any authoritative utterance rs to the
issue between Them or as to what either
should do in its settlement. 1t is, therefore,
false to say as the Tribune does in the article
we are reviewing:
Soon after this mortifying event Mr.. TREscoT re.
ceived instructions directly from Mr.. FRELINGHUY-
SEN under date Of January 0, 1882 entirely nulli-
flying his former instructions We quote Mr.. FIRE.
LINGHUYsES's words:
1.-THE Presidentwishes in no manner to dictate
make any authoritative terdnce to either Peru or
Chilli tl the merits of the controversy existing
| between those republics; as to what indemnity
should be asked or given, as to change of
boundartes, or as TO the personnel of the govern
| ment of Peru"
The language here quoted leaves untouched
the instructions originally given, that Mr..
TREsCoT should express the hope" and
make the recommendation" referred to in the
above quotation from the message. How did
a command to abstain from placing the Presi-
dent in the attitude of debating and assum-
ing authority over Chilli in her relations with
an enemy, operate as instructions entirely
multiplying his former instructons?"
The instructions TO Mr.. TREsCoT included q
direction that he should ascertain whether o,
not the arrest by Chilli of the provisional
President of Peru (CALDERoN) was intended as
an act of unfriendliness to this government
If the answer did not satisfy Mr. TREscoT hC
was to decide for himself whether diplomat,
Chilli should be then and there terminated by
his withdrawal. The instructions were giver
while Mr.. BLAINE was premier" Whel
| Mr.. FRELINGHUYsEN became our modes
Secretary Of State (only BLAINE could b,
a "premior") the Chilan minister n
Washington received authority to discain
on the part of his government any uufrendl,
l. ..
with CALDERoN as it thought prudence die
tated. This rendered it unnecessary for Mr.
TREscoT to pursue the inquiry, and that por
tion of his instructions, and that only, wa
withdrawn. The inside history of the matte
is, that Mr.. BLAINE in looking around for
preteXt for precipitating a quarrel betweei
his government and that of Chill, hit upol
the arrest Of CALDERoN. If he could onl,
got up such quarrel, the public sentimen
would be likely to favor his retention
until his great peace-making qualities
supplementing his war-making policy
should cool the hot water into whic
he had plunged the administration. Thi
would have taken him through Prosiden
ARTHUR's term, and given him an opportunit
to illustrate his great foreign policy. TIL
fact that he had selected Mr., TREscoT made
probable that their views as to Caderon'
arrest were not far apart, 1t is easy to get a,
unfriendly answer when one is desirable. Nj
TREsCOr had been admonished before leay
ing TO make his inquiries in manner whic
would elicit friendly reply, unless tn
contrary was evidently determined on
When the President had himself received tn
disclaimer which Mr.. TREscoT had been in
structed to seek, why should the latter b
mortified at learning it from the Chilian sec
retary of foreign affairs at Santiago? Ho,
could that prevent him from continuing t
exercise his moral influence with Chilli? Wa
he stripped Of all power to be useful becaus
he could not get an opportunity to break o
diplomatic relations between his governmen
and thuE of Chili2 Was he Mr. RTATNR'