New-York tribune., 1882-02-07
MR BLAINE AND THE TRESCOTT lNSlRCC
TIONS.
Icy TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE.l

with denuncatons of the late Secretary OF state
cbarccs against him of bad faith in his official ac-
tio, ridicuc of his for ign policy declarations that
if the President had not discovered facts which MT
Blaine had concealed from him the country would
have been involved in war with Cam, etc' e'c
These charges have been taken up here TO certain
extent bv a class of Republicans who seem to feel
that for some reason Mr.. Baines influence ana 'he
prestige of his long and brilliant public career must
he DESTROYED if il is possible thing to do So Ihelr
eagerness in this directI has been noticeable me
result has been a clatter which might lead anyone
n stranger to the whole business, TO suppose that
Mr. Blaine has declared war against some 1or-
o,go mower in his own name and issued call 1or
troops
The friends of MI Blame in Congress and many
mea in both parties, who, though not MS personal
friends admire his foreign policy so 1ar as 'heS
know #. have patiently awaited the development OF
+befacts believing that they would show not only
that he had done nothing worthy of censure, put
,bo+ his nolicv throughout had been both able ana
dicnifcd and as with all the great Secretaries OF
STATE thoroughly AmericaG-not IN any proVihclai
sense but in the best meaning OF the WORD. MI
Rlainc's critics had an advantage III the way III
which the facts and documents III the Cmh-feru
controversy have been pitchfOrkcd upon the pnphc
al intervals of two three days. by inns llue'
however. all the essential facts are known, and as
1lp members OF congress are DCCoHiHS 'N''Oi -"
onaintcd with them the impression is evidently
growing that Mr.. Blaine has the better OF the con-
+rovcrsy and that his course as Secretary of State
in this matter will win the approval OF the American
neonie Expressions like these are not heard solely
among Republicans. number OF Democrats WHO
believe in America for Americans" heartily ap-
prove Mr.. Blane's action, and 1t Is not lmposSOIe
tha there will be expression of this feeling be-
fore long IN Congress.
The serious charge against Mr.. Blaine, II any one
of them is serious, is that he did not fully ana clear
lv advise the President of all the points contained
in Mr. Trescotts instructions. 1t might be sufficient
10 say in answer to this that no man would be so
foolish as 10 attempt such a cOncealment even II he
were disposed to do an act Of that kind, just few
days before he was to leave Office and when dlscOv-
erv would be inevitable. But there is no need OF
reasoning, as there is positive circunrsantal eyl-
dence on this point The following facts, most of
which are now public for the first time, may be
accepted as cOncusiyc
After Mr.. Trescott's appointment had been re-
solved upon Mr. Blaine drew rough draft of his
instructions, ing out some parts com
petely and then handing ii to Mr.. Tres
colt for such suggestions and additions as he
might deem desirable for authority i'll the mission
upon which he was 10 enter. When Mr.. Tres
colt had completed his suggestions and returned
the manuscript 10 Mr.. Blaine. the Secretary com
pleted the draft. 1t was then copied from the man
nscrpt both of Mr. Blaine and Mr. Irescott, by two
clerks in the State Department on half sheets OF
large dispatch paper, writing only ON one SIDE writ
ten in large han( and wide lines, it covered thirty
three pages. The rough manuscript, partly Mr..
Blane's and partly Mr.. TIescotl's, then thrown
in the waste basket, and the clean copy, made as
described became the original dispatch and was
submitted by Mr. Blaine TO the President and read
carefully to him for correction The President
listened with the close attention which everyone
who has ever cOnvcrSed with him knows to be
habitual with him, and suggested four corrections,
which were accordingly made Mr.. Blaine then
stated the President that 1t might be well to add
a paragraph to exclude the idea of any special de-
sire on the part of the United States Government
to consider itself an umpire i'll the Cal-Peru con-
trovcrsy.
The next day, or possibly two days after, Mr..
Blaine took back the dispatch with the paragraph
added in hls handwriting and pasted II OIL TO
The end of the last sheet i'll different coored paper
He again read it carefully to the President. The
added paragraph was follows and will be recOg
nized a. the concluding words OF the dispatch al
ready published:
The United states should act umpire in the adudca
uons now between contending Powers should annyi-
tati0n that effect bc extended, YOu VIII communicate
by telegraph for instructions The single and simple
desire of this Government is to see Just and honorable
peace earliest day practicable, and If any ether
American Government can more effectively aid in pro
ducng this auspcious result the United states will cor
daily sustain II and lend such cooperation as the CIR
cumstances may demand.
The copy for Mr. TTeScOtt was then made and, as
usual the press copy for the Department taken from
it. When Mr. Blaine retired from the Department
he took the original drafts o. his own dispatches
with him not for publication in any event without
The President permission. but fOI his personal pro-
lection Ia just such cases as tins. lie has shown the
original dispatch several friends and one of them,
well known lawyer declared that If there were
trial AT law to establish the ldcnllty OF me paper
with the one read to the President the evidence s
conclusive and lrrcfragabl0.
Thus far there is no good authority for saying
that the President has himself authorized state
ments i'll contradiction OF Mr. B1ncS and these
facts are given in answer to misstatements from
other sources than the President 1t is significant
fact that as soon a. Mr. TrescOit informed of
the Presidents desire to send him TO south America,
he had "a long pnvate interview with the President,
al which Mr. Blaine was not present. In thlS H.
trvieW II was supposed that the President c0mlll-
nicated ms views III iull to Mr. lIesc0tt and, that
III return, the latter gave him the store OF lntOrna-
tOn and suggestion with which ms NINA was hiled
on tins question. II was after this interview with
the President that Mr. IrescOtt assisted III drafting
the instructions to himself, apd Mr. Blaine has said
20 several treDds that the identical paragraph
which controversy has been sought was penned
by Nh Ire3cott Just as 1t appears III The oincial
instruction.
This fact, which has not been made known before |
puts MT. Blancs critics in ludiCT0us plight Their
brst charge against him was that he had taken his
action without the Presidents knowledge, When |
fhls was met with the statement that the President
was consulted they shifted their ground and SAID
that, while the President consulted 1t was only
upon The general questions, and they charged that
Mt. Blaine put The instruction then agreed upon |
IN such highly lntammable phTaSeOlOgY thdt when |
the President discovered IT, he instantly recalled It,
1he 1acte are, has been seen, that MT. ITeScO
hinSelt wrote the paragraph which was the text OF
oecIelary trehnghuysens revOklng letter; that he
wrote II after long talk with the President and |
That the completed letter then read 10 the Prcsi-
Gent AND corrections made in accordance with bis |
tuggestlons Mr.. IrescOtt, IL need hardly be said, |