Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-31
CHILE AND PERU.

Mr.. Blaine thinks that Chile ought to
have been stopped in her work of devour-
ing Peru, and intimates that if his instruc-
tons to Prescott had not been counter
manded, this would have been accomplished.
But Mr.. Blaine does not state how this
was to have been done, and unfortunately
the public cannot conceive of its practical
bility in the absence of some new light
upon the matter. The Chilean Govern
ment of course understands perfectly well
that the United States could do nothing
but expostulate in the case. It is fully
aware that we have not the means OF
armed intervention. What, therefore,
could have been the use Of assuming a
truculent tone, and of limiting at what it
might become necessary to do should Chile
refuse to hear reason? The course of Chile
towards Peru has unquestionably been
harsh and greedy in the extreme, and it
might have been thought justifable for a
powerful Government to interfere in the
interests of justice and humanity. But
unfortunately we are not in position to
take upon ourselves any responsibilities
of that kind. We have no navy, and
in the event of war we should be
at the mercy of even so feeble power as
Chile. This is no secret. 1t is as well
understood at Santiago as at Washington,
in fact. And for this reason it seems
extraordinary that Mr.. Blaine should
undertake to maintain the wisdom of his
instructions to Prescott, or the possible
success of the line he then took. He was
in truth trying to do, in the absence of the
necessary means, what could only have
been practicable with those means. He
was, to speak vulgarly, trying bluff
game on Chile, and under circumstances
which made its failure foregone conclu.
sion. 1t is possible that Mr.. Blaine may
have chafed against the CONSTANTS of his
position. A patriotic and generous spirited
man must feel uncomfortable at the head
of the State Department when he realizes
that his country ought to take an attitude
which at the same time ne knows to be
impossible to her. When Russia threat.
ened to occupy Constantinople during tie
war with Turkey, England instantly sent
an iron.clad feet into the Bosphorus.
That was step the significance Of
which the Gar was able to appre.
ciate fully. But if England had not pos.
sessed that fleet, it is very probable tina!
Constantinople might have been under
Muscovite rule to-day. Now the United
States is without fleet, and therefore
cannot enforce its demands upon any
foreign government and since it cannot
enforce its demands, the only way for it to
save its dignity is to abstain from making
such demands. Mr.. Blaine appears to
have acted impulsively, and no doubt from
good motive, but it is none the less evi.
dent that he had assumed most unten,
able position. and that he would have
been obliged to retreat from it in any
event. There is, however, one curious and
as yet unexplained circumstance in the
case. We refer to Mr.. Blaine's positive
statement that President Arthur Endorsed
the original instructions to Prescott. II
that is the ease-and it seems impossible
to doubt 1.-THE President must have
changed his views with remarkable sud.
denness and completeness, to say the least.