Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-02-02
RIaine in His Own Behalf.

WASHINGTON, january Ao.-AHo
Post will have an interview with ex-
Secretary Blaine upon the subject of
diplomatic correspondence relating
to Chill and Peru. The Secretary
saws: "The statement published
that the instructions to MIR. Trescott,
signed by him, had been drafted and
committed to Trescott without the
knowledge of the President, has
absolutely 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 change. l
have the original draft in my posses
sion, with the notifications desired
by the President clearly noted. 1t
is conceivable that an extra
ordinary mission, important enough
to be mentioned IN an annual
message to Congress, could be al
allowed to leave the country without
the Presidents knowing the in
structions by which its action should
be governed. No friend of the
President could possibly make that
suggestion, and on his behalf l re-
pei 1t. The President specifically re-
ferred in his message to instructions
given Mr.. Prescott and besides,
what possible interest could L have
myself in sending an instruction
without the full knowledge of the
President I was to leave the De-
partment in a fortnight, and I
would naturally take care not to
send an instruction merely to have it
revoked. In addition to all other
considerations, [ had no desire to
send Mr.. Trescott on a FOOLS
errand.
"How do you account for the
change of policy 2"
"That is none of my business ; it
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, and no step was taken with
out the full concurrence and approv-
al OF the Executive. During the late
Presidents illness no dispatch of any
spec al moment was sent either to
Peru or Chill The dates will show
that. have seen no reason to change
my mind as to the wisdom of the
course marked out. Time, reflection
and the development of events have
all the more strongly confirmed if,
and [ fear that one result of the
change will be the utter destruction
of the commercial interests 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 ans Hered: g. meant
there is no possible need of Mr..
Trescott being in Chill, if he is sim
ply there to be a helpless witness of
the utter spoliation of Peru That
could have taken place without the
presence of special envoy of the
United States, who, forbidden to
protest, actually appears as aiding
and abetting spoliation. What l
mean by spoliation appears plainly
enough from Trescott's s original dis
patch published in the Saturday
morning papers. He says Chill de-
mands an absolute cession of the
entire province of Tarapaca, and
bes des 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 an
nexed to Chill. Besides all this,
Chill appropriates the guano depos
it's of the Lobos Islands. Mr.. Tres
colt adds, that if Peru refuses these
conditions, Chill will then decline
further mediation of the United
States. In other words, Chill is
willing and glad to accept the medi
alton of the United States if that me
diation can be used to induce Peru
to submit quietly to destl uction
But, if a 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 mino
that would beft such a returning
Journey The demand of Chill is
, equivalent to the destruction o.
Peru, for the reason that it takes
from the latter country the
great body of her guano anc
all her nitrate beds, and
thus deprives her of her sources
of revenue What Chill is taking
, from Peru is relatively far greater
} loss to Peru than the loss of the
eleven seeding States would have
been to the American Union. Fal
greater than that; greater indeed
than if the Pacific coast had Joined
the rebellion, and gone out forever
That would have taken all the cotto1
lands, all the sugar lands and all o
the precious mineral lands from tht
United States, and would have de
stroyed our power and our very ex
; istenee. Precisely that fate is to bs
inflicted on Peru; and Chill now per
mits the United States to mediate
only on condition that she will pro
mote this wholesale destruction of {
friendly republic, a destruction a
complete and as cruel as the parti
e n