St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-06
BOUNCING OF MINER.
Suppressed State Papers Re-
garding the Murder Of
Barrundia.
Unpatriotic Acts Of a Trusted
Administration Repre-
sentative.
The EX-Consul Justifies His
Course by Cold PhiloS-
Ophy.
Blaine Finally Informs Him
That His Usefulness Is
Ended.

| iNcShldllNCo ttic correspondence glow
| ing out of the killing of Gen Barrundia
| by Guatcmalan officers on board the
Pacific Mail steamer Acapulco in the
port of San Jose. The correspondence
was called for by resolution of Sept. "a
last. Secretary Blaine, in his letter lay
ing the correspondence before the pres
ident, says it will be observed the last
report of Minister Miner contains mat
ter essential to a full and accurate I'M
derStanding of the case and was dated
Sept. %, and not received at the depart
ment until Oct. 8, several days after the
adjournment of congress.
The correspondence
! consists of ten Enclosures, the first of
which was a telegram from Minister
Miner to Mr.. Blaine dated August %,
and the last letter from Blaine to
Minister Miner dated November Is,
announcing that he can see no justifi-
| cation of Mr.. Miners c0uSrSe, that
| this government disavOwS his action,
| ana directing MIN TO turn over the af-
| fairs of the legation to Mr.. Kimberly,
| the charge, and returned to the United
States. In his telegram announcing
Gen. Barrundia'S death. MIR. Miner
says he mad advised the steamship of
| ficers that he guaranteed Gen. Barrun-
| dla'S personal safety, and that he hau
| Joined the United States consul general
in advising the captain to permit the ar
rest on the charge OF being an enemy.
martial law being in force. Under the
| date of August So Acting Secretary
Wharton telegraphed Miner regretting
that he tthe miniStpr) had advised or
consented to the surrender, as no Spe-
cfic charge of violation of the ordinary
law of Guatemala appeared.
MINERS Story.
| Minister Miners first letter to Sec
rotary Blaine with regard to the killing
is dated Aug. 20, and was received
| Sept. Is. He relates the circum-
stances already stated. and then quotes
a communication to Capt. Pitts, dated
thu 9th, stating that Guatemala, like
any other nation, has the right to arrest
a person on neutral ship in its waters
III time of war, for any cause deemed an
Offense under international law. In a
| later telegram to Capt. Pitts, Minister
says:
IF your ship is within one league of
| the territory of Guatemala, and YOU
have on board Gen. Barrundia, it be-
comes your duty, under the law of ma
tons, to deliver him to the authorities
of Guatemala upon their demand: al
| LEGATIONS having been made to this lega-
| ton that Barrundia is hostile to, and
an enemy to this republic. Guarantees
! have been made 10 mt by this govern
| ment that his life shall not be III danger
| or any other punishment inflicted upon
him, other than for the causes charged"
Barrandia's Hostility.
The aliusions Is Barrundia's per-
| sonal safety. Mr.. Miner says. were, at
his reque st, promised the night before
by the president. Subsequently he re-
ceiyed a telegram from Commander
Reiter, of the navy, acknowledging
| Guatemala's right over the steamer, and
requesting the minister to obtain per-
mission from the government to return
Barrundia to Mexico on the Thelis. The
minister of foreign relations positively
| declined to accede to this request. All
the circumstances, and Barrundia's
well-known hostility to the republic.
and his attempted invasion from Mex
leo, Mr.. Miner says, decided his course:
and he accordingly, in response to re-
quest for written, and not telegraDhic
orders, sent Capt. Pitts letter, advis-
ing the captain to submit to the arrest
of his passenger The following dav
Commander Reiter telegraphed Bar
rundia'S death while resisting arrest.
Justified His Course.
Under date of Sept. %, in letter
from Mr.. Miner to Mr.. Blaine, which
was received Oct. 8, and in which the
minister iustifies his course, he SAYS he
called on the 18th on the minister of
foreign relations for an explanation of
the affair. In this interview, the min
lister stated with emphasis that his gov
eminent had given positive orders to
take Barrnndia from the Acapulco. even
to sinking the ship, Notwithstanding it
might have involved conflict with our
two war vessels. This, he said, would
have been in the exercise of the un-
doubted right of his own government
over its OWN waters, in which he was
confident the laws of nations would
have sustained him. Mr.. Miner states
that he had never heard of these orders
before. lie then gives the decision of
Secretary Bayard in the Gomez. MeXi-
| can case. in support of his action, and
concludes:
II confidently add that nothing will
tend so much TO the establishment of
permanent peace in these republics as
plain declaration that our fleet of
steamers cannot be used in loyal waters
as all asylum for rev0lutiOnists."
with letter from Secretary Blaine to
Mr.. Miner, dated Nov. IS, in which he
| reviews the case at length in all its bear
ings. and says THAT the moral question,
| as examined in the light of Important
facts. tardily disclosed, the deeper be-
comes the regret that you SO far ex-
ceeded your legitimate authority as to
| sign the paper. which. in the hands of
the officers Of Guatemala, became their
warrant for the capture of Gen. Bar
rundia." The secretary contends that
| the claim that the government of Guate-
| mala had the right to arrest Barrundia
under its contract with the Pacific Mail
Steamship company is untenable, and
| attacks each of The specific demands of
| Guatemala npOn the representatives of
the United States in this case as i'm
| proper and Illegal. The case of Gomez,
which Miner offers as an excuse for
! his conduct, the secretary discusses at
| length, and fails to find in it any sup
| port of Miners action.
Blaine Wakes Sharp.
~ am AWARE says Mr.. Blaine, "that
| it may be said that after all you merely
advised the captain of his duty. But
| the captain did not simply seek advice.
| In his telegram from Camperico he saws
LIllG Ou iIio al iNdl iJdll JUST llG VIII
| place himself under the orders of the
| American minister He again tele-
| graphed to you later from Camperico
that he was awaiting your Instructions
| and that at San Jose he expected your
| written orders In this last telegram to
| you, dispatched from San Jose on arriv-
ing at that port on the evening of Aug.
| 81, he categorically inquiries:
Shall | deliver Gen. Barrundia to the
| authorities here? If so please send me
a letter with your signature to that eff
feet
'There Is not here the slightest sug-
| gestion that Capt. Pitts proposed to act
otherwise than by your orders. 1t was
| under these circumstances that you
wrote the letter which became. in the
| hands of Guatemalan official, the pre-
text of the attempted seizure of Gen.
| Barrundia."
The secretary says that through
MIR. MINERS action, 1.-THE naval force of