Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-06
THE SEVERE CENSURE
Of Minister Miner for His Part in
the Barrundia Killing
GIVEN HIMBY SECRETARY BLAINE.
Official Correspondence Of the Case Gent to
Congress.
NO EXCUSE FOB THE MINISTER

| VI tue hlllIDE OF OeHeEdl pdIruuuld Dy
Guatemalan officers on board the Pacific
Mail steamer Acapulco in the port of San
Jose. The correspondence was called for by
resolution of September 81 last, declaring
that Mr.. Blaine, in his letter laying the cor
respondence te'ore the President, says: "It
will be observed the last report OF Minister
Miner contains matter essential to full
and accurate understanding of the case,
and was dated September %, and not re-
ceived at the department until October 9,
several days after the adjournment of Con-
gress.
eThe correspondence consists of ten in
closures, the first of which was a telegram
from Mr.. Miner to Mr.. Blaine, dated
August %, and the last letter from Mr..
Blaine to Minister MizGer, dated Novem-
Der 1S, announcing that he can see no justii-
cation of Mr.. Miners course, that this
Government disavows his action, and di-
recting him to turn over the affairs of the
legation to Mr.. Kimberly and return to the
United States.
Miners Side of 1t.
In his telegram announcing General Bar
rundIa's death, Mr.. Miner says he had ad-
vised the steamship officers that he
| guaranteed General Barrundia's personal
safety, and that he had joined the United
| States Consul General in advising the
| Captain to permit the arrest, on the charge
of being an enemy, martial law being in
! force. Under the date of August go Act
ing Secretary Wharton telegraphed Miner
regretting that he (the Minister), had ad-
vised or consented to the surrender, as no
Ho ohor Of OF IF ho nrdi
law of Guatamala appeared.
Minister Miners first letter to Secretary
Blaine with regard to the killing is dated
August 90, and was received September Is.
He relates the circumstances already stated
and then quotes a communication to Cap
tain Pitts, dated the 9th, stating that Guata-
maIa, like any other nation, has the right
to arrest a person on a neutral ship in its
waters In time OF war for any cause deemed
an offense under international law.
The Order to Captain Pitts.
In later telegram to Captain Pitts, Min
lister Miner SAYS:
If your ship is within one league of the terri
tory of Guatemala and you have on board Gen
eral Barrunda it becomes your duty under the
law of nations to deliver him to the authorities
of Guatamala upon their demand Allegations
having been made to this legation that Bar
rundia is hostile to, aud an enemy to this Re-
public. guarantees have been made TO me by
this Government that his life shall not be in
danger or any other punishment inflicted upon
him other than for the causes charged.
The allusiOns to Barrundia's personal
safety, Mr.. Mi1ner says, were at his request
promised the night before by the President.
Subsequently he received telegram from
Commander Reiter, OF the navy, acknowl-
edging Guatamala's right over the steamer,
and requesting the Minister to obtain per-
mission from the Government to return Bar
rundia to Mexico in the Thetis. The Minis
ter of Foreign Relations positively declined
to accede to this request.
All the circumstances and Barrundia's
well-kown hostility to the republic, aud his
attempted invasion of Mexico, Mr..
! Mizner says, decided his course, and he ac-
cordingly, in response to request for writ
ten and not telegraphic orders, sent Captain
Pitts letter advising the Captain to SUBJ
NIT to the arrest of his passenger. The fol-
lowing day Commander Reiter telegraphed
Barrundia's death while resisting arrest.
Guatemala Ready to Fight.
Under date of September %, in letter
from Mr.. Miner TO Mr.. Blaine, which was
received October 9, and in which the Minis
ter justified his course. he says he called on
the 18th on the Minister OF Foreign Rela-
tions or an explanation of the affair. In
this interview the Minister stated with en-
phasis that his Government had given posi-
tive orders to take Barrundia from the
Acapulco even to sinking the ship, notwith-
standing it might have involved conflict
with our two war vessels.
This, he said, would have been in the ex-
ercise of the undoubted right of his Govern
ment over its own waters, in which he was
confident the law of nations would have
sustained him. Mr.. Miner says he had
never heard of these orders before. He
then gives the decision of Secretary Bayard
| in the Gomez, Mexican, case in support of
his action, and concludes: 81 confidently
add that nothing will tend so much to the
establishment of permanent peace in these
republics as a plain declaration that our
fleet of steamers cannot be used in local
waters as an asylum for revolutionists,
Blaine Censures the Minister.
The correspondence closes with letter
from Secretary Blaine, to Mr.. Mizner, dated
November 18th, in which he reviews the
case at length in all its bearings, and says
| that "the more the question is examined in
| the light of important facts, tardily dis
| closed, the deeper becomes the regret that
you so far exceeded your legitimate author
ity as TO sign the paper, which in the hands
of the officers OF Guatemala became their
warrant ior the capture OF General Barrun-
| dia.''
The Secretary contends that the claim
that the Government of Guatemala had the
| right to arrest Blrrundla under Its con-
tract with The Pacific Mail Steamship Com
| pany is untenable, and attacks each OF
the specific demands OF Guatemala uDon
the representatives of the United States in
this case as improper and illegal.
The case Of Gomez. which Miner offers as
an excuse for his conduct, the Secretary dis
| cusses at length and fails to find in it any
support of Miners action.
Secretary Blaine then continues:
Miner Wholly to Blame.
lara aware 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 Champerico, he SAYS that
| op his arrival at San Jose he will place himself
under the orders of the American Minister"
He again telegraphed to you later from Cham
pcrico that he awaiting your instruc-
| tlons" and that at San Jose he expected your
| written ORDERS" In his last telegram to you,
| dispatched from San Jose on arriving at that
| gorically inquiries: Shall l deliver General
| Barrundia to the authorities here? If SO.
please send me letter with your signature to
that effect"
There is not here the slightest suggestion
that Captain Pitts proposed to act otherwise
than by your orders, and under your RESPONSE
bility. 1t was under these circumstances that
you wrote the letter which became. in the hands
of a Guatemalan official the pretext of the at
tempted seizure of General Barrundia.
The naval force of the United States in those
waters thus became an acquIescent spectator
of events, although merchant vessel of the
United States was then lying under the muzzles
nj plns mammal by men who. rs Won STATE vo,,