Mr. Prevost to Mr. Seward.
Sir: The government at Quito seems to take no notice of the protest which I sent to the minister of exterior relations, under your instructions, for violating the stipulations of the convention of November, 1862. Should I receive no acknowledgment of its receipt by the next mail, I shall deem it my duty to address another note to the minister.
The late news of the bombardment of Valparaiso created great sensation and excitement in this city. Constant meetings night and day were held, and the lower class was so enraged against the Spanish residents of the place that they were compelled to close their stores and houses. For four days the city was in a constant state of alarm; the cry of the infuriated people, “Death to all Spaniards,” was constantly heard; the city was fairly governed by the mob; the local authorities took no steps towards re-establishing order.
[Page 466]Several of the wealthiest Spanish residents and merchants of the place, entertaining great danger of life, desired to leave the country in the British mail-boat, and made application to the foreign consuls to procure passports for them from the local authorities.
The foreign consuls, in a body, called upon the governor on Sunday last, to solicit passports for such of the Spanish residents that desired to leave the country; but the governor refused to grant them their passports, saying that the mass of the people was so enraged against the Spaniards that the granting of passports might increase the disorder which the city was thrown in, and that he was so much afraid of a revolt that he dared not call the troops to put an end to the existing disorder.
We represented to the governor that we had come on a mission of humanity, in behalf of these Spaniards who had thrown themselves upon the foreign consuls as their only protection. The British consul then asked the governor, if any of the Spaniards could make their way on board the British steamer, he would order the commander to give them up, and, upon his refusal, if he would use force to compel them to come on shore. To this the governor answered that, once on board of a mail-boat carrying a neutral flag, he had no authority to demand them on shore, and that he would not use force to compel them to come on shore.
Under the faith of the governor’s promise, some six or eight of the most prominent Spanish residents made their way on board the mail-boat; but a committee from the mob at once made application to the governor, asking him to issue an order to the British consul to place these Spaniards on shore.
The governor, either from intimidation or from fright, notwithstanding his solemn promise, issued out an order to the British consul demanding the delivery of these gentlemen. This the consul refused to do. Finally, the governor himself, accompanied by the commander general and the chief of police, went on board the steamer and demanded that these gentlemen should be at once landed; but the commander of the steamer refused, and sailed immediately thereafter. As the steamer was going down the stream she was fired upon by one of the batteries; some say that the gun was shotted, others say no. The party who gave the order to fire, as well as the one who fired the gun, have both been placed in prison.
The state of excitement has somewhat subsided, as a few of the leaders of the mob have been arrested by the police; but I am expecting that the same disorder will again occur, as the mob know the local governor is a man without any energy.
I could not refuse to join my colleagues in the mission to the governor, which was a mission of peace and of humanity. We were well received by the governor, who applauded the zeal we had taken in the matter, and said, in concluding with us, that he himself was a son of a Spaniard, and that he might perhaps be compelled one day to seek an asylum, and would, in that case, ask the protection of the flag of the “great republic.”
I hope that my conduct in the matter will meet the approbation of the department.
I have the honor, sir, to remain, with great respect, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.