Mr. Hovey to Mr.
Seward.
No. 5.]
Legation of the United States,
Lima,
December 21, 1865.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith
copies of the letter of Señor Pacheco, minister of foreign affairs,
requesting me to appoint a day for my reception as minister, and my
answer thereto. Also a memorandum of a conversation with Antonio
Barrenachea, sub-minister of foreign affairs, on the 14th instant. After
the visit from the sub-minister, I received the note from Pacheco, above
referred to, under date of the 10th instant.
On Sunday, the 17th instant, after my reply, Señor Pacheco called upon me
at my house, which resulted in the conversation detailed in the enclosed
statement.
Several arrests by the government have been made of prominent
ex-officers, charged with peculation.
So far the government of Prado seems to be in the right direction, and
gives satisfaction to all, save those whose personal interests have been
affected by his decrees.
The army and munitions of war are under his control, and he will probably
remain in power as long as he may desire, as he is regarded as the
ablest man in Peru to meet “the Spanish question.” As there are now no
opposing elements, his government may now be regarded as not only de facto but de jure.
The interests of several American citizens demand immediate attention,
which cannot be given until I am fully accepted.
I enclose a copy of the circular of the minister of foreign affairs, with
a very imperfect translation of the same, awaiting your further
orders.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of Stale, Washington, D. C.
[Untitled]
Conversation
with José Antonio Barrenachea, Sub-minister of Foreign
Affairs, December 14,
1865.
Senor Barrenachea called on me and requested that I should name the
day for my reception as minister, saying that the “jefe supremo
provisario del republica” would waive all technicalities in my
letters of credence.”
[Page 626]
I replied that “I arrived in Lima on the 17th ultimo, and immediately
wrote to the secretary of foreign affairs under President Canseco,
sending to him an office copy of my letter of credence, and that I
had not officially heard from the matter since.” That “I had no
doubt the confusion following upon recent events (two revolutions)
had caused the delay, for I felt assured that the most sincere
feelings of esteem and friendship existed between our governments.”
He still urged that I should be received, but I told him that “owing
to the delay in my reception, the change of government, the lack of
letters of credence to the jefe supremo, I had deemed it to be my
duty to write to the Department of State for further orders, and
that I could not place the department in the singular predicament of
first asking its advice and then acting before I received the
answer.
I assured him that the United States entertained the most sincere
friendship for all republican governments, and said that they should
compose one grand sisterhood, and that, if General Prado should
continue in his works of reform as he had commenced, with a heart
true to republican institutions, I entertained no doubt that my
government would direct me to acknowledge the new order of affairs.
That the United States had as deep an interest in the spread of
republican institutions on the western continent as Europe felt in
maintaining the balance of power in the east, and that I could say
to him, as a citizen of the United States, that my heart was with
Peru as long as she supported the cause of liberty and humanity, and
that I did not believe that my government would silently permit any
republic to perish, for the lack of sympathy, through physical
force.”
[Untitled]
T. Pacheco, secretary of foreign affairs, called upon me at my house
to-day. He expressed great love for the institutions of the United
States, and hoped that the most amicable relations would ever exist
between the great North American republic and her sisters of the
south. He said that my note of the 16th instant, declining a
presentation to the jefe supremo, under the circumstances was
entirely satisfactory.
I replied in complimentary language towards Peru, and hoped that the
democratic features of her government would not be permanently
changed. He answered, that the intention was only to remedy the
great evils growing out of an aristocracy that had arisen under the
constitution and old laws of Peru, by which thousands were pensioned
for life, exhausting the entire resources of the state, and that as
soon as the evils could be reformed, the government would flow on in
its old democratic channels; that the new government would be a
democracy and reflect the popular will.
Such is the substance of the above conversations conveyed to me by
imperfect English.
[Translation.]
Mr. Pacheco to Mr. Hovey.
One of my first cares, on putting myself in contact with the
representatives of the friendly powers, has been to answer the
official note which your excellency addressed the last cabinet to
ask an audience in order to present the letter of his Excellency the
President of the United States, accrediting you as envoy
extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Peru.
The change of government having delayed the answer due you, I now
hasten to give it, assuring you that his excellency the supreme
chief considers the continuance of the cordial relations between
Peru and the United States as one of the principal elements for the
prosperity of America, and his excellency General Hovey as a
guarantee for their continuance.
I shall be most happy to agree upon the day which will suit you to
present to his excellency the supreme chief the letter accrediting
you as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Peru, and
I hasten beforehand to offer to his excellency the assurances of
high esteem and consideration with which I am your excellency’s most
obedient servant,
His Excellency General Alvin P. Hovey,
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary of the United States.
[Translation.]
Mr. Pacheco to Mr. Hovey.
To reform the abuses existing in the interior government of the
republic, pretended to be excused by its institutions, has long been
one of the most legitimate aspirations of the people of Peru. The
revolution that began on the 28th of February, and which has been
happily brought to a close, with a unanimity and enthusiasm
unequalled in the history of America,
[Page 627]
was intended to effect that reform, as
indispensable to the present and future welfare of the nation.
On the 6th of November, after the triumph of the revolutionary cause,
an attempt was made, in error of opinion, to restore the former
constitutional system, which was incompatible with the revolution,
and had been destroyed by it dc facto, and
which condemned the regenerative principles invoked by the people,
and left the republic stationary, without obtaining any good results
from their heroic efforts, except a change of persons, that
signifies nothing when the destiny of a nation is concerned.
A few days sufficed to show a palpable mistake of great importance.
Even the government of General Canseco, the restoring army, the
national navy, and the people of Lima and Callao thought proper to
put an end to evils of such magnitude, and hence the events of the
26th, 27th, and 28th of November last, which are but the realization
of the thoughts of the entire republic, as is shown by the acts of
adhesion of the provinces cognizant of those events. Thanks to them,
a new government has been formed and vested with plenary powers,
which will be conferred upon a single person as soon as the republic
has recovered from its troubles, and a new constituent Congress has
assembled to confer them.
Under these circumstances General Pedro Diaz Canseco was designated
to receive the supreme command; but he refused it, as incompatible
with his constitutional investiture, thus giving a new proof of the
inconsistency of the revolutionary programme with the former
constitution. The laws had provided for this emergency, and Colonel
Mariano Ignacio Prado was called to take General Canseco’s place,
and has now assumed the supreme power, with the title, which appears
in the decree published in the annexed number of the official paper,
containing also the manifest of the supreme provisional chief, which
is the true programme; of the new administration.
In making known this change in the government of the republic to the
American minister, and informing him that the supreme provisional
chief has honored him with the place of secretary for foreign
affairs, the undersigned deems it his duty to say that, whatever
changes the Peruvian nation may make in its government to perpetuate
the democratic principles that constitute the foundation of its
social and political system, it will never disturb its frank and
cordial relations with other nations, but will ever strive to give
them a security founded on justice, equity, and respect that all
civilized nations should have towards each other.
The supreme provisional chief is deeply impressed with these
sentiments, and in making them known, the undersigned hopes to
strengthen the ties that bind Peru to the nation that Mr. Hovey so
worthily represents.
The undersigned embraces this occasion to offer to his Exeellency Mr.
Hovey, envoy extraordinary: and minister plenipotentiary of North
America, the assurances of his high esteem and distinguished
consideration.
His Excellency the Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of North
America.
Mr. Hovey to Mr. Pacheco.
Legation of the United
States,
Lima,
December 16, 1865.
The undersigned; envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of
the United States of America near the government of Peru, has the
honor to acknowledge the receipt of his excellency’s letter, dated
the 15th instant, requesting the undersigned to appoint a day for
his reception by the jefe supremo as minister aforesaid.
The official copy of the letter of credence received by the
undersigned from the President of the United States to the President
of the republic of Peru, was, with a note from the undersighed, (to
which his excellency has alluded,) transmitted to the secretary of
foreign affairs of the republic of Peru, on the 20th ultimo. No
official answer to said note having been received by the
undersigned, and a radical change having taken place in the
government of Peru on the 26th, 27th, and 28th ultimo; and, as the
letter of credence of the undersigned was not addressed to the jefe
supremo, and not being officially advised whether the jefe supremo
would take cognizance of said letter of credence, the undersigned,
on the 13th instant, addressed a note to the Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State of the United States, asking instructions, under
the circumstances, for his future action.
As the answer to said last-named communication has not yet been
received, the undersigned cannot, without great indelicacy towards
his superiors in office, name a day for his reception until further
advised by his government. The undersigned takes pleasure in
assuring his excellency that the President and people of the United
States feel a deep interest and solicitude in regard to the progress
of Peruvian republicanism, and that whatever may add to the future
happiness, greatness, and glory of Peru will be hailed with joy in
the United States.
The undersigned has the honor to offer to his excellency the
assurances of his distinguished consideration.
His Excellency Señor T. Pacheco,
Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
