No. 314.
Sir Edward
Thornton to Mr. Seward.
Sir: It will be in your recollection that in June last I had the honor, in accordance with an instruction which I had received from the Marquis of Salisbury, to convey to the Secretary of State the wish of Her Majesty’s Government to know whether the Government of the United States [Page 488] would be disposed to join Great Britain and Germany in offering their mediation with a view to concluding the war between Chili and Peru.
In reply, Mr. Evarts stated that the Government of the United States had been and was ready to assist in the restoration of peace between the belligerent powers whenever its good offices might be usefully proffered.
It did not, however, favor a premature effort, nor an effort in combination with other neutral powers which would carry the impression of dictation or coercion in disparagement of the rights of the belligerent powers.
I have recently observed that it has been stated by some of the American newspapers that the Government of the United States has instructed its ministers at Lima and at Santiago de Chili to communicate to the governments to which they are respectively accredited the deep regret of the United States at the unhappy state of affairs existing between Peru and Chili, and to state that whilst the Government of the United States does not wish to force mediation upon them, it would be ready to use its good offices to secure an honorable settlement of the difficulties between the belligerent governments whenever they shall intimate that such friendly services will be accepted with a view to bringing about an honorable peace.
As Her Majesty’s Government has already shown the interest it feels upon this subject, and its wish that so desirable an end may be attained, I have the honor to express my hope that you will think yourself justified in acquainting me, for the information of my government, whether the newspaper statements to which I have referred are founded on fact, and whether it may entertain the hope that the steps thus taken by the Government of the United States may lead to the conclusion of peace between the republics of Chili and Peru.
I have, &c.,