Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 5, 1881

No. 557.
Mr. Christiancy to Mr. Blaine.

Legation of the United States,
Lima, Peru, May 27, 1881. (Received June 27.)

No. 310.]

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that on the 1st instant I, with every other member of the diplomatic corps here, received a circular letter, dated April 30, from M. M. Galvez, claiming to be the secretary of foreign relations of Peru, under the provisional government of Doctor Don Francisco Garcia Calderon, stating the installation of that government and the names of the cabinet officers; this being evidently written to invite a recognition by the diplomatic corps. A meeting of that corps was called a day or two after to consider the propriety of answering. The whole corps agreed that there was yet no sufficient evidence that this provisional government had become the Government de facto of Peru, and all concurred in the resolution not as yet to make any reply. Another meeting of the corps was held yesterday, upon the same subject, and while all (with the possible exception of one) agreed that there was yet no sufficient ground for recognition, yet several, of whom I was one, thought it would be proper to acknowledge the receipt of the letter, but in a manner which could not be construed as a recognition. Some two or three seemed to object to answering, because they thought they could not do so without implying a recognition.

I saw no difficulty in this, and feeling that it was right to treat with entire frankness and candor the men claiming to constitute the government, I have therefore written to Mr. Galvez the letter of the 26th instant, a copy of which I inclose.

In connection with this I refer to my dispatch No. 264, stating the explanation I then gave Mr. Galvez.

On the 25th of March I also wrote a note to Piérola, or rather his secretary-general, explaining to him the ground upon which I should proceed with reference to recognition, to exactly the same effect, and almost in the same words as in the conversation with Galvez. (I also sent him copy of so much of Department dispatch No. 123 as relates to the desire of our government to bring about an early peace.)

The above note was sent by the private courier of a friend of mine, as the mails in that direction cannot be trusted at all, but its receipt has been acknowledged.

As to the progress which the Calderon government have been making, I refer you to my dispatches Nos. 277, 283, 285, 302, and 305.

Since my dispatch 302, the provisional government have been allowed to send some 225 more men, making about 300 in all, into the province of Junin, for the purpose, as I suppose, of allowing the congressmen from that region to come to Lima. But this force is too small to prevent Piérola’s congress from meeting at Ayacucho on the 6th of June, as it is reported and believed here that Piérola will bring them from the south at least 1,000 men.

Such is the position at present. There is no difference of opinion in the diplomatic corps as to the principles of recognition. But all seem now to have become satisfied that unless the provisional government shall succeed there will be little hope of an early peace.

I have, &c.,

I. P. CHRISTIANCY.

P. S.—June. 1.—I send inclosed copy and translation of telegram this day received by the dean of the diplomatic corps from Piérola’s secretary-general, dated May 26. This movement may lead to delay in the recognition of the provisional government until it can be ascertained what success Piérola may have in obtaining a national representation.—I. P. C.

[Inclosure 1 in No. 310.]

Mr. Christiancy to Señor Galvez.

Legation of the United States,
Lima, Peru, May 26, 1881.

Señor Don M. M. Galvez:

I received your letter of April 30, informing me of the installation of the provisional government, of which Señor Doctor Don Francisco Garcia Calderon was said to be the head, and naming the other executive officers.

I have refrained from answering your letter hitherto, not by reason of any disrespect for or hostility to Mr. Calderon or to you, or to any of the persons mentioned as his cabinet. But (as I had the honor verbally to explain to you some time ago) because my government had acknowledged and instructed me to acknowledge the government of Piérola; and upon the principles upon which my government have heretofore acted in like cases I could not without its instructions, recognize another Government of Peru, hostile to that already recognized, until it shall clearly and satisfactorily appear to me that the majority of the people of Peru have adopted or acquiesced in the new government. The moment this shall satisfactorily appear, I shall, on the part of my government, most cordially recognize the new government without waiting any instructions. I have carefully endeavored to obtain all the evidence in my power upon this point; and, though this new movement to establish a government in opposition to that of Piérola seems for the last few weeks to have made considerable progress in obtaining the approval of the people of Peru, I cannot yet say that the evidence is sufficiently clear, that it has, up to this time, been adopted by the majority.

Should it obtain a quorum of the congress which it has called together, this would be strong proof in its favor, and sufficient for me, unless it should appear at that time probable that the congress called by Piérola would be more likely to represent the majority, in which case I should have to wait a few days to ascertain the facts.

I have kept my government fully informed of the principles upon which I intended to act on this qusetion of recognition, unless otherwise instructed, and though there has been ample time for receiving their instructions by mail, if not satisfied with the course I intend to pursue, I have yet received no instructions whatever upon this point; from which I am compelled to infer that there must be some mistake in the telegram from Paris published in El Orden of the 14th instant. Had I received such a telegram from my government, I should have promptly recognized the new government. But very clearly I cannot act upon this unofficial dispatch.

Please accept the assurance, &c.,

I. P. CHRISTIANCY.

[Inclosure 2 in No. 310.—Telegram.—Translation.]

No. 190.
(Received in Chala, May 26, at 8.40 p.m., from Arequipa, May 26, 1881.)

Señor Jorge de Tezames Pinto,
Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Lima:

His excellency the supreme chief, his secretary-general (subscribing), and suit, arrived yesterday at this city, his excellency having been the object of the warmest demonstrations of adhesion and enthusiasm in all the departments on his passage. We shall remain at Arequipa until the 15th June, and leave on that date for Ayacucho, in order to install on the first of July the national assembly, the meeting of which has been postponed to that date.

Be pleased to transmit this communication to the honorable colleagues of the diplomatic corps, of whom I subscribe myself their obedient servant.

AURELIO GARCÍA y GARCÍA.