[Inclosure 1 in No.
25.—Translation.]
Mr. De Lavalle to
Mr. Phelps.
Department of Foreign Relations,
Lima, October 23,
1883.
Sir: The events of which Peru has been the
theater since the 5th April, 1879, until the 15th January, 1881, are
well known to your excellency, and form a painful subject for the
undersigned. Her armies defeated, not without luster to her arms, her
naval forces annihilated, with honor, however, to her flag, there
followed upon her military disaster another one almost as fatal for a
country as is the ruin consequent upon war—that is to say, anarchy and
complete political and social disorder.
After fruitless endeavors to organize a government that would grapple
with so complex a situation, and accept resolutely those conditions of
peace the conqueror might impose, securing, however, the most favorable
terms attainable, a disinterested citizen, and at the same time a worthy
soldier, determined to state the truth to his country, and to direct it
in the only path that might lead to the re-establishment of internal
order, while finding means for bringing about external peace.
With a civil courage not inferior to that which he displayed as a soldier
in defense of his country, his excellency, General Iglesias, inaugurated
a provisional government in the city of Cajamarca in the commencement of
the month of september, 1882 the programme for which was resolutely and
decisively to attain peace with Chili. Received by some with surprise,
with indignation by others, and with disdain by the greater part, it
was, however, an opinion which commended itself to the intelligence of
the people, who perceived instinctively that in its realization depended
their salvation and future happiness.
The successive converts to this idea very soon enabled an assembly to
meet in that city, which certainly, if it did not represent the whole of
Peru, did at least represent no inconsiderable portion of it. Before
this assembly General Iglesias resigned the power he had assumed, solely
with the intention of providing the people an opportunity to express
freely their opinion, and from it he received the investiture of
provisional President of the Republic, and sufficient authority to
negotiate a peace with Chili, and to reorganize the country until, once
at peace and with order restored, a general assembly might be elected
that would genuinely express the country’s desires and satisfy its
necessities.
Disdaining all efforts to secure adherents not necessary to attain the
original object of his government, he dedicated to the purpose his
utmost endeavors, with the conviction that in obtaining his object he
would be certain to secure the general adhesion of the country, long
tired of a struggle as sanguinary as hopeless from the entire want of
means to continue it.
He was not mistaken in his ideas, since during the lengthy and tedious
negotiation through which his confidential agents, amongst whom the
undersigned had the honor to be included, had agreed upon the
fundamental basis of a treaty that should put an end to the war,
successive and spontaneous adherents appearing in all those towns of the
Republic in which existing conditions permitted free expression of
opinions came to strengthen his government and to extend the sphere of
his authority.
The seat of government having been transferred to the city of Trujiilo,
General Iglesias there assumed the necessary forms to establish it on a
regular footing, placing himself in a situation to obtain from friendly
and neutral powers, as well as from the belligerent, its recognition as
the national Government of Peru.
He abstained, nevertheless, most prudently from asking the first until he
had obtained the second, and until a treaty of peace would allow him to
do so under such conditions that there could be no doubt of this
recognition nor motive for hesitation on the part of the representatives
of such powers.
The elevated principles of General Iglesias, the loyalty of his
proceedings, won for him the respect and confidence of the conqueror,
while the unmistakable manifestations of public opinion throughout the
whole of Peru invested him with sufficient authority to treat in its
name.
In consequence of the events already referred to, he transferred his
residence to the town of Ancon, to be nearer the terminus of his
patriotic journey, and there, on
[Page 726]
the 18th instant, was solemnly recognized by the representative and
other authorities of the Chilian Government. On the 20th their
plenipotentiaries signed in that place a treaty of peace and friendship
between both Republics, the basis of which, previously discussed and
agreed to in long and frank discussions, have at last put an end to the
long and distressing struggle in which, in a fatal moment, they found
themselves engaged.
The several towns and territories occupied by the Chilian forces being
delivered over to his authority, and accepted by those that were not
dominated nor oppressed by opposing factions, he has to-day taken
possession of the capital of the Republic, and there established his
seat of government, of which the undersigned has the honor to be a
member as minister of state for the department of foreign relations.
It is my first and most grateful duty, under these circumstances, to
communicate it to his excellency the minister plenipotentiary of the
United States, and to state that the feeling which animates my
Government in relation to the people and Government of the American
Union is to cultivate, by all obtainable means and with particular care,
those cordial relations which have always existed between the people and
Governments of both nations, the more necessary to-day, as Peru has to
repair, by the inauguration of peace and order, the injuries and
disasters war always brings in its train.
The undersigned has, &c.,
