No. 54.
Mr. Logan to Mr. Frelinghuysen .

[Extract.]
No. 104.]

Sir: The news of two important events has reached us since my last dispatch.

  • Firstly. The Arequipa Congress has voted to confirm and continue Garcia Calderon as provisional President of Peru, and Lizardo Montero as first Vice-President; and at the same time has elected General Cáceres second Vice-President.
  • Secondly. The same Congress has ratified the protocol made by Montero with the Bolivian President, Campero, by which it is agreed to cede Tacna and Arica to Bolivia, provided that the latter continues her military support to Peru until the close of the war.

The first of the measures was, perhaps, a necessity, upon the principle of being a bad policy to swap horses while crossing a stream; while the second was a good move of the Peruvians to checkmate the separate treaty of Bolivia with Chili, and just upon the verge of consummation. My own view of the situation now is, that the separate treaty with [Page 113] Bolivia is for the third time deferred almost at the moment of completion.

It is necessary that I should inform you of the fact that the protocol of a treaty made by Iglesias, as recently reported to you in my cablegrams and dispatches, was not jointly signed by the latter and the Chilian representative. It was my first impression that this was the case, but a better knowledge of the instrument has shown me that Iglesias has signed the agreement obliging him to make a treaty with Chili upon the terms heretofore reported to you, when the latter shall recognize the Government of Iglesias. This extra caution arises from the fear of a repetition of the broken promises of Calderon when his Government was called into life by the Chilians.

Iglesias is probably at Truxillo to day to take possession of North Peru, under the agreement, and will at once begin the monthly receipts * * * from the custom-houses of that portion of the Republic. The Chilians claim that * * * the fact that his Government has made a peace with the enemy and will be supported by the latter must bring to his side all of the respectable people, who are disgusted with the Calderon-Montero personal government, and who, in recognizing the entire defeat and helplessness of Peru, desire an immediate peace upon the best obtainable terms.

* * * * * * *

I have, &c.,

C. A. LOGAN.