On yesterday I received Mr. Pacheco's reply, of which I send you a trans lated copy: It will be perceived that the minister, on the strength of the events which have come to his knowledge since my interview with him, the refusal on the part of the Peruvian government to receive Mr. Salazar, the Spanish envoy, and to negotiate with him, now declines the interposition or mediation of the United States or any other friendly power. I do not exactly see the force of his reasoning. If it was consistent with Spanish honor for our government to use its endeavors to make Peru listen to reasonable demands on the part of Spain, it must be equally so if our government would try to make Peru treat with Mr. Salazar, or to give satisfactory explanations for not having done so. Our good offices, it strikes me, might have been exercised in the one case as well as in the other. I do not intend, however, to press the matter any further for the present, for several reasons, one of which is that I consider our government still perfectly free to use its influence with Peru, in making that country do what may be considered right and proper. I have the honor to be, most respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, GUSTAVUS KOERNER. Secretary of State, &c., &r., &c. : Mr. Koerner to Mr. Pacheco. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Madrid, May 20, 1864. SIR Some time ago I had the honor of communicating to your excellency, in an informal and confidential manner, the apprehension felt by the government of the United States of possible difficulties of a serious character between the government of her Catholic Majesty and the republic of Peru, and the great desire entertained on the part of the United States to prevent hostilities from breaking out between two nations, towards both of which they have none but the most friendly and disinterested feeling. I informed your excellency that the government of the United States would be happy if it could make itself instrumental in smoothing down these difficulties unhappily existing between the two powers. Your excellency expressed yourself pleased with the remarks which I had offered, and intimated that if the circumstances should permit of an exercise of our good offices in this complication they would not be refused. Inasmuch, however, as you were at the time without information as regarded the success of the mission of Señor Salazar, her Majesty's special envoy to Peru, and the steps which had been taken by Admiral Pinzon, you were not, at the period of our interview, in a position to express yourself definitively on the proposition which I had been instructed to mention to you informally. I have received no additional despatches on the subject from my government since that interview; but having learned from the public journals that the arrival of Señor Salazar at Peru, and his proceedings, whatever they were, have failed to lead to negotiations promising a peaceful settlement of the existing controversies, and that, on the contrary, hostilities are imminent, if they have not already broken out, I deem it consonant with my former instructions to again repeat, in a confidential manner, the offer of the government which I represent to use its best cxertions for a satisfactory settlement of the questions in dispute. The government of the United States will cheerfully, I believe, support any demand on the part of her Catholic Majesty's government founded on the principles of justice, equity, and international law, and will use its best efforts to persuade and induce the Peruvian government to comply with all such demands. I have no doubt the influence of the United States would be very great with the Peruvian government, and that its exercise might be beneficial to both countries which are now at disagreement. I embrace this opportunity of repeating to your excellency the assurance of my highest consideration, &c., &c. His Excellency the MINISTER OF STATE GUSTAVUS KOERNER. Of her Catholic Majesty. Mr. Pacheco to Mr. Koerner. [Translation.] FIRST DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I have had the honor to receive the confidential note which you were pleased to address me on the 20th instant, in which, referring to a private interview which you had with me, you have been pleased to renew the indications which you then addressed to me in the name of your government in respect to the good dispositions which animate the cabinet of Washington to contribute, by their mediation, to the arrangement of the difficulties pending with the republic of Peru, lending their support with pleasure to any reclamation of Spain founded on principles of justice and equity, and endeavoring to persuade the government of Peru to satisfy all such as may have this character. The report you make of what occurred in the interview referred to is exact, and on that occasion, having in view the circumstances of the affair-the subject of our conversation-and considering also the state of it at that time, I could not do less than reply to the friendly and loyal offer which you made me in the name of your government, stating in that confidential way in which we were proceeding that the government of her Majesty was disposed to accept, if not the mediation, at least the good offices of the government of Washington, so as to arrive at an end which corresponded completely to the views of the government of her Majesty, always desirous to avoid conflicts with the Spanish American States. The same disposition which I then made known to you would continue to exist to-day if the conditions and the situation of the affair were the same, and I should have taken pleasure in fixing in writing the statements which on that occasion I had the honor to address to you; but, unfortunately, it has not thus happened, and the government of her Majesty deeply laments it. Things have advanced, and the affair has taken a different aspect from what it then had. Before the question of the reclamations against the Peruvian government, there has arisen another, which must be considered as independent and preliminary; so much the more grave, inasmuch as it affects more the decorum and dignity of Spain. I refer to the non-reception of the envoy Señor Salazar y Mozarredo, with whom the government of Peru has refused to treat. It cannot be hidden from your good judgment that by this act, whose nature you will know how to appreciate, a state of things has been created whose solution is no longer susceptible of being moulded to the same conditions which appeared, and which we both considered attainable at our said interview. The question is not now upon principles of justice ignored, nor of material interests wounded, but upon an act which, as it may be interpreted to signify a purpose not to lend an ear to reason, involves an offence to Spain such as makes it in cumbent upon the government which rules her destinies alone to demand satisfaction. If, in order to obtain this, the mediation of another friendly government should be accepted, that of her Majesty would furnish a motive for attributing to impotence what in any case would be only a desire to avoid extreme measures, and persuaded on my part that you will recognize the force of this observation, I do not doubt you will know how to explain to your government the special causes which place that of her Majesty in the situation of not being able to accept the mediation nor the good offices of any friendly power in the question pending between Spain and Peru. The government of the Queen feels grateful beyond measure for the good desires of the cabinet of Washington, and certainly it would have been most pleasing if those circumstances had not intervened which now impede their contributing with their prudence and recognized wisdom to the termination of the affair which is the subject of this writing. I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to you the assurance of my most distinguished consideration. J. F. PACHECO. I have been surprised to learn, by copy of your despatch 69, of February 25, a. c., that Mr. Tassara had received no instructions to sign the convention by which the King of the Belgians was appointed to arbitrate the question of maritime jurisdiction in the waters of Cuba between the United States and Spain. It was on the 17th of November last that the Marquis of Miraflores informed me that the draught of the convention had been examined, and that he had, after having suggested some very slight modification, calculated to make the nature of the question still plainer, instructed Mr. Tassara to sign the convention. The Marquis remained in office until the middle of January following, and he never gave me the least intimation as to any change in his views on the subject. I shall take the first opportunity to ascertain whether the omission to send instructions was merely accidental, or owing to a change of policy. I am, sir, your obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, &c., &., &c. GUSTAVUS KOERNER. No. 99.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Koerner. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, May 30, 1864. SIR: I have received your despatch of May 7, No. 94, and I appreciate very highly the account you have given me of domestic affairs in Spain. I am, sir, your obedient servant, WILLIAM H. SEWARD. GUSTAVUS KOERNER, Esq., &c., &c., &c., Madrid. No. 98.] Mr. Koerner to Mr. Seward. [Extract.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I had hardly finished my No. 97, giving an account of my action respecting the Peruvian troubles, when I received your despatches 86, 87, 88, and 89. Your No. 88, marked confidential, referring to the same subject, enjoins upon me as earnest an exertion of my good offices in that matter as shall be consistent with the sincere respect and courtesy which are entertained by this country towards Spain." 66 On the same evening the journals contained telegraphic despatches dated Panama, May 10, transmitted by the Spanish consul at Southampton to the government here, to the effect that the Spanish squadron had occupied fourteen islands of the Chincha archipelago, taking prisoners the governor and officers; that the squadron had then gone to Callao to surprise the Peruvian squadron, which, however, had escaped and taken shelter under the forts; that great agitation prevailed in Peru; a loan had been authorized; that land and sea forces were to be raised, &c., &c.; that the English, American, and Bolivian ministers had held a meeting at Lima, had declared themselves in favor of Peru, and had determined to petition their respective governments for an immediate intervention to regulate the difficulties. Your despatch and this telegraphic news made me change the determination which I had formed after I had received Mr. Pacheco's note, and which was, as I informed you in my last despatch, to take no further action in this matter, at least for the present. * I am, sir, your obedient serva,nt Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, &c., &., &c. * * * GUSTAVUS KOERNER. No. 102.] Mr. Seward to Mr. Koerner. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, June 3, 1864. SIR: Your interesting despatch of May 15, No. 96, has been received, and your proceedings therein mentioned are approved. This government has no interest or other motive for urging upon the government of her Catholic Majesty any diligence in regard to the treaty for the settlement of the limits of the maritime jurisdiction of Spain in the waters of Cuba. We are sincerely hoping for a peaceful solution of the controversy which has arisen between Spain and Peru. I am, sir, your obedient servant, SIR: In reply to your despatch No. 87, of the 6th of May, 1864, which refers to the proposition of the government of Hayti to offer its mediation in the conflict between Spain and the people of Santo Domingo, and the suggestion of the Haytian government, for the United States, England, and France to support this proffered mediation, I beg leave to submit some remarks. It is generally supposed here, in official and unofficial circles, that Hayti, if not at the bottom of the insurrection of the Dominicans, is, at least, aiding it. It is true that Mr. Madion, the minister resident of Hayti at this court, is protesting against this assumption, and does his best to remove this impression, but with little success. I have not the slightest idea that Spain will accept any sort of mediation on the part of Hayti, nor indeed on the part of any other power, France, perhaps, excepted. * * * * I do not think that the present struggle to subdue the insurrection in Santo Domingo owes its existence and continuance to any fear or jealousy of the United States. Most statesmen of Europe have long since formed the opinion that for years to come we will lack the power of aggression, even if the Union were reconstructed, which, as a general thing, they all disbelieve. * * * Madrid, June 3, 1864. * * * SIR: I found, however, Mr. More, the prime minister. I asked him whether the government had heard from Mr. Salazar about his late proceedings. He said no; they expected to get news from him in about four or five days, and that before that time he could not answer my questions positively, whether the government would approve of his course or not. He said that I might assure my government, however, that Spain had not the slightest intention to reacquire any of its ancient colonies, or to encroach upon the independence of Peru. "Suppose," I asked him, "that the documents published in the Peruvian papers, and republished here to-day in the journals, are the only ones existing, and are correctly given; and suppose that the acts of Salazar and Pinzon were as reported, and Peru has done nothing to aggravate affairs since Salazar left Lima, and before he commenced those hostile acts; is the government prepared to approve of his proceeding?" He said he could only repeat what he had already said, and that it was difficult to give any positive answer before hearing from their own officers. I send you a slip from the Official Gazette, containing Mr. Pacheco's remarks in the Cortes. He is guarded; but, nevertheless, it is easy to read between the lines the disapproval of the course of Salazar and Pinzon. Public opinion here and the entire press of all parties seem to be opposed to the action of Salazar from the beginning. I think I am not alone here among the foreign diplomatists who take an interest in this Peruvian question. The English minister told me he would undoubtedly be instructed to interfere. He views the course of the Spanish agents in Peru in the same light as I do. France will strongly advise peace, I have no doubt, and I believe will offer her mediation, distinctly and pointedly. The English and part of the French press are denouncing Salazar. Perhaps this very outrage on the part of the latter is the |