order not to see, overthrown and confuted, all those imputations. So certain is this, that Mr. Tavira himself, turning from his first impressions, formed through the opinions of others, and hidden intrigues, voluntarily called the convention which bears his name, and whose violent condemnation neither in Chili nor any country of the globe could be understood or explained, because in it the question of mutual honor was settled beyond all susceptibility.Thus at least they made haste to declare it, for the justification of Chili in Spain, to all the Cabinets of which was given official knowledge of that settlement.

Upon this point, I may be allowed to make an earnest protest against one of the basest calumnies which have. been forged by bad Spaniards against the dignity of Chili, and Spain herself. I allude to the senseless but widely circulated rumor, that M. Tavira had received a heavy sum of money to make the referred to settlement. Such a charge is beneath discussion. Spain has not such vile sons as would sell her honor for gold, nor is Chili so mean-spirited as to seek peace by bribery. There was, in truth, an incident, traitorously distorted, which might have given rise to that imposture. When, on the first of June of the present year, Deputy Matta, objecting to the paragraphs of courtesy in the Annual Message of the President of the Republic to the Spanish Government and to her Minister in Chili, as an excessive condescention, said, in his discourse, "that perhaps these manifestations were the fruit of a secret understanding between the Spanish Envoy and the Chilian Chancery." But that secret understanding about the phrases of a public document could never be interpreted as a suspicion or an allusion to base fraud. It is also said now, by the public voice of those countries, that the partisans of the war are interested in the negociation of the heavy debt which Spain claimed from Peru, and that that is the cause of her aggression upon Chili, and of her policy resolutely hostile to America. But be it said, in honor of the race to which we all belong, such calumnies are only worthy of the obscure adventurers who invented them for a speculation. The humblest politician in Chili would be above such an imputation, and we have no reason to believe that such is not the case in Spain.

Thus I have briefly treated, but with chivalrous fidel

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ity, the true history of the first part of this affair, otherwise almost incomprehensible. It appears that there were intrigues on the part of the discontented and violent who created, by means of the unwary spirit of the Spanish Minister, an imaginary diplomatic quarrel, and the storm, which afterwards increased by evil winds, by the agency of unsettled and ambitious characters in the Spanish squadron, by innumerable manifestoes indiscriminately signed, by the pure spirit of companion and countrymanship (and probably by motives less noble) has become a positive war between two countries which yesterday were living in the most perfect harmony.

Now permit to me consider the second part of this lamentable affair, or rather its denouement, for it is almost impossible to imagine that causes so insignificant should have produced such disastrous results, unless in this same denouement there may have intervened circumstances equally peculiar and no less incomprehensible to a dispassionate critic, than those which I have hastily mentioned.

In this unfortunate conflict, all has been a question of words. As, at the commencement, the bland and indecisive disposition of Mr. Tavira gave origin to the difficulty, so, in the end, the persistent obstinacy of Admiral Pareja has provoked the war. He was the most active promoter of the dissatisfaction with the Tavira-Covarrubias settlement, and since his arrival on the shores of the Pacificwhere he was born-has manifested such an inimical spirit to Chili, that many have been led to believe that he was prompted in his actions by the singular idea of avenging the death of his relative, General Pareja, who fell in the War of Independence, commanding a Spanish army on our coasts, fifty years ago.

The Tavira settlement, disapproved by the Spanish Government, through the influence of her Admiral in the Pacific, and Tavira himself dismissed from office, the error was committed of urging to the utmost reparation for the offence given and of replacing the Minister who was responsible for it. This was a signal evidence that Spain herself intentionally sought a war with Chili. The same thing had been done in Peru respecting the assault of Pinzon. Mazarredo was sent to make right his misdeeds, and, entrusted with the curing of the disease, had only made it worse. It was desirable to put an

end to the difficulties caused by the Tavira Convention, and so Admiral Pareja was sent to Chili-the very man who had been its bitterest censor, and who was interested in condeming it under all its phases. Could this fail to kindle the flame which threatens to embrace us all, if the wood or the fire are approached to the pile already prepared ?

And not only that; as an individual, as a character, Admiral Pareja has done all that was in his power to make a settlement impossible. He chose the glorious day which we celebrate as the anniversary of our independence, to arrive in our ports, without any intimation whatever tending to reunite the diplomatic relations which had not yet been broken, he sent us a peremptory and offensive ultimatum, to which there was no reply except war, and in fact commenced this by establishing, with four men-of-war, a blockade over the seventy or more ports of our coasts, without any previous notice to neutral comcommerce; seizing all Chilian property within reach of his guns, and jesting at all positive law of the public right of nations, as has been made evident by the unanimous protests of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps accredited to the Republic.

Thus it has been not events, but characters, not the offences of one nation against another, but the isolated acts of individuals, not mutual advantage nor the demands of the law of nations, but the personal defects of the emissaries of Spain, which have brought about this sad conflict, whose consequences it is given to none to foresee. The weakness of Mr. Tavira in getting up accusations destitute of all foundation, and the violence of Admiral Pareja in aggravating them by unjustifiable acts-in them you have the only cause of this war of individuals, of imperfect organizations, of inconsiderate elections on the part of the Spanish Government, so far, unfortunately for her, from the theater of events, and consequently incapable of comprehending their true character.

And it is necessary, sir, that you should understand that I speak here under the hypothesis, honorable and rational, that all Spain seeks in Chili is reparation for an imaginary grievance, and that such a claim may have been made in the most complete good faith.

I ought to declare to you, with the moderation which I

have tried not to lose for a single instant throughout this communication, that if unfortunately, Spain should cherish views with regard to our moral and forced submission to her influence, or of aggression upon our territory, or of isolated pretensions or in combination with other European powers, whichever they may be, and which have a tendency to alter in the least our institutions, Spain and her allies would have but one thing to hope for, now and always, from all Chileans-war, unceasing war, until the entire Republic were a mountain of ruin and her people en masse an immense cemetery.

Judge these events dispassionately, Mr. Editor, bringing to bear the public documents which refer to them, and this brief review of the private, or, if you will, mysterious part of them, and putting your. hand upon your heartthe heart of a loyal and honorable Spaniard-declare if there is any cause, pretext or excuse whatever, for this war between two nations of the same origin, the same associations, and the same religion.

In the meantime, it is not for me to say what Chili will do in this contest, to which, without any desire or fault of hers, she has been provoked.

I will only permit myself, before concluding, to simply ask-having made evident the fact that this war ought not to be that it is without justification or possible excuse what is the object which Spain has in view in carrying it on?

I understand that there may be, even in this age, wars without cause or motive, and with no other foundation than the abuse of power. But although I understand that, Mr. Editor, I cannot possibly imagine the existence, in these times, of a war without an object.

What does Spain pretend? Does she covet conquests, mercantile franchises, influences, political or purely social like those which England proposes to wrest from Japan with the canon, and Spain and France united from CochinChina? No! Nothing like that has the Spanish Government in view, because in truth it would be to insult her deeply to suppose that by such means she should propose to accomplish those ends in the present stage of civilization and the law of nations. Spain, then, rendering full homage to her good faith, simply proposes the revindication of her honor and the respect of her subjects in those distant countrics.

I have already clearly shown that that honor has not been offended in the least, and that that respect to Spanish subjects has been accorded in Chili, not from fear of Spain, certainly, but from innate love towards her, to the utmost limits of the most generous hospitality.

But I am willing to admit, for a moment, that Chili was guilty of one or the other fault. Was the course pursued by Pinzon, Mazarredo and Pareja the one which ought to lead to a satisfactory solution of the difficulty-to secure the noble ends which the Cabinet of Madrid had in view? Certainly not. On the contrary, the very opposite to that which they claimed should have been the result. Facts are proving it.

Mr. Tavira, in threatening notes, asked explanations from our Government, showing, in support of his haughtiness, the mouths of the cannons of his fleet. Nevertheless, the Chilian Government, without descending from its dignity, neither in its actions nor in its language, satisfied these diplomatic exactions fully and under the faith of the Spanish Government itself, through her exacting

envoy.

These explanations cast aside as insufficient, Admiral Pareja, instead of demanding others more satisfactory, as he appears to have been authorized to do by his ostensible powers, (explanations which Chili could still have given, without injury to her honor), sent an ultimatum, which is the last word of rations before the voice of the cannon. Did she succeed thus in her object? Quite the contrary, as you well know.

Subsequently, he declared a blockade of all our ports, as a means of pressure. Has he progressed thus in his plans? The declaration of war was our reply.

And, now, what more can he do? Bombard our ports, as he vaguely insinuates in his last dispatch to the English Minister in Chili. But in case of such barbarity, would he have the right to condemn the inevitable reprisal on our part?

Will Spain send new ships? Will she send troops for disembarkation? Will she drain her treasury and her best blood in expeditions much more distant than those of Santo Domingo ? And in the meantime, Chili, who needs assistance from no one to enable her to live and fight, will maintain her ground to a man, and the object of the war will never be attained.