American residents to Kilpatrick , Envoy Extraordinary and, March 27, 1866

American residents to Mr. Kilpatrick.

Sir: We, the undersigned American residents in this city, respectfully beg leave to represent that, in consequence of the rumors prevalent and information obtained from Europe that the commander-in-chief of the forces of her Catholic Majesty intends to bombard and lay waste this city and all towns upon the coast of Chili, are under the serious apprehension that the lives of ourselves and families, as well as our property, are in imminent danger.

We fail to comprehend how in this country such instructions, so destructive to the interests of progress and humanity, could have been issued by the Spanish cabinet.

When we consider that it has required a period of about thirty years to raise the majority of these towns on the coast from insignificant hamlets to their present importance, mainly through foreign influence and capital, we cannot look upon their wanton annihilation, irrespective of our great pecuniary interests, without the most painful feelings, not failing to bring complete ruin upon thousands of neutrals as well as defenceless women and children.

We avail ourselves of this occasion to inform you that, in our opinion, even a partial bombardment of this city, though limited to the bonded warehouses and other public buildings, would result in incalculable loss both of the lives and property of neutrals, as such would probably lead to an extensive conflagration, without available means at hand to extinguish the same. The bonded warehouses alone contain merchandise to the value of fifteen to twenty millions of dollars, exclusively the property of neutrals.

In view of the manifestations of the government of her Catholic Majesty, through their commander-in-chief, that this war upon Chili is not for the purpose of conquest, and being convinced that there is not on these waters at this time a sufficient Spanish force able to be landed, subsequently to the bombardment, for any other purpose than to commit overt acts of pillage and murder upon the defenceless inhabitants, we cannot regard it as else than illegal, reminding us forcibly of the buccaneering expeditions of a former age; and, as it appears to us, this ought not to be recognized as authorized by the present mode of warfare between civilized nations.

We, therefore, citizens of the United States of America, of which you are the empowered representative, knowing that our government has ever been active in watching and forwarding the progress of industry and civilization, cannot permit ourselves to believe for one moment that the forces of two civilized countries now here will quietly remain as mere spectators of such an atrocious act as the bombardment of this defenceless city.

Relying upon your good offices in our behalf, we have no hesitation in expressing our honest conviction that, whether you act with the co-operation of the British squadron or independent of the same in preventing such a calamitous event, your proceedings will meet with the cordial approval of the civilized world.

We would take this opportunity of assuring you of our warm personal appreciation of the valuable services already rendered by you in your earnest, though fruitless, endeavors to effect an amicable arrangement, honorable to all parties interested, and, with your permission, would feel highly gratified to forward to the Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States of America, a copy of this representation.

We remain, sir, very respectfully and truly, your most obedient servants and countrymen,