Clapp to To His Excellency Dr. Tejedor, March 20, 1872

No. 18. Mr. Clapp to Mr. Hunter.

Sir: I have the honor to inclose a copy of the translation of correspondence of Mr. H. G. McDonell, Her Britannic. Majesty’s chargé d’affaires to the Argentine Republic, with Dr. Tejedor, minister of foreign affairs, on the subject of outrages committed on English citizens residing in this republic.

The massacre of foreigners at Tandil, which was the principal occasion of the correspondence, was an occurrence of the most startling nature. On New Year’s day about five hundred gauchos, headed by a religious fanatic, entered the village and commenced an indiscriminate slaughter of foreigners. Thirty-six were killed and others wounded. The mob then started in the direction of Buenos Ayres, committing similar outrages on their way. They were finally overtaken and dispersed by a small body of troops, and several were taken prisoners. As far as I can learn, no sentence of punishment has been executed on any of these criminals.

* * * * * *

I also inclose a translation of correspondence between Mr. Frank Parish, Her Britannic Majesty’s consul, and Dr. Don Antonio Malaver, secretary of the provincial government of Buenos Ayres, treating of the same subject, in which Governor Castro declines to furnish the consul with any information, and denies the right of the consul to address the Provincial government at all on the subject, and inferentially denies his right to act in any manner to protect the lives and property of English subjects residing in the province. It also appears that the answer to the note of Mr. Parish was delayed for nearly two months. Jam happy to report that, to the best of my knowledge, no American citizens have recently suffered, either in the massacre at Tandil, or in any of the other robberies or murders that are of so frequent occurrence.

I am, &c,

The Tandil Massacre.

Notes between the British legation and the national government

The Boletin Oficial of yesterday publishes the subjoined notes on this painful question; the reply of the minister of foreign affairs to Mr. McDonell will cause a mixed feeling of astonishment and indignation among all classes of English residents:

British Legation, Buenos Ayres, January 13, 1872.

Mr. Minister: In the interview that I had yesterday with your excellency, I thought it my duty to advise you of the contents of two petitions addressed to me, one from the English residents of Tandil and Azul, referring to the insecurity of their lives by reason of the recent assassinations in that neighborhood; the other signed by English subjects settled at Bahia Blanca, making just complaint of the Indian invasions thereabout, owing to the unguarded state of the frontier.

The tenor of your reply on this subject manifestly indicated that your excellency did not consider the circumstances warranted any diplomatic intervention in favor of the petitioners, and moreover that, in case they had addressed themselves to the national government in doc form and through the local authorities, your excellency did not judge it compatible with the dignity of government to admit that foreigners settled in the republic should arrogate to themselves the right to question the acts of the government upon points of internal administration, either indirectly or by means of their representatives.

The instructions which Her Majesty’s secretary of state for foreign affairs has at various times thought fit to give me, to represent to the government of your excellency the necessity of adopting some means for the better protecting the lives and properties of Her Majesty’s subjects in the republic, at once led me to infer that the opinion of Her Majesty’s government differed so essentially from your excellency’s views that I considered it useless to insist further upon this point with your excellency.

My object in communicating verbally to your excellency the contents of the petitions in question was to convince your excellency, if possible, of the justice of the cause that I sought to defend, and thus avoid a possibly vexatious correspondence upon a matter in which your excellency’s opinion seemed entirely opposed to that of Her Majesty’s government, laying down the principle that a foreign agent has no right to interpose with your excellency’s government in favor of the life and property of his countrymen who are unduly exposed, owing to the admittedly unprotected state of the frontier, or to the numerous criminals and malefactors who are allowed to go about unmolested and with impunity through the country.

Wishing, nevertheless, to inform in proper manner Her Majesty’s government respecting the late sad occurrences, which have occasioned grave loss of life and property to English subjects in various parts of the republic; and being, moreover, anxious to explain the want of success which has attended my interposition with the Argentine government for the better protection of my countrymen, I feel it now my duty to place in your excellency’s hands translations of the above-mentioned petitions, hoping that your excellency’s reply to this communication may enable Her Majesty’s government to form an exact judgment of the limits to which, in your excellency’s opinion, the right of any British subject may extend to demand relief and protection, and which Her Majesty’s government may think tit to accord.

Trusting that your excellency wall receive this communication in the same friendly spirit in which it is conceived, I avail myself of this occasion to repeat the assurances of my esteem.