José Manuel Pareja to The Most Excellent, October 20, 1865

Admiral Pareja to Mr. Nelson.

The undersigned, commander-in-chief of the Spanish squadron in the Pacific, and minister plenipotentiary of her Catholic Majesty, has received the note which the diplomatic corps, resident in Santiago, has been pleased to address him through their dean.

Before entering into a reply thereto, it is a duty as grateful as honorable for the undersigned to express, in the name of his government, to the public ministers who sign it his profound gratitude for their good offices in endeavoring to terminate the hostilities between Spain and Chili; hostilities which naturally cause grave prejudices to foreign commerce, which no one deplores more deeply than the undersigned, and which he will always endeavor, as he has up to the present time, to alleviate in so far as it is possible for him to do so.

The diplomatic corps, resident in Santiago, proposes to the undersigned an arbitration to be preceded by an armistice, founded upon the hypothesis, that questions of honor between two nations, such as that of Spain and Chili, may be submitted, and generally are submitted, to an arbiter. A like proposition, says the diplomatic corps, has been addressed by it, under the same date, to the government of Chili.

The undersigned, while respecting the opinion which serves as a basis to the proposition, regrets that he must dissent completely therefrom, for he believes that the nation which has been insulted, which has received offences of the character of those committed by Chili against Spain, cannot under any circumstances, without compromising her honor, without sullying her dignity, cease to be her own judge—cease to protect and vindicate for herself both; no matter how very worthy, as in the present instance, may be the representatives of friendly nations, who, animated by the laudable desire of putting an end to the evils which war always brings with it, propose to submit the decision to their impartial judgment.

The undersigned does not hesitate to cite in confirmation of his opinion the diplomatic history of all nations, feeling assured that in analogous cases all have acted in accordance with this principle; and that no other can exist for governments which, like that of Spain, have the mission of always leaving in the most honorable position the name of a great country.

The undersigned viewing the base of the proposition which the diplomatic corps resident in Santiago has been pleased to address him in a different manner—nor being permitted to do otherwise by the instructions of his government, his regret in not being able to accept that proposition is likewise natural, founding (his declination) in that the nature of the offences committed against Spain by Chili might, perhaps, have admitted arbitration before arriving at a rupture, but hostilities once commenced, that is to say, a country having once undertaken to defend its honor, it is not allowable for its chiefs to transfer this sacred right to another, without, for this reason, ceasing to appreciate at their full value and to feel grateful for the good offices tendered with that object.

There exists, moreover, in the case of Spain and Chili, the fact that the government of her Catholic Majesty, even before the occurrence of a rupture between both countries, considered it a duty not to accept the mediation of a friend as sincere as respected; and this circumstance, as the public ministers to whom he has the honor to address himself will comprehend, is also of the greatest weight in impeding the undersigned to accept their own—above all, now that hostilities have begun, for which reason the undersigned, to his great regret, feels compelled to decline that of another friend, as sincere and worthy of respect as the foregoing.

Notwithstanding all the foregoing, and the conditions which, as amends to its honor, the government of Spain demands from that of Chili, being, as they are known to the diplomatic corps resident in Santiago, conditions which the former has distinctly pointed out to Chili, the undersigned, desirous of avoiding greater injuries to neutral interests, will have no objection to negotiate, starting from these indeclinable conditions.

Such a demand in the present instance does not involve on the part of Spain any humiliation whatever for Chili; a humiliation which Spain would never ask; since not only would it be contrary to the principle of predominance of right over might, but its very suggestion would be sufficient to invalidate the right which Spain possesses to require of Chili adequate satisfaction for the offences she has committed towards her. Such satisfactions have never resulted, the history of all nations so informs us, in sullying the good name of a country; but, on the contrary, such concession on the part of the offender has served to leave its name honorably placed; since it demonstrates that it knows how to put aside all other considerations to render tribute to justice, the legitimate and ever noble regulator of the relations between peoples.

The undersigned avails himself with pleasure of this new occasion which permits him to present to the foreign public ministers resident in Santiago, and particularly to their honorable dean, the sentiments of his most distinguished consideration.