William A. Pile to Antonio Blanco, June 11, 1873

Mr. Pile to Mr. Blanco.

Sir: The note of your excellency, dated the 9th instant, has been received and considered with careful and respectful attention. The correctness of the doctrine announced therein, “that the messages, reports, and memorials, and other documents of exclusive communication between the jurisdictional powers of a nation, are of its exclusive competencia, is not denied, but I am unable to perceive that there is anything in my note of the 4th instant that in the slightest manner infringes upon this doctrine.

No question was raised, suggested, or entertained as to the character or propriety of the message. That is a matter of the “exclusive competency” of His Excellency the President of the republic.

But, as your excellency doubtless very well understands, where there is subsequent and “correlative” action or “events” affecting the international relations of a government, these public documents become a legitimate and important subject of consideration, not for the purpose of inquisicion estrana, but as proper sources of information in determining the nature and character of the governmental action which they may have produced or influenced.

The correctness of this doctrine is fully recognized in the message to which these notes refer, and it was in this sense alone that I considered it my duty to translate and transmit it to my Government, and this alone was the motive of my respectful request as to the correctness of the copy referred to, so courteously complied with by your excellency in your note dated June 6, and for which my acknowledgments are respectfully made. The representative of a people that publish more than live thousand independent newspapers and magazines need not be informed that such publications are not subject “á inquisicion ni reclamacion diplomatica.” I have neither made nor thought of making any diplomatic reclamation as to such publications.

In relation to this matter, however, it may be remarked that the practice of transmitting such publications by diplomatic agents to their governments, not as matter of reclamation but as sources of information as to the feelings and convictions of the peoples and nations where they are published, is quite general, and sanctioned by the usages of modern diplomacy.

I hope your excellency will perceive in these declarations an equal desire with that you are pleased to manifest to avoid all causes of misunderstanding or “dualidad de intelligencia” in the cultivation of the reciprocal friendship of both countries.

I have the pleasure to offer to your excellency the assurances of my high consideration.