Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 May 1882 — THE PERUVIAN AFFAIR. [ARTICLE]

THE PERUVIAN AFFAIR.

The examination of Senator Blair by the Foreign Affairs Committee on the 6th inst. consisted largely of the reading of statistics from the “Statesman's Year Book” and ** Spofford’s Almanac " as to the condition and population of Pern and Chili, and catechising Mr. Blair with regard to them. Witness thought there could be no doubt but that English influence predominated commercially in South America, and that Chili holds commercial relations almost exclusively with European nations, particularly with England, from whom she has received substantial financial aid. Witness stated that Shipherd placed the amount of their claim at $135,000,000, and that of Cochet at $1,000,000,000. It was always clear to him (witness) that they would get a great amount of it. Shipherd indicated a readiness to take in settlement from Peru whatever might seem fair. In the Peruvian Company investigation at Washington, on the Bth inst, Senator Blair acknowledged he had accepted SIOO,OOO worth of Shipherd’s stock, bat had not been influenced by mere money considerations. He saw Pern “ the under dog,” and bis sympathies were enlisted in her behalf. This closed the investigation, except so far as the sub-com-mittee is concerned. The sub-committee of the Peruvian investigation began ita sittings in New York on the 10th inst., and opened business by taking the evidence of Robert Randall, who lay sick in a hotel. His testimony threw no new light upon the affair under inquiry. John G. Saxb, the poet, who is so afflicted mentally in his old age, has a competency which Was greatly increased some years ago by a fortunate speculation m Texas cattle-raising with his brother, Beter Saxe. The poet furnished some of the oapital, and his brother went to Texas to attend to the ranche. “My brother John,” Peter said some years ago, “ has made more money out of cattle in one year than he has made out of writing poetry in twenty years.”