The Diary of Heinrich Witt Volume 7 Edited by Ulrich Mücke LEIDEN | BOSTON Ulrich Muecke - 9789004307247 Downloaded from Brill.com10/10/2021 11:28:00AM via free access [1] Volume VII Commenced in Lima on the 27th of October 1877 by Mr. James Bryson. [2] Residence in Lima. From Friday, 20th to Tuesday, 31st of March 1868. On Friday 20th we returned to Chorrillos, but without our cook Achipe, who under the pretence of indisposition remained in Lima; a countryman of his whom he had recommended in his stead did by no means answer the purpose; perhaps he did not know how to purchase in the market place, perhaps cheated us. At all events the meals which he placed on the table were not such as we had a right to expect from the money we gave him, thus my poor wife was always in hot water, not on her own account, nor on mine, because we were both indifferent about our eating and drinking, but our son Juan was rather particular; also Melchor Velarde and Arthur Heeren came now and then uninvited, and then the mere idea that the dishes might not be to their liking sufficed to put my dear Mariquita momentarily out of humour. The price of provisions was certainly rising in an extraordinary manner, for all such as could, and had the means, came to this place flying from the yellow fever which was committing havoc in Callao, and had shown itself in Lima. Except Sundays and holidays I went to town every day. In the train the yellow fever was the topic of conversation. In Lima I attended to my usual occupations, and one morning I ventured to ascend San Cristoval, though violent exercise was at the time strictly prohibited by medical men. In the course of these, as well as the preceding days, the Municipality of Lima was beleagured by great numbers of the lowest classes of the Lima population, all eager to obtain their certificates of citizenship – Cartas de Ciudadania. They were the men of the day, they were the effective members of the clubs, they paraded the streets with military music and banners displayed; they, each paid from four to twelve rials a day, called “el Pueblo Soberano”, were the main voters, the principal electors, and decided the fate of the country! The last steamer brought the news of Earl Derby’s resign [. .] of bad health, and Mr. Disraeli had by order [. .] [3] taken his place. In the United States things looked queer. On the 21st of February President Johnson ordered Mr. Stanton, Minister of War, to give up the War Department to General Thomas who occupied an inferior situation in the same department. Stanton refused to obey, and ordered Thomas to go to his post and to do his duty as © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, ���6 | doi ��.��63/9789004307�47_00� This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the prevailing CC-BY-NC License at the time of publication. Ulrich Muecke - 9789004307247 Downloaded from Brill.com10/10/2021 11:28:00AM via free access 2 the diary of heinrich witt heretofore. This, Thomas would not, whereupon Stanton ordered his arrest. On Thomas giving bail he was immediately placed at liberty and the Supreme Court decided that he had been improperly arrested, whereupon he brought an action against Stanton, demanding $150,000 damages. Meanwhile Stanton had placed the order of the President before the House of Representatives, who being for the greater part Republicans, Ultras or Radicals, supported Stanton, and resolved that the President had made himself guilty of a violation of the Constitution; accordingly an accusation would be formed within a few days, and laid before the Senate. The American Constitution says that the President of the Republic cannot remove without the consent of the Senate, any Minister previously named by him, but Johnson said that he had not named Stanton, for Stanton was one of Lincoln’s Ministers, only tolerated him in the office, and that therefore the just mentioned article of the Constitution was literally not applicable to this case. Wednesday, 1st of April 1868. The elections began; scaffoldings were erected in the Plaza de Armas for the parish of El Sagrario, and in other open places for the four parishes: Santa Ana, San Sebastian, San Marcelo, and San Lázaro. There was some fighting between the different parties; two men they said were killed, and several wounded, but upon the whole it went off pretty quietly, and José Balta’s party generally triumphed. In Chorrillos nothing particular occurred. From Callao the man-of-war “Rimac” had come in, so that now there were five Peruvian men-of-war in the bay, which had all left Callao for fear of the epidemic. As to my family affairs we had to turn off the Chinese cook, and meanwhile our black servant woman Pet[_] had taken upon herself the kitchen department, which she manag [. .] fairly. [4] Friday, 3rd of April. After my usual bath and light breakfast I took the 9 O’clock train for Lima; on the course of the day I went to the Plaza Mayor to see how things were going on. A number of people dressed in jackets, ponchos, and the like, were ranged in files like soldiers ready to ascend the scaffolding, and to give their votes. Of decently dressed people hardly any were to be seen mixed up with this mob. By last steamer arrived from Europe Pezet’s ex-ministers P. J. Calderon and Evaristo Gomez-Sanchez who were immediately arrested, but placed in liberty after a short detention. However, the arrest of the latter, cousin of Dr. José Luis Gomez-Sanchez, Minister of Finance, had, as it was said, been the cause of this gentleman’s giving in his resignation, which was accepted. From Europe we learned that Mr. Disraeli had formed his cabinet; this was, if I am not mistaken, the first instance since the time of William Pitt that a mere commoner without a title had been Prime-Minister of England. In the United States on the 5th Ulrich Muecke - 9789004307247 Downloaded from Brill.com10/10/2021 11:28:00AM via free access Volume 7 3 and 6th of March the Senate constituted itself as Tribunal of Justice, under the Presidency of Mr. Chase, and of Mr. Nelson, the latter of the Supreme Court of Justice. On the 13th the House of Representatives was to bring in its accusation against President Johnson, and meanwhile Stanton continued Minister for War. The young King Louis II of Bavaria had died at the age of 23 whilst his grand- father Louis I, more than 80 years of age, of Lola Montes notoriety, was still alive. (The death of King Louis was a false report.) Wednesday, 8th of April. The steamer, corresponding to the French, one from St. Nazaire arrived in Callao; on board of her came Dr. Leon Dreyfus, partner of his brother Augustus, with his newly married wife – a young French lady. They, fearing the yellow fever, asked for permission to be transhipped on board of a small steamer for Chorrillos which insignificant favor was denied them by the authorities. From the United States we learned that the advocates of President Johnson had asked for forty days to prepare their defence, and only ten days had been granted them. Thursday, 9th, Holy Thursday, and Friday, 10th, Good Friday. I remained in Chorrillos [. .] knew what to do with myself; the temperature was getti[_] [5] what cooler, which change I particularly observed when bathing. Nevertheless the yellow fever was by no means on the decrease – the contrary was rather the case. Sunday, 12th of April 1868. Easter Sunday. I went to town and paid a number of necessary visits. J. J. Helguera, with whom in 1846 and 1847 I was well acquainted when he was one of the subalterns in the Treasury, and who of late had been chief treasurer, was named Minister of Finances in lieu of José Luis Gomez Sanchez. The elections were over; they had by no means been uniform. On the contrary, there had been dualidades, and even trialidades and thus at the meeting of the Colegios Electorales, there would be electors for three parties, and the majority would then have to decide which were the legitimate electors. For instance, for the Parish del Sagrario there had been three mesas, one in the Plaza de Armas, another in the Plazuela de Santo Domingo, and a third in that of San Pedro. Those who had made themselves masters of the first named were friends of General Echenique. At the second the adherents of José Balta preponderated, and at the third a party, the chief of which my original does not give, prevailed. From Monday, 13th to Friday, 24th of April. A great number of people residing in Callao and Lima were attacked by the yellow fever, and not a few fell victims to this dreadful epidemic. The “Comercio” stated that from the 1st to 7th of April there had been 122 deaths in Lima, and that on the 23rd 86 had died, whilst Ulrich Muecke - 9789004307247 Downloaded from Brill.com10/10/2021 11:28:00AM via free access 4 the diary of heinrich witt in Callao, where the population had considerably decreased by emigration, deaths had not decreased in proportion. Miraflores, El Barranco, and Chorrillos were crowded with people who came from Lima in the evening, and returned in the morning to their avocations. I was of the number, whilst Juan but seldom ventured to town. I was told by a reliable person that about this time the train between Lima and Chorrillos, and vice versa, made daily about $1000 gross.