The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-14

paradise. 1t will take overwhelming evil
dence to convince the American people that
ono Of their most respected naval officers is
capable OF saying tho thing that is not.
We come now to Minister EaAN's assertion
Of the right OF asylum. against which the
successful insurgents have protested with
such vehemence II lie true that some sup
porters OF BALMACEDA. less than q
score in number. have sought refuge
In the United States Legation. aud
that our Minister has refused to surren-
der them to the vengeance Of their enc
mics. The Chiian newspapers which de-
nounce him overlook the fact brought out
by one Of our correspondents that. while
the war was In progress, Mr.. EGAN saved
tho lives Of over eighty members Of the
volutionary party by giving them asylum
ut the Legation. He was also instrumental
In assisting number OF tho sympathizers
with the insurgents to escape to neutral ter
ritory. andhe established the United States
Consulate Mt Valparaiso in the house of a
prominent revolutionist. for the express pur-
pose Of protecting the property OF that
person aud the lives Of the members Of his
family. Another interesting fact is noted.
that at the very time when adherents OF
the Congress party were sheltered at the
American Legation an asylum was refused
TO them by the Ministers Of other foreign
countries. and particularly by the Minister
from Great Britain.
Thanks to The SUNS correspondent. we
now know Just what basis there is for the
charge that Mr.. EGAN made improper con-
tracts with the BALsiACEDA Government.
II gems thnt in the eyes Of English resi-
dents in Valparaiso he was guilty Of the
dire offence OF trying to shake tho British
monopoly OF Chih's trade. He endeavored.
for instance. to bring about the establish
ment OF an American steamship line on the
west coast OF South America. and he was
also instrumental in procuring tho extern
sion of an American cable line to Valparaiso.
Hn further made no secret Of his wish
to prevail ON the Chilian Govern
ment to offer inducements to American
capital to become interested in tho
valuable nitrate fields. which are at present
controlled almost exclusively by the Eng
fish. These measures. nvowedly taken for
the purpose OF advancing the interests OF
American citizens. naturally gave umbrage
to the English residents, who have come to
look upon Chill as n sort Of commercial de-
tendency Of Great Britain. As to the
charge that Mr.. EaAN favored BALMACEDA,
we should bear in mind that he was accred-
tied to tho Chillan executive. and that II
our State Department had desired him to
recognize the revolutionists. he would have
been instructed to that effect. We observe.
finally. that at the date. Sept. 80. when our
correspondents wrote. it was news In Chilli
that Mr.. EGAN had made himself SO objec-
tionable to the Junta that his removal would
be demanded. The provisional Government
had then been in power nearly two months.
yet. although there was undoubtedly a
strong popular feeling against Americans
in general. there had never been the slight
est intimation from an official source that
Mr.. EGAN's recall was to be asked for.
The truth about Chill seems to be that we
have never given any cause for the hostility
which found vent In the outrageous attack
on the seamen OF the cruiser Baltimore. and
that the feeling Of animosity is largely
fomented by Englishmen who dread Amer
lean encroachments on their commercial
mononolv ~.