The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-10-31
The ChIlIan Reply.

1t is alleged that some of the phrases used
by the Gillian government In its reply to the
representations of Minister Egan In regard
60 the Valparaiso outrage are identical with
some expressions In Secretary Blaine's letter
to the Italian government after the New
Orleans lynchiBg. That may not prove to
be the fact but 1t is very certain that in SUBJ
stance the two replies are very much alike
In the ground taken. 1t will be remembered
that the Italian government first demanded
the punishment of the murderers,' but
subsequently modified 1t to a demand for their
prosecution. To the demand In its first form
the State department replied that our gov
eminent could not guarantee the punish
ment OF the alleged murderers even IL it had
jurisdiction over the case, inasmuch as it
could not know that they would be con-
vlcted. To the demand In its modified form
Secretary Blaine replied that If the Federal
courts had jurisdiction the evidence in the
case would be presented TO the grand Jury.
but IT, as seemed most probable, the affair
was exclusively in the jurisdiction of the
State of Louisiana. then the Federal
government could do nothing about
it. The reply of the Gillian gov
eminent is not very different from this
1t says that the Valparaiso affair is being
investigated by the Gillian tribunals accord
ing to the laws of that country. That in SUBJ
stance is saying that the evidence has been
laid before the Gillian courts, as Mr.. Blaine
promised 1t should be laid before the Fed
eral courts If they had jurisdiction. In fact
the Chilians give US rather more satisfaction
than we gave Italy. Our government said 1t
would have a judicial investigation of the
New Orleans lynching II 1t could, intimat-
ing at the time that the power was question
able. The Chilians say that an investigation
10 -nrogress. We really gave Italy no
positive assur~--- whateyer that the New
Orleans case would ever De- 1oaic,ou, ;nvos
tIQated. The Chiii---s- assuiS
-.paraIso case Is being investigator .ne
iact is the offensiveness of the Gillian repl,
lies rather In its general tone than in an,
specihc statement contained in it.
out tne assumption OF that tone, which il
Enthusiastically one of insolence. is not attribn.
tapie, we are inclined to think, to deliber.
ave purpose to bring on conflict with the
united States. The Spanish-Americans tn
the south Of us are naturally a humn,ions
people given to swagger, and the heads of
the Onllian 1unta have been swelled beyond
tneir natural size, which is pretty large. bv
reason OIL their recent Victory over Balma-
ceds. Furthermore the government has To
snow good deal of Difference 10 the FEELING
OF the populace, which just now happens 70
De one OF Intense hatred to the United States
Ior the penalty OF serious disagreement he
tween South American COVE rnment and
It's constituents is the prompt overthrow of
the former, accompanied very likely with
personal violence. The appearance of back
ing down before the Santiago populace
would be likely to subject the junta
70 tne treatment that our sailors re-
celved or even worse. 1t is diff.
cult Tor Americans who live in a country
wnere the people are law-abIding and where
IL never occurss to anybody to attempt To
overthrow or punish the government excent
through the ballot box, to comprehend the
uanger to which a South American povern-
ment exposes itself when 1t runs counter to
.ne feelings OF the populace. Had South
american government surrendered the
emissaries of nation with which they
were at war, under the circumstances
that we surrendered Mason and Slidell. IL is
probable that 1t would have been over
thrown In twenty-four hours. Our people
sustained the surrender because distasteful
Enough 1t was their sober thought told them
y was the right thing In the average
oouth American populace sober thought. If
u comes at all, does not come until after the
mischief has been done. The Spanish
American is very explosive.