Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-27
"Now YOU sRE ME, NOW YOU DON'T"

The tenor of the dispatches from Wash
ington about the Chilean situation is al
together of peaceful character. Either
we are shamefully deceived by the re-
ports that have reached us in the past
few days from Chile, or the government
at Washington: which sends out these
pacific dispatches, is disregardful of the
dignity of the nation and the attitude
that ought to be assumed towards q
country that so grossly insults US, and a
people who seem to glory in treating
Americans in their midst with outrage
and contumely.
We are now told that there is nothing
whatever in the reports about sending a
feet to Valparaiso, and that there is no
truth in the statements that the govern
ment was taking steps to ascertain the
extent of transportation facilities this
coast could afford for carrying troops
to Chile. There is a tremendous amount
of lying going on in this connection, or
the jngo policy is cooling off in the
presence OF an actual crisis. 1t is diff
cult to know where the bottom of the
we'll is. We cannot doubt that our
sailors were maltreated and murdered
in the streets of Valparaiso nor can
we hesitate to believe that the
camera investigation of Judge Forster
was conducted with view to throw the
blame of this affair upon the sailors OF
the Baltimore. Neither can we doubt
that there is a great preponderance OF
truth in the affidavit made by Patrick
Shields, one of the crew of an American
merchant steamer, who was so shame
fully and cruelty used by the Valparaiso
police. Ii we may rely upon the truth
of any or all of these reports and affi-
davits, then the conclusion is
inevitable that Valparaiso is a
place where every nationality ex-
eepting Americans can land in safety
and appeal to the authorities for justice
terms OF amity with such country,
without compelling it to make repara-
tion for past wrongs and give us suffi
cient guarantee for future safety, then
have we indeed fallen from our high
estate, and will deserve the contempt,
which we manifestly have, of Chile, as
we'll as of all other nations.
When we are officially told that there
have been no steps taken to send feet
to Valparaiso strong enough to make an
effective demonstration, we ask why
not? Surely the reasons for seriously
calling Chile to q strict account are
ample. No other power would have
hesitated, under similar circumstances,
to have made herself felt before this.
Great Britain, had her sailors been mall
Valparaiso, as ours were, would have |
been instant in her vengeance. She |
would have demanded explanation and
reparation but it would have been
behind cannon that would have given
tremendous force and effect to her de-
mand. Her war vessels would not have
been scattered and sent to San Francisco
and China whilst such a crisis was upon
her; but they would have been left in
the offending port and supplemented by
others as rapidly as they could have
been concentrated at the point where
they were so sorely needed. We
shall be. greatly mistaken if con-
gress fails to instantly take
hand in this affair and pass judgment
upon the bungling and spiritless course
the administration has pursued. There
Is surely enough patriotism in that
body to redeem the nation from a
lerveless and halting diplomacy which {
Iavors more OF the cringing policy of an {
Inferior to a superior, than that of a {
.reat and powerful nation toward one
hat has shown that it has no respect
or either justice or humanity. We
night, offs course, make allowances
or the fact that Chile is email
nd insignificant power when compared