Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-11-12
THE TROUBLE ABOUT EGAN.
The Administration Had About
Denied to Order His Recall.


But the Premature Publication of This
Intention Caused Halt and Made the
Administration Mnd--The situation Is
Interesting.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5-The administra-
tion Is cursing roundly the premature pub
iication by its critics of the news Of the
intended recall of Patrick Egan from
Chilli. 1t has brought down upon the
President and Secretary of State torrent
OF inquiries and protests from Egan's
friends who arc bound to keep him in
office, II possible. All along the official
line the word has gone forth to deny that
there is any intention of recalling the OBJ
noxious minister. This is accompanied
with the assurance that the President has
declared that Mr., Egan has done only his
duty, and that he shall not be punished
for it.
When the inquiry is pressed: "Will not
Egan be withdrawn as soon as the present
excitement has simmered down little?"
the answer always comes; "0h of course;
It is not pretended that he will not be
called home some time but it won't be
right away" 1t is frankly admitted by
MI. Blaine that the minister has done
nothing except what he was ordered to do
by the President. But neither he nor any
one else undertakes to explain why, il
Egan has done so uncommonly well as the
whole administration agree in saying he
has, there should be any probability Of his
recall at all-now or later.
1t is not the usual way of testifying to
she efficiency and faithfuness of a public
officer to remove him; yet the very people
who are so anxious to parade the fact that
they do not intvnd to be bullied by popular
clamor into casting an inferential structure
upon the professional intriguer who repre-
gents this country in Chilli, are ready to
admit that they may have occasion to
withdraw him later.
It will be noted that the administration
bold defiance of popular clamor is always
accompanied with further remark that
there has been no official demand vet from
the Gillian government for Egan's recall.
Special emphasis is laid upon this fact, as
II it were intended to have it published as
widely as the determination of the Presi-
dent to stand by his appointee. Why is
this Is il possible that the simple-hearted
and guileless Mr.. Blaine is up to another
pne of his tricks of indirection?
Does he hope by this means to notify
Chill that, as political considerations may
prevent the administration from doing
anything to offend the Grammatical and
other societies of oonspiratiors by with.
drawing Egan Voluntarily, it might sim
plify matters to have formal demand for
his recall come from Chill. Then, under
the guise of an indignant response, we
could close up our legation at Santiago
and wait till the way seemed open for a re-
newal of relations. AT the same time tho
President could write Egan a nice little
note of commentator, and, perhaps, let
him down gently by promising him the
next equally good thing that offers.
The signs increase which point to the
fact that the Egan question-that is, the
question of the expedency Of his origina
appointment-has been sore spot between
the President and the Secretary of State al
along. Egan was originally an applicant
for the mission to Mexico. When it became
necessary to do something else with thai
place, he was shunted off upon Chill, and
was satisfied. But all the friends of Secre
tary Blaine who are in his confidence hay,
united from the beginning of the present
troubles, TO keep in full view the fact thai
the secretary is in no wise responsible fol
the appointment and shat 1t ought never tC
have been made.
The reasons they give are manifold. Fol
one, they think 1t was unwise to send Egar
where the English influence was so power
full, as it was bound to be used agans
him. For another, they say that the eccle
siastical question has played an importan
part in the whole affair, the constitutions
party being good Catholics, while Balma
ceda was hereto and Egan has had a bar
OF accommodation put upon him. Th
coincidence, they claim, has had much Il
do with Egans unpopularity in Chilli ant
has given rise to the theory that he wa:
nd-and-glove with the late dictator.
Il is probable that the administration
will hold on to Egan, outwardly, as lon
as 1t can and dares; At the same time it Il
devoutly praying that some happy chanc
will occur to enable it to get rid of hin
gracefully. The fear is not alone that tn
societies which are backing him will revol
and go over to the Democrats next year
but there are good many things about tn
Gillian imbroglio which have not We
come out, and TO which only the mniste
and his immediate superiors are knowing
and there is always danger that ma
who has been trained in Egans peculi;.
school may 'squeal' if he feels that h
has been badly treated.