Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1891-12-15

1neNu. 1it quite sure IlidO iiNSiteHl
Mont, who has, under circumstances of
promise for the peace of Chill. been in
stalled as president Of that republic, will
not desire that, in the unfortunate event
of any revolt against his authority, the
policy of this government should be
other than which we have recently OBJ
served. No official complaint of the
conduct of our minister or of our naval
officers during the struggle has been
presented to this government, and it is
matter of regret that so many Of our
own people should have given ear to I'M
official charges and complaints that man.
ifestly had their origin in rival interests
and in wish to pervert the relations Of
the United States with Chill.
The collapse of the government of Bal
maceda brought about condition which
is unfortunately too familiar in the his
tory Of the Central and South America
states.
With the overthrow of the Balmaceda
government. he and many of his coun-
sellers and officers became at once fugi-
tives for their lives and appealed to the
commanding officers of the foreign naval
vessels in the harbor of Valparaiso and
to the resident foreign ministers at San
tiago for asylum. This asylum was
freely given, according to my informa-
ton, by the naval vessels of several for
eign powers and by several of the lega-
tons at Santiago. The American min
lister, as well as his colleagues, acting,
under the impulses of humanity, ex-
tended asylum to political refugees.
whose lives were in peril. have not
been willing to direct the surrender of
such of these persons as are still III the
American legation without suitable I'M
derstandings. 1t is believed that the
government of Chill, is not in position,
in view of the precedents in which it
has been connected, to broadly deny the
right of asylum, and the correspondence
has not thus far presented any such
denial. The treatment Of our minister
for time was such as to call for de-
cided protest, and it was very gratifying
to observe that unfriendly measures,
which were undoubtedly the result Of
the prevailing excitement, were at once
rescinded, or suitably relaxed.
The Valparaiso Assault.
On the 10th of October an event oc-
Cured in Valparaiso. so serious and
Iii llS vi CulliSudHCOo ctllti ICoulUo,
as to very Justly excite the Indignation
of our people, and to call for prompt
and decided action on the part OF this
government A considerable number OF
the sailors Of the United States steamer
Baltimore, then in the harbOr of Valpar-
also, being upon shore-leave, and I'M
armed, were assaulted by armed men
nearly simultaneously in different To-
calities in the city. One petty officer
was killed outright and seven or eight
seamen were seriously wounded, one of
whom has since died. So savage and
brutal was the assault that several Of
our sailors received more than two, and
one as many as eight stab wounds. An
investigation of the affair was promptly
made by board of officers of the Balti-
more and their report shows that these
assaults were unprovoked. that our men
were conducting themselves in peacea-
BILE and orderly manner, and that some
of the police of the city took part in the
assault and used their weapons with fatal
effect, while a few others with some
we'll disposed citizens, endeavored to
protect our men. Thirty-six of our sally
Ors were arrested and some of them,
while being taken to prison, were cru
ely beaten and maltreated, The fact
that they were all discharged, no Grim
inal charge being lodged against any of
them. shows very clearly that they were
innocent of any breach Of the peace.
So far as have yet been able to learn
no other explanation of this bloody work
has been suggested than that it had its
origin in hostility to those men as sailors
of the United States, wearing the uni
form of their government and not in
any individual act or personal animosity.
The attention of the Gillian govern
ment was at once called to this affair,