New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-21
Mr.. EGAN IN CHILL,
tIIS JUDICIoUS CONDUCT DURING THE
REVOLUTION.
VHE INFLUENCE OF THE AMERICAN LEGATION
FOR PEACE-AN IMPARTIAL ASYLUM FOR
poIIrCAL REFUGEEs.


FOR PEAcE-AN IMPARTIAL ASYLUM FOR
poIITcAL REFUGEEs,
TO the Edftor OF The Tribune
Sir: Having recently arrived here from Chh'
and finding current various charges against
Mr. Egan the United States Minister III Chhi'
i beg you will grant me space not 80
much to defend him as TO do him Justice ana
to dispel allegations derogatory TO the ughrS
Of diplomat Personally have no reason 10 V'hc
up the cudgels for MIR. Egan. l am an Engllshman
and Conservative But as an Englishman en-
ioy fair play. and so cannot pass by unnouceu
those unwarranted and even malicious attacks upon
q man who, however opposed his political opinions
may be 20 nv own has done his duty as MIL
lister. When il was announced that Mr.. Egan was
TO be appointed United States Minister to Chh
opposed him strongly in the CHILEAN press "heh
he arrived in that country urged ,he "o'ein
ment of Chilli not to receive him. interviewed
him personally at Valparaiso, and aiterwaru
called upon him, three distinct OCCASIONS,
LA Union" newspaper, TO JUSTIFY hiiilseii Ies"i"
ing certain allegations; and again earnestly re-
ouested the Gillian Government not 10 receive MN
as United States Minister. Mr.. Egan did not an
swer my articles and shortly afterwafd he was re-
ceiyed as the representative OF the Unlteo STATES
No doubt there was from the very beginning
certain prejudice against Mr.. Egan among MS
colleagues of the Foreign Diplomatic Corps in Chill
Little by little this wore off soon as the differ
ent Ministers were brought into personal contact
with him And it must be confessed that he soon
inqratiated himself very much with the Chlans
themselves Mr.. Egsn is an authority on all mat
ters relating TO corn, wheat and flour, and believe
is exceedingly well up in -four mills and all matters
connected with that important branch Oh Chllah
industry Every one who has lived on the west
coast of South America knows perfectly well the
high position Gillian -four holds in the markets
Before Mr.. Egan had been long in Chill, had
great pleasure in recording in the press several
of his suggestions about improvements In hour-
mills hints about more modern machinery. ETC. Inc
National Agricultural Society of Santiago also
urinted some very valuable hints made by MI
Egan, which were accepted by many of the primer
pal flour-miIl owners in Chilli He also made HIM
velf known to the Chilians through much lmPor'@hO
data on agricultural matters.
When the Gillian revolution broke out the
American Legation harbored many of the leading
members of the Gillian opposition, and it is need
less TO say the treatment they received at the HANDS
of Mr.. Egan was all that could be expected under
these most difficult circumstances. The most
notable case in which Mr.. Egan, together with
the Brazilian and French Ministers. rendered in
valuable services TO the gentlemen concerned was
during the peace negotiations in Aprn ana May
of this year. 1t may here also be stated that
Mr. Egan did his utmost even before thU
time to bring about peaceful settenehl
of the trouble in Chilli. Of this had
the pleasure of personally convincing myself
for in private conversation with MT
Egan. sounded him on the subject, and he eX-
pressed to me his greatest willingness to intervene
In the matter if the proper advances usual III
these negotiations were made 10 him by the partes
concerned. / remember Mr.. Egans concluding
remarks in this particular circumstance What
= pity it is that this trouble in Chilli cannot be
settled through amicable intervention OF the neu-
trail powers For my part l assure you that
should consider myself proud of having contrib
uteA both in my private and public capacity toward
q settlement of the dispute between Balmaceda
and Congress 1t is indeed much to be regretted
that this fine country should have to suffer mate
riallv in a dispute which we all consider as being
susceptible to an amicable arrangement proposed
and conducted in q proper manner. The sooner III
can be done the better and if my peOr services can
be of any use they shall be willingly given when
properly asked for. In so acting l shall only
be doing my duty to my country and showing my
gratitude for the hospitality l have received In
Chilli
These were Mr.. Egan's words. No observation
PASSED his lips as to which party was IN the rlght
or in the wrong. and the only sentiment that per-
vaded his remarks WIS that of regret over what the
country was suffering in consequence OF this I'M
fortunate struggle.
When the peace negotiations TO which nave
alluded above were initiated through the media
ton of Messrs Egan, Lafrance and Barros Caval-
canti representing the United States, France ana
BRAZIL respectively, the two last named gentlemen
init 10 t.gan
whom the opposition had charged with these
negotiations were Senores Pedro MOntt to-day
CHILEAN Minister at Washington, Eulogio Altami-
rapo. and Carlos Walker Martinez. 1t is for these
gentlemen TO say how they were treated by Mr..
E0ap and his colleagues under the trying circunl-
stances of these most difficult peace negotiations
Even if it had been merely medatng between Bal
maeeda and Congress, the work OF MI E9ah anu
the other diplomatic representatives would have
been arduous enough. But TO make matters worse,
something occurred which showed how competent
Mr. Egan was for the post he had been appointed
to-, and how by his energy, shrewdness and tact
he avoided serious complications for Balmaceda,
and at the same time saved the lives of Atamirano,
Walker Martinez and Mont. During the time
these peace negotiations were going on two bombs
were thrown at Balmaceda's Ministers as they were
leaving Congress Ths effect of this was ID en-
bitter more than ever the feeling of the Govern
ment towards the opposition, and to such an extent
that serious complications threatened. The
Same evening the bombs had been thrown, Messrs.
Eran, Barros Cavalcant and Lafrance were sum
moned to the Presidents palace in Santiago. On
their arrival they were usbered INTO the presence
Of Don Domingo Godoy, Minister for Foreign
Affairs, aud were notified that the safe-conducts
they had granted to Messrs. Altamirano Mont shd
Walker Martinez were null and void, as the thew-
ing of bombs must have been done with
the connivance Of these gentlemen. Mr. EgaI
here protested in measured terms, and NJ. Lafrance
declared he would hold the Gillian Government