Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-13

porters of the present Government refuse tt
credit his statement Evidence of the i'll
feelings toward America occur constantly
and there 10 little doubt that foreign resi-.
dents in Valparaiso assist in tanning the
flame.
why Balmaceda Committed Suicide.
There was no apparent indication week
| or two ago that the ill-feeling In Chile
against America is subsiding. Until re.
Gently this ill-feeIing found an expression
| only in the attacks of the press and the
| public against the United States represent
atives here, but the orders which were is
sued last week to arrest all persons entering
and leaving the American Legation in San
tiago, indicated that the officials who repre-
| sent the present provisional Government in
Chile shared in the general feeling.
1t is believed similar plan was resorted
to in the case of the Argentine Minister, at
whose house Balmaceda was sheltered. The
claim is that he became alarmed and tried
| to induce Balmaceda to escape, and that the
latter tool his life rather than subject the
Minister to any further responsibility in
giving him an asylum.
Minister Egan entered a strong protest
against the arrests, and the order was re-
voked after it had been in force several
days. Spies however, continued to watch
the legation. Several persons were ar
rested under this order, including some
servants in Minister Egan's household and
a prominent American citizen residing in
Santiago. They were released when the au-
thorities were satisfied that they were not
refugees
The Right of Consular Asylum.
The feeling against America found ex-
preston here recently in a way that led to
considerable correspondence between United
States Minister Egan and the officers of the
provisional Government. Just after the
victory of the Congressional forces num-
Der of Chilean supporters of Balmaceda
sought refuge at the United States Legation
here. Among them were some Of the most
prominent members of Balmaceda's party.
The revolutionary authorities since they
came into power have used every means to
obtain possession of these refugees. They
first demanded their surrender, but Minister
Egan informed them that the United States
had never vet refused an asylum to polit-
icaI refugee, and that he would not sur
render the men.
They then requested that some intimation
be given the refugees by outside sources that
their presence at the legation was undesir-
able and was liable to place the legation in
bad repute with the party in power. Mr..
Nan's reply was that that was mot the
Yankee style of doing things" Revo-
lutionists were sheltered at the American
Legation at time when they were refused
asylum by the Ministers OF other foreign
countries.
British Interests Caused the War.
There is little doubt that the primary
cause of the revolution was the fact that the
English interests in the nitrate properties
in the north of Chile were threatened by
Balmaceda Numerous instances were de-
yeloped during the war in which valuable
assistance was given the revolutionists by
English representatives in Chile, and it Is
also a fact that the English residents of
Chile are now the strongest in their denun-
citation of the Americans and in the mis-
representations of the conduct of American
officials here.
Conservative Chileans state that the pres
ent feeling will not continue, and that the
commercial relations with the United
States will not be affected after sufficient
time has elapsed to allow the present
trouble to be forgotten. It. is difficult to
obtain an expression of opinion in re-
gard to the matter from persons in official
positions, though several of them have ex-
pressed conservative view Of the situa-
tion.
meIlOUs Oh IeCOHstFuctiOu oic
in accordance with the strictest ideas Of
peace.
Prosecuting Balmaceda's Supporters.
Between 1000 and 5000 persons who
were supporters of Balmaceda are now in
prison awaiting trial, and there are more
than 10, OO0 others, including nearly every
one who was known to have been connected
with the late Government in an official ca
pacity, will be arrested. There is no indi-
cation, however, that the prosecutions will
be conducted very vigorously in many
cases.
There has been no act on the part of the
provisional Government since it came into
power which could attract the support of
those who had been supporters Of Balmac
eda- The new Government and all those
who sympathized with it have never made
any secret of their intentions to punish
their late opponents. These persons in
clude all officers above the grade of lieu
tenant who were in Balmaceda's army, and
also all civil officers who held their
offices during the late war by virtue Of ap-
pointment from Balmaceda or his repre-
sentatiyes. There has been no apparent
effort at reconciliation, but the attitude of
the present Government has been from the
first such as to warn all persons who sup
ported Balmaceda that they were regarded
as criminals and would be punished.
Supported by Liberated Press.
The entire press of the country, or at
least of Santiago and Valparaiso. which
recently sprsng into existence again after
undergoing period of suppression by order
of Balmaceda, has heartily supported the
new Government. There has hardly been
an issue of a Santiago or Valparaiso paper
since the war closed which has not contained
columns of accounts of what is termed the
Outrageous crimes" of the late administra-
tion.
There is no doubt that many of the de-
feated soldiers of Balmaceda were slaught-
cred on the field of Placillas after they had
been disabled by wounds. The Government
authorities and the officers of the victorious
army disclaim all responsibility for these
actions, as they do also for the sacking of
the houses in Santiago on the day following
the final defeat of Balmaceda.
1t is difficult to realize the extent of the
destruction in Santiago at that time. 1t
was something which could have been ac-
C omplished only by mob wild in its desire
fer vengeance and plunder. The most
magnificent residences in Santiago, belong
ing to members of Balmaceda's party, were
entered and everything that they contained
was demolished
The Charges Against minister Egan.
The mails which arrived from the North
a few days ago brought American newspa-
pers up to September 10. The articles in
them in regard to affairs in Chile, and par
the statements in regard to the ac-
ton of Patrick Egan have caused much COM
ment among all classes Of people. The
of the American colony have ex-
pressed their opinions on the subject very
freely They are unable to judge as to
what may be the real feeling in America in