Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-12-18

1
| its sailors and with soldiers on board was
seized under process of the United States
court at San Diego, Cal, for a violation Of our
neutrality laws. While in the custody of an
/ officer oil the court, the vessel forcibly
| wrested from his control and put to sea IL
| would have been Inconsistent with the dig
nifty and self-respect Of this government not
! TO have insisted that the Itata should he re-
! turned to San Diego, TO abide the judgment of
The court This was so clear to the iunta of
| the Congressional party. established at lqui-
/ que, that before the arrival of the 1tata at
that port. the secretary of foreign relations of
/ the provisional govern nent addressed TO Rear
Admiral Brown, commanding the United
States naval forces, communication from
which the following Is an abstract
1.-THE provisional government has learned by
the cdblcgrams of the Associated Press that
the transport Itata. detained in San Diego by
order of the United States for taking on board
munitions of war and in possession of the
marshal, left the port. carrying on board this
Official, who was landed at a point near the
/ coast, and then continued her VOYAGE. 1t this
news be correct. this government would de-
I plore the conduct of the 1tata, and. as an evil
dence that it is not disposed to support or
agree to the infraction of the laws of the
United States, the undersigned takes advan-
tage of the pr visional relations YOU have been
good enough to maintain with him since your
arrival in this port to declare to you that as
soon as she is within reach of our orders,
his government will nut the 1tata, with the
arms and munitions she took on board at San
Diego at the disposition of the United States"
A trial in the district court of the United
States for the southern district of California
has recently resulted in decision holding,
among other things, that, inasmuch the
I Congressional party has not been recognized
as n heligcrent. the acts done in its interest
/ could not he violation of our neutrality
laws. From this Judgment the United States
hg q ulnI nnt thut hc 1nt,a t1ntin Of
/ the vessel is a matter OF Importance. but that
/ we may know what the present state of our
/ law is; for. if this construction Of the statute
! l. corr""t. there IS obvious necessity for re-
vision and amendment
A Disappointment.
During the progress OF the war in Chill this
government rendered its good offices to bring
about a peaceful adjustment, and it at
one time hoped that a good result might be
reached: but in this we were disappointed.
The instructions to our naval officers and to
our minister at SsniaGo, from the first TO the
last of this struggle. en- Joined upon them the
most impartial treatment and non-nterfer-
ence. ! am satisfied that these instructions
were observed. and that our representatives
were always watchful TO use their influence
impartaly. in the interest of humanity and,
on more than one occasion, did so effectively.
We could not forget, however, that this gov
! eminent was in diplomatic relations with the
/ then established government of Chilli as 1t
is now in such relations with the successor of
that government. am quite sure that Presi-
dent Montt who has, under circumstances of
promise for the peace of Chilli, been installed
as president Of that Republic, will not desire
thft, in the unfortunate event of any revolt
against his authority. the policy of this gov
eminent should b. other than that which we
have recently observed.
/ No official complaint of the conduct Of our
minister or of our naval officers during the
struggle has been presented TO this govern
mCnt: and il j. matter of regret that so
many of our own people should have given ear
to unofficial charges and complaints that man
ifestly had their origin in rival interests and
in a wish to pervert the relations of the United
States and Chilli.
The collapse of the government of Balma-
ceda brought about n condition which Is. I'M
fortunately. too familiar in the history Of the
Central and South American states. With
the overthrow of the Balmaceda government,
he and many of his councillors and officers
/ became at once fugtivcs for their lives, and
appealed to the commanding officers of the
foreign naval vessels in the harhor of Val
parai-n. and TO the resident for ign ministers
at Santiago for asylum. This eerlum was
freely given. according to my information. by
the naval vessels of several foreign powers
ana by several of the legations TT SANTA 20.
The American minister. as well As his col
leagues. acting upon the impulses of humans
itY. extended asylum to political refugees
whose lives were in peril | have not been
willing to direct the surrender of such of these
per sons ms are still in the American legation
without suitable conditions.
The Baltim ore Incident.
On the 10th of October an event occurred at
Vail amiSo. so serious and tragic in its cirrum-
stances and results. as to very Justly excite
the Indignation Of our people, and to cell for
prompt and decisive action on the part of this
Gorernment \ considerable number Of the
sailors Of = O. Lifted States steamship Bati-
more then in the harhor of Valparaiso being
upon shore leave and unarWed were assaulted
by armed men. nearly simultaneously. in diff
ferent localities in thc 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 as
sault that several of our sailors received more
than two, and one of them as many as eigh-
teen. stab wounds.
An investigation of the affair was promptly
made by IA board of officers of the Baltimore
and their report shows that these assaults
were unprovOked. that our men were conduct
ing themselves in a peaccable 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 few Others
with some well-dispo>ed citizens endeavored
to protect our men. Thrty-six of our sailors
We're arrested, and some of them, while being
taken to prison. were cruelty beaten and NAL
charged, no criminal charge being lodged
against any one of them, shows very clearly
that they were innocent of any breach of the
peace.
So far as | have vet been able to learn no
other explanation of this bloody work has been
sucg, Sted than that il had its origin in hos
tility to these men as sailors of the United
States, wearing the uniform of their GOVERN
ment, and not in any ndNi nal act or personal
auimnsity. The attention of the Chilean gov
eminent was al once called to this affair, and
statement of the facts obtained by the in
vestigation we had conducted WAS submitted
accompanied by request to he advised of any
other or qualifying facts in the possession of
the Gillian government that might tend to re-
lieve this affair of the appearance of an in
suit to this government. The Chilean gov
/ eminent was also advised that if such quail
flying facts did not exist this government
would confidently expect full and prompt re-
paration.
1t is to be regretted that the reply of the sec
rotary for foreign affairs of the provisional
government was couched in an offensive tone
To this no response has been made This gov
eminent is now awaiting the result of an in
vestgation which has been conducted by the
/ criminal court at Valparaiso 1t is reported,