The Portland daily press., 1891-06-22
HOW PATRICK EGAN NEARLY MADE PEACE
The ChilIan President and the In
surgents Nere Making Terms
When the Throwing of Bombs
Caused Renewed BIoodshed.
other Matters Of Interest from the
National Capital.


received from Santiago, under the date OF
May IA. contains much interesting inform
alton concerning affairs in Chill, of which
the following is an abstract:
Through the clever intervention of Mr..
Egan, the United States minister, confer
ence had been brought about between the
government and the revolutionists which
might have resulted in ending the war, but
for an unfortunate episode which occurred
yesterday evening, whereby the lives of the
minister Of the interior and several other
distinguished men of the government were
je0pardized.
This has opened the wounds which the
salye OF good counsel was trying to heal, ,and
there is no telling when the war will emo.
The members of the government declared
that no proposition for peace would be enter
tained that did not come from a committee
of which the United States should be party.
This arose, / think, partly from the friendly
attitude Of the United States, but largely
from feeling Of personal regard and conf
dence in Mr. Egan. He has throughout
acted with c0nsummate tact.
The English and German ministers tried
to be secret mediators between the bellger-
ents, but the government at Santiago de-
clined to accept the good officers Of the
European ministers, and declared its inten-
LlOu 10 treat only LUIOugu tll6 representa-
tives of the three great republics of the
w0Ild-France, Brazil and the United States.
I When this decision was reached, Mr..
Egan obtained "safe conducts" for the re-
v0lutionary leaders who were In hiding, and
after three days organized conference to
formulate and discuss propositions of peace.
The first propositions were presented by
the revoluti0nists, and they were contained
in moderate, dignified and laudable docu-
ment, simply asking to have the constitution
restored, and to let all who would come back
in the fold. There were mo recriminatlOns,
or demands, or promises, but simply prop
0sition that Balmaceda should accept their
Interpretation of the constitution, which
would, Of course, deprive him Of his dicto-
rial powers.
There seemed to be most favorable CON
ditl0n of things all around, and 1t looked as
If the negotiations were to terminate favor
ably. The president had taken time to con-
slider and formulate his conditions OF peace,
and at o'clock the mediators were to meet
him again to receive the documents.
At that hour they repaired again to the
"Moneda' (the palace), where, nOtwithstand-
ing their high office, the ministers with diff
Guilty crowded their way through the excited
thrOng, and 1t was many minutes before
they could obtain an audience with Mr.. Co.
d0y, the minister OF the interior, who is the
medium by which communication with the
president is obtained. They found him white
with rage and trembling with agitation.
The cause of the excitement was soon ex-
planned. As he and several of his. fellow
officials were returning from the chamber of
deputies to the government building few
moments before. two roughly dressed men
in "pOnchOS" and "SOmbrerOS," and other
wise diguised, stood beside the two fine
horses. As the minister and his party ap-
preached these men they suddenly mounted,
and each threw bomb at the minister as
they rode at full speed away. One bomb
was sent beyond its mark and exploded. The
other failed to explode, aud was picked up
later.
Nobody was hurt, but everybody was
greatly frightened, and the rage of the gov
ernment knew no bounds. Cavaly squads
and mounted policemen were sent in all d.
rections with orders to shoot the assassins
as s0oD as they were caught.
The minister of foreign affairs announced
the determination of the President to refuse
all further attempts at peace, on the ground
that the revOlutionists to whom safe con-
duets" had been given were involved in the
his fellow.mediators knew that this was un-
true, but learning that the President had
ordered the arrest of the revolutionary lead
ers, regardless of their safe conduct D."
started at once to extend their personal pre-
lection over the suspected men.
Don't Need the sugar Bounty.
WASHINGTON, June 20.-The Treasury
Department has information from Maine rel
ative to the cause for the failure of the Maine
maple producers to apply for the sugar
bounty. 1t seems that the Maine product Is
of such superior grade that the demand of
the trade for its consumption is immediate
and the price. commanded in the early part
of the season Is so much In excess of those
which rule later on that the producer in hold
Ing his maple for the government test and
the official gauging would lose much more
than he would gain by even the very highest
rate OF per cent. prescribed in the act pro-
vlding for the granting Of the bounty.
The sugar experts VINO have been making
the subject study say that the Maine maple
is by far the best produced, and that in its
syrup form it is so pure and excellent that 1t
brings in the markets price that forbids its
concentration to sugar for which there is not
the demand that there is for it in its liquid
state.
A Pennington Mans Appointment.
WASHINGTON, June 2O-Secretary Foster.
Of the Treasury Department, has designated
Everett b. Norton of Pennington for ap-
polntment as one Of the new special agents
OF the treasury department to have under
their supervision the granting of the sugar
bounties provided for by the abolition of the
tariff on sugar. Mr.. Norton will leave Mon
day for Washington.