The sun., 1891-11-02
Tho San Francisco Did Not Act rs
Balmaceda's Spy.

One of the excuses offered for the attack
on our sailors by the Valparaiso mob.
backed up by the local police. is supposed
hostility OF Admiral Brown to the Junta
during the recent war. which manifested IT.
self in his giving information to BALMA-
CEDA OF the landing at Quinteros Bay.
The absurdity Of imputing to that officer
q want OF sympathy with the Congress
party or desire to aid BALMACEDA Is clear
to anybody who has kept the run Of his
dispatches to the Navy Department. Had
such theory been advanced In regard to
Admiral MCCAIN. it might plead. perhaps.
the latter officers accounts OF tho disad-
vantages Of tho insurgents. But Admiral
BRowN's reports had quito another tono.
Under date OF July 8. for example. he speaks
Of visiting Aricn. Pisagua, Antofagasta. and
CGldera:
AT each OF these places found the
insurgents in quiet possession Of the civil and mill
tary departments At PisaEua Colleta.Bueno iquique
aud vessels loading ntrates as rapidly
existed. and the insurgents are collecting
the export duties on the same
In the same despatch no accuses BAL
MAcEDA's torpedo vessels Condell and
Lynch and tho armed transport Imperial
of bombarding Iquique without any pre-
vious notice." but no asserts that the bonn
bardment did no harm. and that the assail-
ants made Off when tho fleet of the Congress
party started after them. He speaks favor
ably also OF tho numerical strength and
condition Of the insurgent army. and any
impartial reader OF the despatch would
gather favorable impression Of the insur-
gent resources. Certainly. it would be
revelation to suppose that he had devel-
oped antagonism to the Congress party.
and had gone so far as to act as BALMA-
CEDA's spy"
The slanderous charge of some Chilian pa
pers on this point is entirely disposed OF by
Admiral Browns own letter to Minister
EaAN. He says that the morning before he
visited Quinteros harbor he was informed
by Chilian officer in Valparaiso that 1.-THE
opposition have made landing at Quin-
teros;" and. further, that Admiral VEL after
ward informed him that he had received a
telegram giving the names OF the war ships.
besides stating that there were five trans
ports and three or four small steamers in
the expedition. That afternoon he pro-
ceeded to Quinteros In consequence Of hav-
ing learned from Admiral VEL that battle
would be fought near the landing place. No
battle. however. was fought. and on his re-
turn Admiral BROWN sent ashore q mes
sage to the Secretary OF the Navy. which
"was in code. 80 that no one knew its pur
port" He adds that he himself conveyed
no information. and that the crew OF the
boat which went on shore were cautioned
not to answer questions. Yet he was ac-
cused Of having taken one Of BALMACEDA's
officers to Quinteros. whereas the person
who went was the German Admiral VALOIs.
: The absurdity Of protesting against such
an expedition ia sufficiently apparent. espe-
cially when both the populace and police Of
Valparaiso were at that very time aiding
BALMAcEDA. But to suggest this as rea-
son for numbering our sailors weeks !s.er
in the streets OF the city is In the higher
degree DreDOSterOuS,