Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-12-18

tha purpose to make an investigation Of
wha+h ana ~ with view to determine
stanoas .here were present any circum-
outy as we had indicated, crente an ob,;.
gas.on upon the United States The tenn
p pura,y absence of minister plenipoten-
~ Try at this capital has retarded the fur
the et correspondence, but it is not doubted
'A So, friendly conclusion is attainable,
,,n% onae suggestions growing out of this
Of ppy anclaent are worthy the attention
=, congress. 1t would, 1 believe. be en-
.lrely competent for congress to make
o;enses against the treaty rights of for
elshers domiciled in the United States
eognlzable in the federal courts. Th;s
nas not however, been done, and the fed
e erai o'ncers and courts have no power in
for for the cases to intervene either
,eiign citizen, or for the punishment ua to IT.
ms ~ siayers. 1t seems to me to follow in
tnls state of law that the officers Of tho
state, charged with police and judicial.
powers IN SUCH cases, must in the consid
eraton OF international questions growing
out OF such incidents be regarded in such
sense us FEDERAL agents as to make this
government answerable for their acts in
cases where it would be answerable II the
onlted states had urged it's constitutional
power to define and punish crimes against
treaty rights. Us ''A"S'
The Chilean War
Inc civil war in Chile, which began in
January last, was continued but FORUM
ately with infrequent and not important
armed collisions until August 2S, when the
congressional forces landed near VAL
paraiso, and after bloody engagement
captured that CITY, President Balmaceda
at once recognized that his cause was lost.
ana provisional government was speed
Ky established by the victorious party.
Our minister was promptly directed to
recognize and put himself in communica-
tion with this government so soon as it
should have established de facto char
acter which was done During the
tendency of this civil contest frequent in
direct appeals were made to this
government to extend belligerent rights
TO the insurgents, and to give
audience to their representative
This was declined, and that policy was
pursued throughout which this govern
ment, when wrenched by civil war, so
enormously 5. insisted upon on the part of
European nations.
ltata Incident.
The Itata, an armed vessel commanded
by naval officer of the insurgent fleet.
manned by its sailors and with soldiers on
BOARD, was seized under process of the
United States court at San Diego, Cal.
and for violation of our neutrality laws.
While in the custody Of an officer of the
court the vessel was forcibly wrested from
been inconsistent with the dignity and
self-respect of this government not to
have insisted that the Itata shonld be re-
turned to San Diego to abide the Judgment
OF the court. This was so clear to the
Junta OF the congressional party estab-
lished at Iquique that before the arrival
OF the Itata at that port the secretary of
fOrpiUn re tinnS of tbo is;o
eminent addressed Rear Admiral Brown,
commanding the United States naval
forces, a communication, from which the
following is an extract:
The provisional government has
learned by the cablegrams of the
port Itata. detained in San Diego
by order of the United States for taking
on board munitions of war, and in posses
sion 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. If this news be correct this
government would depiore the conduct of
the Itata, and as an evidence that it is not
disposed to support or agree to the infrac-
ton of the laws of the United States, the
undersigned takes advantage OF the per-
sonal 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 gov
eminent will put the Itata, with the arms
and munitions she took on board in San
Diego, at the disposition OF the United
States"
A trial in the district court of the United
States for the southern district of Cali
fornia has recently resulted in a decision
holding, among other things, that. mas
much as the congressional party had not
been recognized as q beligercnt power, the
acts done in its interest could not be IL
violation of our neutrality laws. From
this judgment the United States has APP
pealed, not that the condemnation of the
vessel is q matter of Importance,
but that we may know what is the
present state of our laws, for, il this con-
struction OF the statute is correct, there is
obvious necessity for revision and amend
mcnt.
During the progress of the war i'll Chile,
this government rendered its good offices
to bring about /; peaceful adjustment, and
it was at one time hoped that IL good re-
suit might be reached, but, in this we were
disappointed The instructions to our
naval officers and to our minister at San
tiago, from the first to the last of this
struggle, enjoincd upon them the most i'm
partial treatment, and absolute non-inter-
| ference, am satisfied that these instruc-
lions were observed and that our repre-
scntatives were always watchful to use
their influence lHpdftluIlS III VIC luLcEcSt
of humanity. and on more than one occa-
sion, did so effectively.
We could not forget. however, that this
government was in diplomatic relations
with the then established government of
Chile, as it is now in such relations with
the successor of that g vernment
am quite sure that President Montt,
who has, under circumstances that prom
! Use peace for Chile. been installed
as president of that republic will
not desire that in the unfortunate
event of any revolt against his authority
the policy of this government should be
other than which we have recently OBJ
served.
| Egan Defended.
No official complaint Of the conduct OF
our minister or of our naval officers during
the struggle has been presented to this
government, and it is IL matter OF regret
that SO many Of our own people should
give ear to unofficial charges and com
plaints that manifestly had their origin in
rival interests and in a wish to pervert the
relations of the United States with Chile.
| Fight OF Asylum.
The collapse of the government OF Bal
maceda brought about a condition which
| is unfortunately too familiar in the history
of the Central and South American states
With the overthrow of the Balmacedan
government, he and many of his counsel
ors and officers became at once fugitives
for their lives and appealed to the com
! ,d;ro officers of the foreign naval YES