The morning call., 1891-10-25
THE TROUBLE WITH CHILE.

There is no danger that the Valparaiso
riots Will lead to war, but they are none the
less very annoying. " appears TO be certain
that 4 party of six or seven Seamen and
petty cfficers belonging TO the United States
ship Baltimore were attacked by mob in
the streets of Valparaiso, and being un-
armed were severely wounded by stabs in
the hack and blows from clubs stones and
knives, and it is stated, though this is not alb
solutey certain, that the police of Y aiparaso.
instead of Furnishing the assailants. actually
put the American sailors in Jail. Up to the
latest dates no apology had been offered and
no steps taken to afford redress.
People are ready to make every allowance
for disorder at Valparaiso. 1t has just been
a battlefield, and the streets are full of
rabble which was under arms only a few
weeks ago. An erroneous impression, to
the effect that the American people were
sympathizers vita Balmaceda has grown
out of the complications arising from the
seizure of the Itata. We know ourselves
how hard it is to control the actions of a
mob especially when they have been un-
forpSeen. But nothing in all this can palli-
ate an attack upon American sailors wear
ing the uniforms of the United States, nor
relieve our Government from the duty Of in
sisting on prompt and complete reparatlon.
In these South American countries the
law of force still largely obtains, and man
is respected in proportion to his power to
make himself feared. Englishmen are gen.
orally safe in all the Spanish American
countries because it is known that if they
are molested swift and sharp punishment
will follow. It is not so with Americans.
Citizens of the United States have often
been maltreated and thrown into dungeons
without repTisals on the part of the Govern
ment ct Washington, and an impression has
thus been formed that the United States
was Indifferent to the protection of its citi-
zens abroad. English officials have steadily
incucated the idea that if hair on an En-
glshman's head was touched the British
Government would respond with a word
and blow, and that perhaps the blow
might come first 1t might possibly have
been better for those of our people whom
business or pleasure has taken to Spanish
America if the same notion had prevailed
regarding the policy of our Government.
At any rate, an opportunity now offers to
rectiiy the matter. Americans have no de-
sire to embarrass the new Government of
Chile, nOy to throw obstacles in the way OF
peaceful reconstru ton; but they will not
carry goodwill so far as to tolerate an out
rage upon an American citizen, and least of
all upon the wearer of the uniform of the
United States. Ample reparation should be
eXacted for the outrage on our seamen. An
indemnity must be paid to the wounded
and to the families of the dead, and CON-
pete apology rendered by the Chilean
Government II these demands are not
promptly complied with the Government at
Washington will take such measures as its
interests and its dig nifty require.
The people Of this country have not for
gotten that the past relations between the
United States and Chile. without being
strained have not been as friendly as they
might have been, and that. at times, British
influence has been so dominant al Santiago
that our representatives have had reason to
complain Of the subordinate position in
which they found themselves. For ten
years our diplomatic intercourse with Chile
has been marked by friction. The we'll
meant attempts of Mr.. Blaine in 1851, and
of President Arthur, subsequently, to pro-
mote a restoration OF peace between Chile
and Peru were misunderstood at Santiago.
and the Government at Washington was
charged without even a plausible ground
for the suspicion, with au intention Of in
terfering forcibly on behalf of Peru. Every
one remembers the acerbity which marked
the correspondence between Balmaceda,
then Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs,
and Messrs. Hurlbut and Fitzpatrick; an
acerbity which Mr.. TrescOtt was not quite
able to allay. 1t has always been supposed
in diplomatic circles that the British repre-
sentatives in Chile secretly fomented ill
feeling in that country against the United
States. from desire to prevent American
merchants from obtaining their due share
of Chile's foreign trade; however this may
be- there is no doubt that Americans have
been unpopular at Valparaiso, and it is
quite likely that the recent outrage was to
some extent an ebulltion of popular feeling.