The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1892-02-12

advantage of the personal relations you
have been good enough to maintain with
him since your arrival in this port, to
declare to you that 80 soon as she is
within reach of our orders, his govern
ment will put the Itata, with the arms
and munitions she took in San Diego,
at the disposition of the United States"
A trial in the district court OF the
state for the southern district of Califor-
mia has recently resulted in decision
holding, among other things. that mas
much as the congressional party had
not been recognized as belligerent, the
acrs done in it's interest could not he
violation of our neutrality laws. From
this judgment the United States has ap-
pealed, not that the condemnation Of
the vessel is matter of i'm portance, but
that we may know what the present
state of our law is; for if this construc-
ton of the stature is correct, there is
obvious necessity for revision and
amen lment. During the pro ress of
the war in Chill this government ten
dered it's good offices to bring about
peaceful adjust ment, and it was at one
time hoped that good result might be
reached, but in this we were disap-
pointed.
The instructions to our naval officers
and to our minister at Santiago from
the first to the last of this strng lie ell
Joined upon them the most impartial
treatment and absolute non
| am satisfied that these instructions
were observed and that our representa-
ives were always watchul to use their
influence imparti lily in the interest o.
humanity and on more than one occasion
did so effectively. We could not forget,
however, that this government was in
diplomatic relation W tn the then e,tab-
is e governments OF Chill. as it is now
n such relations with the successor of
hat government. l am quite sure that
President Montt. who has under the
circumstances of promises of peace in
Chill been installed as president Of that
republic, will not desire that in the I'M
fortunate event of any revolt against his
authority the policy of this government
should be other than that which we
have recently observed. No official
complaint of the position of our minis
ter or of our naval officers during the
struggle has been presented to this gov
that so many of our own people should
have given ear to unofficial charges and
complaints that manifestly had their
pervert the relations of the United
States with Chill. The collapse of the
government o. Balrtiaceda brought abont
4 condition which is unfortunately, to,
familiar in the history of the South
Amer can states.
With the overthrow of the Balma-
ceda government he and many of his
counselors and officers became fugitives
for their lives, and appealed to the COM
manding officers of the foreign naval
vessels in the harbor of Valparaiso and
to the resident foreign ministers at San
tiago for an asylum. This asylum was
Freely given, according to my informa-
ton, by the naval vessels of several for
eign powers, and by several of the rpa-
tions at Santiago. The American min
ister, as we'll as his colleagues, &C ing
under the impulses of humanity, ex-
tended the asylum to the political
refugees whose lives were in peril. l
have not been willing to direct the sur
render of such of these persons as are
still in the American legation without
suitable understandings. 1t is believed
that the government of Chill is not in a
position, in view of the precedents in
which it was connected, to broadly de-
ny the right of asylum, and the CORE
spondence has not thus far presented
any such denial. The treatment of our
minister f,r time was such as to call
for decided protest, and it was very
gratifying to observe that the un-
friendly measures, which were undoubt-
edly the result of the prevailing excite
ment, were at once rescinded or suitably
relaxed.
The Valparaiso Riots.
The 10Th of October an event occurred
in Valparaiso, so serious and tragic in its
circumstances and results, as to very
Justly excite the indignation of our peo-
pie, and to call for prompt and decided
action on the part of this government
A considerable number of the sailors o.
the United States steamship Baltimore,
then in the harbor of Valparaiso. beins
upon shore on leave and unarmed. were
assaulted by armed men nearly stimuli
taneously in different localities in the
city. One petty officer was killed out
right and seven or eight seamen were
seriously wounded, one of whom ha
the assault that several of ou
sailors received more than two
and one as many as eight stal
| wounds An investigation of the affair
was promptly made by board of Off
GERS of the Baltimore, and their repor
! shows that these assaults were unpro
| voked; that our men were conducting
| themselves in a peaceble and orderly
manner, and that some of the police o
the city took part in the assault, ant
| used their weapons with fatal effect
| while a few others. with some well-dis
| posed citizens, endeavored to protec
our men. Thirty six of our sailors wer'
arres ed and some OF them, while bein,
| taken to prison, were cruelty beaten AM
maltreated. The fact that they were al
| discharged, no criminal charge bein
lodged against any one of them, show
very clearly that they were innocent c
a breach of the peace. So far as | hav'
yet been able to learn no other explana
ton of this bloody work has been sue
gested than that it had its origin in it
| hostility to these men as sailors of tn
| United st ties, wearing the uniform {
their government, and not from any il
dividual act or personal animosity.
The attention of the Chilian govern
ment was at once called TO this affai
| and as statement of the facts obtaine
bv the investigation we had conducte
i was submitted. accom- mpanied by nc