The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1892-02-03

animated by hostility to the government whose
uniform those sailors and officers wear, and la
resentment OF acts done by their Government
not by them their nation must take notice OF
the event as one involving an fnfracuon OF
its rights and dignity; not IN q secondaI
way, as where q citizen 10 injured ana
presents his claim through his own Gov.
eminent, but I'm primary way, precisely as IL
its Minister or Consul or the fia5 ! sell had
been the object OF the same character OF as
sault The IN ors and sailors OF tho baiu-
more were I'm tne harbOr Of Valparaiso under
the orders OF their Government, not by incl
own choi6s. They we're upon the shore by tne
imp led in yitation of tho Government Of hill
aud with the approval OF their command
ing Office 8, and it does not disin,
That his stay is more permanent or
that no holds the expr SIS Invitation OF IN local
government TO Justify his longer res dence.
Nor Goes it affect the question that the injury
was the at OF n mob II there had been no
participation by the police or miln airy In tnis
cruel work and no neglect on their partto ex-
tend protection the case would stu be on, Ia
my opinion, whom it's extent and character are
consi Tered, involving International IL .hts. Inc
incidents Of the ait ir are briefly as foil VS.;
On the 10th OF October last CAPT, scn icy
gave Shore oave to III petty officers and sailors
OF his ship. These m LETT the ship about 30
p: m. No incident OF violence occurred none
Of our men we're arrested no complaints lodged
against them nor did any collision or outbreak
occur until about O'Clock p. IN. Capt. Schley
states. that he was himself on shore and about
met very many OF his men who were upon leave !;
II at they were sober and were conducting them
selves with propriety, saluting , lillian and
other officers they met them. Other officers
of the ship and Captain Jenkins, OF the mer-
chant ship Keweenaw, corroborate Captain
Schley as 10 the general sobriety and good be-
havior of our men. The sisters of Charity at the
hospital to vhich our wounded men were taken
when injured, stated that they were sober when
received. II the situation had been otherwise.
we must believe that tie CHILEAN police
authorities would have made arrests.
and it Is remarkable that the invostisa-
ton by the Judge of Crimes, though SO
rrotracted, does not enable him TO give any
more satisfactory account of its origin than Is
found In tho statement that it began between
drunken sailors. Repeatedly in the correspond
ence IL Is asserted that 10 was impossible o
le irn the precise cause of the riot The Minister
OF Foreign Affairs, Malta In his telegram TO
that the quarrel began between two sailors In
tavern and vas continued in the street, persons
who were passing joining In 1t.
The testimony of Talbot, an apprentice, who
was with Riggin Is that the outbreak in which
they were involved began by Gillian sailor
splitting in the face of Talbot, which was resent,
ed byh knockdown. 1t appears that Riggin and
Talbot were at the time unaccompanied by any
others OF their shipmates.
After summarizing the correspondence up to q
certain point no says
The Communications of the Gillian Govern
ment In relation to this cruel and disastrous
attdcK upon our men, 6S Will appear the
correspondence. have not In any degree taken
tho form Of a manly aud satisfactory expression
OF regret much less OF apology. The event was
OF so serious character that II the injuries
suffered by meu bad been wholly the re-
suit OF an accident in Gillian port the
incident was grave enough to have call
ed for some public expression OF symPa-
thy and regret from the local authorities
1t is not enough to say that the affair was Ia
mental bic, for humanity would require that OK
preston even IL the beating and killing OF our
ma ha1 haa matt Ia NJ I'm
say that the incident IL regretted, coupled with
the sta en- emit that the affair was not OF an un-
usual character in ports where foreign
sailors are accustomed to meet. 1t
ia not for generous and stncere gov
eminent to seek for words OF small or
equivocal meanings in which to convey to a
friendly power an apology fer an offense so
atrocious as tbis. In The case of the assault by
a mob in New Orleans upon the SPANS on
sulate In 1851, Mr.. Webster wrote : the Spanish
Minister Mr.. Calderon, that the acts COM
planned OF were "a disgraceful and fragrant
breach OF duty and propriety," and that his Gov
eminent regrets them as deeply as Mr.. Calde-
ron or his government could possibly
d. )" that "these acts have caused the
President worry great pain aud no thinks a
proper acknowledgment is due to her Majesty:
He Invited the Spanish Consul 10 return TO his
post, guaranteeing protection, and offered to
salute the Spanish lag II the consul should
come In a Spanish vessel. Such treatment by
the government OF hill OF this assault would
have been moro creditable to the Gillian au-
thorities and much less can hardly be salts az
tory to a government that val les It's dignity and
honor.
In our note OF October sd last, which ap-
pears In the correspondence after receiving the
report of tho board OF officers appointed by
aDtain Schley to Investigate tho affair. tho
Chilian Goveinmopt was advised Of the aspect
which IL thon assumed aud called upon for any
facts in its possession that might tend to modify
the unfavorable impression which our report
had created. 1t Is very clear from the corre-
sponeence that, before the receipt OF this note
the examination was regarded by the police au-
thorities as practically closed 1t was, how
ever reopened and protracscd through period
Of nearly three months. We might Justly have
complained OF this unrea sonably delay, but in
view of the fact that the Fovcnwent OF Chilli
was still provisional and with disposition to
be forbearng and hopeful OF a friendly termin-
alton, / have awaited tho report which has
but recently beer made
On the 2lst inst. caused to be communicated
TO the Government OF Chilli, by tbs American
Minister at Santiago, the conclusions OF this
Government, after n full consideration OF all the
evidence aud Of every suggestion affecting this
matter, and To "se CONCLUSIONS adhere.
They were as follows:
1. That the ASSAULT is not relieved OF the as
Iect which the early information OF the event
gave to it, viz: That of an attack upon the uni
form OF the Uni ed States navy, having fts ori-
gin and motive in feeling Of hostility TO this
Government, and not in any act OF the sailors
or of any OF the men,
2 That the public authorities at Valparaiso
fagrantly failed In their duty to protect our
men. aud that some of the police and OF the
Gillian soldiers and sailors were themselves
guilty OF unprovoked assaults upon our sailors
before and after arrest. He the PresfdonD
thinks the prepondorance OF the evidence
and the inherent probabilities lead to the con-
clusion that Riggin was killed by the police or
soldiers.
g. That he 1he President) Is therefore CON-
PEELED to bring the case back to tn position
taken by this Government In the note OF Oct. 20
last and to ask for suitable apology and for
some adequate PREPARATION for the injury done
TO this Government.
claim for reparation has been made In
behalf of this man for, while he was not citf-
zen of the United States, the doctrine 30 long
held by u 8. as ressed In the consular reguls-
ton, Is -1he principles which are maintained by
this Governm, mt IN regard TO the protection,
as DISTINGUISHED from the relief. OF seamen
are we'll settled. 1t Is held that the circum-
stance that the vessel Is American 10 evidence
that the seamen on board are such; and in
every regularly documented merchant vessel
the crew win find their protection I'm the nag
that covers them"
have as,yet received no reply TO our note Of
the 21st instant, but in my opinion, ought
not to delay longer to bring these matters to
the attention OF Congress for such action as
may be deemed appropriate.
fSIRnodl BENJAMIN HARRISON.
Executive Mansion. January %. 1891.
The above is President Harrison's
presentation OF the Gillian affair to