The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-01-29

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tiry Of legation. The members on the
floor were gathered il groups discussing
the all absorbing tOIic Of possible war
With Chile. st 70 O'Clock Speaker Crisp
entered the hall and was greeted with
applause from both sides Of the house.
He showed the effects of his recent i'll
ness, but his voice was clear and distinct
as he called the house to order.
At 1875 Executive Clerk Pruden en-
tered the house with the long expected
document. The members resumed their
seats ut once, few being grouped about
the floor in front Of the speakers desk.
The readingof the message was listened
to with eager attention by the members,
and the quietude Of the house mani
tested the interest felt in the all absorb
ing topic of the hour. The reading Of
the message was concluded at 1876. and
was followed by loud applause on both
sides Of the floor.
The message Of the president is in sub
stance as follows:
The Time to Speak.
In my opinion the time has now come
when | should lay before the congress
and the country the correspondence be-
tween this government and the govern
ment OF Chile, from the time of the
breaking out of the revolution against
Balmaceda, together with all other facts
in the possession Of the executive depart
ment relating to this matter.
The diplomatic correspondence is here
with transmitted, together with some
correspondence between the naval Off
GERS for the time in command in Chilean
waters and the secretary of the navy
and also the evidence taken at the Mare
Island navy yard since the arrival of
the Baltimore at San Francisco.
do not deem it necessary in this com
munication to attempt any full analysis
of the correspondence or of the evidence.
A brief restatement of the international
questions involved and of the reasons for
which the responses of the Chilean gov
eminent are unsatisfactory is all that i
deem necessary.
Egan's Course Commended.
1t may be well at the outset to soy
that, whatever may have been said in
this country or in Chile in criticism Of
Mr.. Egan, our minister to Santiago. the
true history of this existing period in
Chilean affairs, from the outbreak of the
revolution until this time, disclose no
act on the part of Mr. Egan unworthy
of his position or that could Justly be tne
occasion of serious animadversion or
criticism. He has, | think, on the whole.
borne himself, in very trying circuHl.
stances, with dignity, discretion and
courage, and has conducted the c0rrr-
spondence with ability, courtesy and
fairness.
1t is worth while also at the begin
ming to say that the right of Mr.. Egan
to give shelter in the legation to certain
adherents of the Balmaceda government
who applied to him for asylum has not
been denied by the Chilean authorities
nor has any demand been made for the
of these refugees.
That there was urgent need of asylum
is shown by Mr.. Egan's note of Aug. "a.
1891, describing the disorders that pre-
vailed in Santiago, and by the evidence
Of Captain Schley as to the pillage ana
violence that prevailed at Valparaiso
The correspondence discloses, how
ever, that the request of Mr. Egan for a
'afe conduct from the country in behalf
If these refugees was denied. The pre-
,edents cited by him in the correspond
nee, particularly the case of the revolu-
ion in Peru in 1865, did not leave the
Chilean government in a position to
leny the right of asylum to polite al
efugees, and seemed very clearly 10
Import Mr.. Egan's contention that
afe conduct to neutral territory was Il
necessary and acknowledged incident of
he asylum.
These refugees have very recently.
Without formal safe conduct but by the
of the Chilean authorities.
,een placed on board the Yorktown and
re now being conveyed to Callao, Peru.
Disrespect to Our Legation.
This incident might be considered
wholly closed but for the disrespect man.
Tested towards this government by the
lose and offensive police surveillance Of
The legation premises which was mani
tested during most of the period of the
stay of the refugees therein.
After the date of my annual message
and up to the time of the transfer of the
premises seem to have been surrounded
by police in uniform, and police agents
or detectives, in citizens dress, who Of
fensively scrutinized persons entering or
leaving the legation and, on one or more
OCCdSlOllS, dIIeStcu ulellDefS VI uUe 1lill-
ister's family.
Commander Evans, who, by direction,
recently visited Mr.. Egan at Santiago,
in his telegram to the navy department,
described the legation as "a veritable
prison" and states that the police agents
or detectives We're, after his arrival,
withdrawn during his stay.
1t appears further from the note Of
Mr.. Egan of Nov. 20, 1891, that ON one
occasion at least these police agents,
whom he declares to be known to him,
invaded the legation premises, pounding
upon its windows and using insulting
and threatening language towards per-
sons therein.
The Chilean authorities have, as will
be observed from the correspondence,
charged the refugees and the inmates of
the legation with insulting the police;
but it seems to me incredible that men
whose lives were in jeopardy and whose
safety could only be secured by retire
ment and quietness, should have sought
to provoke collision which could only
end in their destruction.
The Attack on Our Sailors.
But the most serious incident disclosed
by the correspondence is that of the at