Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1892-02-05
6LAINE's5 ANSWER.
The Secretary Corrscts Some Statements
Made by Montt.

Tne secretary Corrscfs Some Statements
Made by Mont.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WARRINGTON,
Jan. 81, 1s92-Sir: have the honor to
acknowledge your favor dated the eSrd
inst, but not received by mo until Mon
day, the 25th. l beg TO comment ON two
or three Of its recitals. I think from zeal
for your country you have made some
mistakes, which shall proceed to cor
rect.
You are right In saying that / consid-
cred the proceedings of the government Of
Chilli in making the judicial investigation
of the unhappy affair at Valparaiso en-
tirely praiseworthy. But you will remem-
Der as early as the 25th Of November +
complained of the length of the judicial
proceedings, and from time to time re-
newed the complaint, saying to you very
lately that the court had already been
eighty days in session, considering mat
ter which in the United States would have
been wholly disposed Of in two or three
weeks. You replied that the Spanish law
was slow in its processes, but exact in its
conclusions and with your statements I
had to be content, though impatient for
final Judgment. Your offer of arbitration
was never
Unconditional and Exact.
Had it been would have insisted on your
reducing it to writing, for it would have
been my duty to lay it before the presi-
dent for consideration. But was unable
to report mere verbal exchange of views
between us as an agreement to arbitrate.
The Malta Note.
In regard to the Malta note, which was
the subject of contention between us, you
sum it up in the following declaration:
II added, however, that it was far from
being the purpose Of my government to
act in a manner at all offensive to the
president of the United States or to any
member of his cabinet, and that Mr.
Matta's note, If rightly constructed, ad-
mitted of no such construction. after
wards had the honor to inform you that I
had received instructions from my govern
ment to inform that of the United States,
that, considering tho views expressed by
Messrs. buchanan md Webster In: 1870
and 1850, that the messages sent by the
president to congress are domestic COM
munications, which cannot serve a. basis
for the Interpretation Of foreign powers or
their representatives, my government had
no objection to striking out of the note Of
Dec. II such words as might be considered
disagreeable by the United States govern
ment."
By your own statement you evidently
attempted to justify the Malta note. I
certainly could not accept your language
and never did accept language of that,
kind as an apology sufficient for the case.
The Malta note was highly discourteous'
to the president and the secretary of tho
navy, imputing to them untruth and in
sincerity. Such language does not admit
of contingent or conditional apology,
which you offered. It could be apollo
gized for only by frank withdrawal,
That you did not comply with Chili's re-
quest to publish it here was tho strongest
proof of your own disapproval Of tho
note.
The Essn Matter.
In regard to Mr.. Egan, you complained
many times and very bitterly to me. E.
pecially was he deserving Of censure, you
thought, for not communicating to his
government the brutal murder Of some
young men who were slain by order Of
Balmaceda. When on the next day I
showed you the dispatch Of MI. Egan Of
the incident in severe and proper terms,
you acknowledged that you were mis-
taken. thought you would bs satisfied,
but you again spoke disparagingly Of: Mr..
Egan, and said somewhat impatisntly:
''Why do you not demand his recall in
stead of constantly disparasing him,' in
tending thereby not to favor his recall, but
to put stop to the frequent mention Of
Mr.. Egan's name. In referring to the
question you remark: "You were pleased
to acknowledge. that the government of
Chilli had a right to ask that change
should be made" Undoubtedly shs hA9
that right, provided she assigns . reason.
You are too we'll skilled in diplomatic
usage to be reminded that when . nation
Is pleased to declare that a minister is
persona non grata she is expected to as
sign reason therefor. have thus frankly
endeavored t. correct some misapprehen-
sions of yours in order that the record Of
the state department. of tho United States
may be kept exact and in all its proceed
ings shall he consistent. Accept, sir, the
renewed assurances of my highest consid-
Grafton. (Signed) JAMES G. BLAINE.
The Apology Accepted.
WASHINGTON, Feb. l. Secretary
Blaine has sent cablegram to Minister
Egan informing him that the reply of
Minister Pereira to his note of Jan. 81 IL
satisfactory, and that the president de-
sires to assure Chill that he is glad to
meet in the most friendly spirit the
friendly overtures.