The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1892-01-28
l0Etiling 10 Advance;

Woasxsxorex. MIxx. JANuARY %. 1907.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Tho anxiously looked for mes
sage of the President regarding
the imbroglio with the Chilian gov
eminent was sent to Congress on
Monday. 1t is by far the most i'm
portsnt state paper which has ap.
pearsd in this country since the
closs 1 our civil war, as the SOL
emn visage of war is made to con-
front a peace loving people by the
facts therein detailed.
Tho President sustains tho Off
cial course of Mr.. Egan, our min
ister to Chill, and delares that no
act of his has yet been disclosed
that could justly be criticised, but
that he has "on the whole borne
himself, under. trying circumstan-
ess, With dignity, discretion .snd
coursse, and has conducted the cor
rsspondence with ability, courtesy
and fairness"
The trouble began during the
contest for the overthrow of the
Balmaceda government, and on ac-
count of the exercise, by Mr.. Egan,
Of giving asylum to certain adhe-
rents of Balmacedn, who applied
to him for protection. The right
of our government to give this
asylum is not denied even by the
Chilian authorities. Mr.. Egan re-
quested for these political refugees
q safe conduct into neutral terri
tory, and this was denied. Mr.. Egan
humanely insisted on the right of
our government to carry these ref
ugees into neutral territory, and
the Yorktown is now conveying
them to Callao, Peru.
During the shelter of the refu-
gees by our minister the legation
premises were constantly surround
ed by uniformed Chilian police, and
by spies and detectives in citizens
dress. The legation was made
veritable prison. Members of the
ministers family were arrested,
and persons having business at the
legation were Extensively scruti-
nized. The rights of resident
minister to an undisturbed occupa-
tion of his premises, aud to free
dom from police espionage were
SO flagrantly violated that the min
lister of the Argentine Republic
demonstrated against it.
A very serious incident was the
attack made on the sailors of the
Baltimore in the streets of Valpa-
raiso. The sailors had a right to
be ON shore. They appear to have
been sober and inoffensive. The
President, after reading the Chilian
report of this affair, says: Il am
still of the opinion that our sailors
were assaulted, beaten, stabbed and
killed, not for anything they, or
any any one of them had done, but
for what the government of the
United States had done, or was
charged with having done, by it's
civil officers and naval commanders.
If that be the true aspect of the
case, the injury was to the govern
ment of tho United States, not to
these poor sailors, who were as
saulted in q manner 50 brutal and
oowardly."
The President has demanded of
tho Chilian Government an apollo
gy for an offensive note sent to this
government by its minister of for
eign affairs to our state department
through Mr.. Monnt, it's minister
here. If this is not apologized fol
diplomatic relations with our gov
ernment will cease.
Chill has asked for the recall oi
Minister Egan because he is not
personally agreeable to them. The
President has replied that this re-
quest will be considered when ou,
government is assured that their
dislike is not caused by acts of the
government of which he was the
representative.
The President asks Congress tc
sustain him in the just demands
made upon the government of Chill
He then eloquently and wisely
adds: IF the dignity as well as
the prestige and influence of the
government is to be preserved, We
must protect those who in foreign