The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-01-26

- SAuenu over yearly three months. l very
liIucn regret 10 De compelled to say that this
report does not enable me to modify the con-
Gluslon announced in my annual message.
4 am sun OF the opinion that our sailors were
assaulted, beaten, stabbed and killed not for
an any t eg they or any one of them had done.
Dit LOT what the Government OF the United
, 3lI had done, or was charged with having
done by its civil officers and the naval com
mander If that he true, the aspect of the case
OF INJURY was TO the Government of the United
states ana not to these poor sailors who We're
ardly.
Before attempting to give an outline of the
FACTS upon which this conclusion rests / think
IL right to say word or two upon the legal
aspect OF the case. The Baltimore was in the
nafpor OF Valparaiso by virtue of a general
invitation which tie nations are held to eX-
Ieho 10 war vessels of other powers with
when Lhey nave friendly relations. This in
Vltauon, l think, must he held ordinarily to
embrace the privilege of such communication
win the shore as may be necessary and
proper Tor the comfort and cOnN enience of the
ofhcers and men OF such vessels. Captain
Schley testlfies that when his vessel returned
10 valparaiso on September 14th The
city officers, as is customary, extended
Inc inequalities OF the city to his officers
ana crew. 1t is not claimed that every
personal collision or injury in which Il sailor
or oIacer OF vessel visiting shore may be in
VOWED raises an international question, but 1
am clearly of the opinion that where such
sailor or officers are assaulted by the resident
populaca, animated by hostility to the Gov
eminent whose uniform these sailors or Off
GERS wear, and in the resentment OF the acts
done by their Government, not by them, their
nation must take notice of the event as one
InNoINlng an lnlractlon OF It's rights and dig
NIFTY. Not in secondary way, a. where a cit
zen Is Injured and presents his claim through
ms own Government, but in a primary way,
precisely as II its Minister or Consul or the
flag itself had been the object OF the same
character OF assault. The officers and sailors
OF the Baltimore were ia the harbor OF Valpa-
Talso under order OF our Government, not Dy
their own choice. They were upon shore by
the implied invitation of the Government Of
emile, and with the approval of their COM
nandlng officer, and it does not distinguish
their case from that Of the Consul that his
stay is more permanent or that he holds an
express invitation of the local Government to
justify his longer residence. Nor does ii affect
the question that the injury was the act of q
mob. If there had been no participation by
the police or military in this cruel work, and
no neglect ON their part to extend protection,
the case would still be one in my opinion,
when its extent and character is considered
involving international rights.
The President then tells the story of the at
tack on the sailors of the EaltimCr5 as related
IN the testimony of Captain Schley and others
at the investigation, showing the sailors 10 be
sober and behaving themselves. Evidence
furtherlng the fact that the Chilean police
made no arrests, and says it is remarkable
that the prOtTacted invest q ltion of the Judge
OF Crimes did not enable MIN TO assign any
more satisfactory account OF its Crigln tnan
between drunken sailors. He then quotes the
testimony of the apprentice Taboo, that the
trouble originated IN a Chilean sailor splitting
IN 1albOt'S face, for which Talbot knocked
him down, Then followed q general attack
on Talbot and Riggin, with the result already
known.
The President continues: There is nothing
in the report of the Chilean investigation
made that seriously impeaches this testi-
mOny. 1t appears from Chilean sources that
almost instantly, and with suddenness that
strongly implies meditation and preparations
a mob, stated by the police authorities at enc
time TO number 2,OCO and at anotl e 1000,
engaged in an assault on our sailors with
stones, clubs ana nTearmS. The report CT
the Intendente Of October Both states that the
fight began at p. NJ, in three streets, which
are named; that information was received at
the 1ntenGencla at 81 >, and the police arrived
on the scene at $50, full haitian hour after the
assault began; that at the time he says a mob Of
1000 men had collected, and that for several
squares there was the appearance of a zeal
battlefield The scene at this point is very
graphically set before us by the Chilean testi-
mony of the American sailors who after so
long an examination, had not been found
guilty OF any breach of peace. So far as the
Chilean authorities We're able TO discover, they
Were unarmed and deienSeleSS, and We're flee
ing for their lives, pursued by an overwhelm-
ing number, and fighting only to aid in their
own escape from death, or 10 sCccor some
mate whose lie was in greater peril. Eighteen
of them were brutality stabbed and beaten,
While one Chilean seems rom the report TO
have suffered some injury, but how serious.
or with what character of weapon. or whether
by missile thrown by our men or by some of
The pretenSe that our men were fighting
with stones, clubs and size arms in view of
these facts, is increditable. 1t is further re-
futed by the fact that our prisoners. when
searched, were alb solutely without arms only
seven knives being found in possession of the
men arrested, lwhiIe there were received by our
men more than thirty stab wounds every one
of which was inflicted in the back and almost
every confused wound on the back or back of
the head. The evidence of the ships Officer OF
the Day is that even the iack-kniyes of the
"a n
ship.
AS to the brutal nature of the treatment re-
ceived by our men the President quotes an
extract from an account given of the affair by
La ptt7-id, a Chile newspaper, which, he saws
cannot be regarded as too friendly. It tells
how our men were pursued with stones and
missiles, and beaten down, as has already
been told many times.
The message continues: No amount OF
evasion or subtertuge is able to cloud rclear
version of this brutal work. 1t should be no.
ticed in this connection that the American
sailors arrested, after examination were
during the four days following their arrest
every one discharged, no charge of any
breach of the peace, or other criminal con
duct, having been sustained against single
one of them.
1T is quite remarkable, and quite character
istic of the management OF this affair by the
Chilean police authorizes, that we should
now be advised that Seaman Davidson of the
Baltimore had been included in the indict-
ment, his oifense being, so far as we have been
able to ascertain, that ne attempted to defend
a Shipmate against an aSsailant who was
striking him with a knife. A perfect vindica-
ton OF our men is furnished by this report
one is only found guilty OF criminal fault. and
that tor an act clearly justified.
AS TO the part taken by the police in the
affair, the case made by Chile is also far from
satisfactory point. Where Riggin was killed
is only a three-minutes' walk from the
police-station, and not more than twice that
distance rom the Intendencia. and YET their
offc al report says that full ali an hour had
passed after tle assault began before the
police were on the ground. II has been stated
that ali but two or our men have said that
the police did their duty. The evidence taken
at Mare Island shows that if such a statement
was procured from our men it was accom-
pliShed by rec uirlng them to gn writing in a
language they dld no. understand, by the
representation that it was a mere declaration
that they had taken no part in the disturb
ance Lieutenant McCrea. who acted as in
terpreter saws in his evidence that when
our sailors were examined before the court the
subject of the conduct of the police was care
fully avoided. He reported the fact to Cap
tain Schley on his return to the vessel
Evidence of the existence OF animosity to-
ward our sailors in the minds of the sailors of
the Chilean navy and the populace of Val
paraiso is so abundant and various as to
leave no doubt in the mind ofany one who viii
examine the papers submitted. II manifested
itself in the threatening and insulting ges-
lures toward our men as they passed Chi can
man-of-war in their boats, and in the derisive
and abusive epithetS with which they greeted
every appearance of an American sailor on
the evening of the riot. Captain SchleY re-
ports that boats from Chilean war ships sew
eral times went out of their course to cross the
bows of his boats, compelling them to back
water. He complained of the discourtesy. and
it was corrected. That this feeling was shared
by men of higher rank was shown by the incl
dent related by surgeon Stitt of the Bati-
more. After the battle of Placilla he with
other medical officers of the war vessels in the
harbor, were giving voluntary assistance to
the wounded in the hospitals. The son of a
Chilean army officer of high rank was under
his care, and when the father discovered it he
flew into passion, and said that he would
rather have his son die than have Americans
touch him, and at once had him removed
from the ward. This feeling was not well con-
cealed in the dispatches OF the Foreign Office
and had quite an open expression of disre-