The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-01-28

, ported the fact to Capt. SchIey on MS
9 return to the vessel" 1880.
- The president then quotes evidence
of the existence of an anlm0slty
towards our people in the minds OF
the Chileans. and then says:
q, "This feeling was not well con-
cealed in the dispatches OF the foreign
! Office. and had quite an open expires.
3, sion in the disrespecttul treatment OF
I the American legation. Chilean
. boatmen in the bay refused even tor
: large offers of money to return
! our sailors, who crowded the mole,
= to their ship when they were endeaV-
| ing to escape from the city on the DAY
of the assault. The market boats OF
the Baltimore were threatened and
quite recently the gig Of Commander
Evans of the Yorktown was stoned
, while waiting for him at the mole.
"%everal of our men sought security
from the mob by such comp etc OF par
tial changes in dress as would conceal
the fact of their being seamen of the
Baltimore, and found it then possible
to walk the streets without Dlolesta-
ton. These incidents cOnclusively es-
tablish that the attack was upon the
uniform-national not upon
the men.
1--WE continued the established dip
lomatic relations with the govern
ment in power until it was
overthrow and promptly and cordially
recognized the new government when
it was established. The good offices
of the government were offered to
bring about peaceful adjustment
and the interpositiOn of Egan to inves-
tigate the seventies and shelter the
adherents of the congressional party
were effective and frequent. The
charge against Admiral Brown is too
bare to gain credence with anyone who
knows his high personal character.
"As to the participation of the
police, the evidence of our sailors
show that our men were struck and
beaten by the police officers before and
after their arrest, and that one at least
was dragged with a lasso about his
neck by mounted policeman. That
the death of Riggin was the result of
rifle fired by q policeman or soldier
on duty is shown directly by the tes-
timOny of Johnson in whose
arms he was at the time and
by the evidence of Charles Hangar,
an American sailor, not then n men,
Der of the Baltimore's crew, who
stood close by and saw the transact
ton. The Chilean authorities do not
pretend to fix the responsibility of
this shot upon any particular person,
but avow their inability to ascertain
who fired it; further than that it was
fired from the crowd. When shot,
the poor fellow was unconscious and
in the arms of his comrade who was
endeavoring to carry him to a neigh
boring drug store for treatment. The
story of the police that in coming up
the street, they passed three men and
left them behind is consistent with
their own statement as to the direc-
tion of their approach and with their
duty to protect them, and is clearly
disprOved. In fact, Riggin was not
behind but in front of the advancing
force and not standing in a crowd, but
unconscious and supported in the
arms Of johnson when he was shot. |
After summarizing the correspond
ence up to certain point he says:
government in relation to this cruel
and disastrous attack upon our men,
as will appear from the correspond.
ence, will have not in any degree
taken the form Of Il manly and salts
factory expression of expression of re-
greet, much less an apology. The event
was Of so serious q character that if |
injuries suffered by our men have
been wholly an accident, the Chilean
port incident was grave enough to
have called for some public expression
of regret from the local authorities. |
1t is not enough to say the affair was
lamentable, for humanity would re-
quire that expression even if the beat
ing and killing of our men had been
justified,
1t is not enough to say the incident
is regretted, coupled with the state
ment that the affair was not ofunusual
character in port where foreign
sailors are accustomed to meet.
IL is not for a generous and sincere
government to seek words of small or
equivOcal meaning in which to convey
to friendly power an apology for an
Otfense so atrOciOus as this.
sin our note of October % last, |
which appears in the correspondence,
after receiving the report of the board
Of officers, appointed by Schley to in
vestigate the affair, the Chilean gov
eminent was advised of the aspect
which it then assumed and
called upon for any facts in it's posses
sion that might tend to modify
the unfavOrable expressions which !
our reply created. 1t is very clear
from the correspondence that before
the receipt of this note the eXamina-
tion was regarded by the police
authorities as practically closed. 1t
was, however, reopened and pro-
tracted through q period of nearly
three months. We might have Justly |
complained of this unreasonable DELAY
but in view Of the fact that the GOV
eminent of Chile is still provisional,
and with a disposition to be forbear
ing, and hopeful of a friendly termi-
nation, L awaited the report, which
but recently has been made. On the
4th inst. | caused to be communicated
to the government of Chile by the
American minister at Santiago the |
contentious of this government. after
a full consideration of all the CORE.
spondence and every suggestion 3f-