Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1892-02-04
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
In Which Hs Rsvievs the Cause Of the Pres
ent Controversy With Chilli.
An Apology and Full Rsparatien Demanded
From the chilian Government

Il EEOm the Culll8u 0OV9I0mouL.
The presidents message on Chiliar
affairs was laid before congress OF
Monday of last week.
| The president, to begin with, com
pliments Minister Egan for his conduct
all through the difficulty. He says
He has, think, on the whole born,
himself in the very trying circum
stances with dignity, discretion an6
courage, and has conducted the cor
respondence with ability, courtesy
and fairness" The president sustain.
Egan's action in giving shelter to Ger
tain adherents OF Balmaceda, and hi.
claim to the right of conducting refu
gees to neutral territory. He says
This incident might be considered
wholly closed but for the disrespect
manifested toward this government
by close and offensive police surveil
lance of the legation premises which
was maintained 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 refugees to the York.
town, the legation premises seem to
have been surrounded by police in
uniform and police detectives in citi.
zens' dress who Extensively scrutinized
persons entering or leaving the lega-
ton, and on one or more occasions
arrested members of the minister s
family. This breach of the right of a
minister to freedom from police espi-
onage and restraint seems to have
been SO flagrant that the Argentine
minister, who was dean of the diplo-
matte corps, felt called upon to pro-
test against it to the Chilian minister
of foreign affairs"
Regarding the Baltimore affair, after
repeating what he said in his annual
message, the president says:
1--WE have now received from the
Gillian government an abstract of the
conclusions of the fiscal general upon
the testimony taken by the judge of
crimes in the investigation, which was
made to extend to cover nearly three
months. / very much regret to be
compelled to say this report does not
enable me to modify the the conclu-
sion announced in my annual message
l am still OF the opinion that our sail
ors were assaulted, beaten, stabbed,
and killed, not for anything they or
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. II that be the
true aspect of the case the inquiry
was to the government OF the United
States. not to these poor sailors who
were assaulted in a manner SO brutal
and so cowardly."
Regarding the legal aspect of the
case the president says: at is not
claimed that every personal collision
or injury in which a sailor or officer
of such naval vessel visiting the shore
may be involved, raises an interna-
tional question, but l am clearly of
the opinion that where such sailors or
officers are assaulted by resident pop
ulace, animated by hostility to the
government whose uniform these sail
ors and officers wore and in resent
ment OF acts done by their govern
ment, not by them, their nation must
take notice of the event as one involv-
ing an infraction OF rights and dignity;
not in secondary way, as where
citizen is injured and presents his
claim through his own government,
but in a primary way, precisely as II
it's minister or consul or flag itself
had been the object OF the same char
acter OF assault The officers and
sailors OF the Baltimore were in the
harbor of Valparaiso, under orders OF
this government, not by their own
choice. They were upon shore by inn
piled invitation OF the government OF
Chill, and with the approval OF their
commanding officers, and it does not
distinguish their case from that OF the
consul, that his stay is more perma-
nent or that he holds an express invi-
tation OF the local government to JUS
tify his longer residence. Nor does it
affect the question that the injury was
the act OF mob. II there had been
no participation by the police or mill
tary in this cruel work and no neglect
on their part to extend protection
the case would still be one, in my
opinion, when it's extent and charac-
ter are considered, involving interna-
tional rights"
The president recites the facts OF the
assault on the sailors on the Balti-
more, giving it very fully as shown by
the government investigation, also
giving excerpts from Gillian papers
and from the Chilian official report.
The president finds the Chilian author
tiles vindicated the American sailors
and later indicted one named David
son because he defended a companion
from being cut with q knife. He finds
according to the Gillian report that
the police fell short of their duty and
no ground for the statement that
American sailors endorsed the action
of the police. The existence OF ami
mostly to our sailors is alluded to, as
having been shown by even the highest
Gillian authorities. The evidence
shows the attack was expected by the
Gillian people. The message con-
tinues;
"In the report of Capt. Schley to the
navy department he says; In the
only interview had with Judge Fos-
ter, who is investigating the case rela-
tive to the disturbance before he was
aware of the entire gravity OF the
matter, he informed me that the as
sault upon my men was the outcome
of hatred for our people among the
lower classer because they thought we
had sympathized with the Balmaceda
government on account of the Itata
matter, whether with reason or with
out he could, OF course, not admit,
but such, he thought, was the expla-
| nation of the assault at that time
Several of our men sought security
from the mob by such complete OF
partial changes in their dress as would
conceal the fact of their being seamer
of the Baltimore, and found it ther
possible to walk the streets without
molestation.' These incidents con
clusively establish the fact that thu
attack was upon the uniform and moi
upon the men," The president con