Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-26

that the reasonable men in power admit
that the United States could not con-
sistently have taken any other course
than the one she adopted, and that
Errazuriz, when acting as minister
of foreign relations two weeks ago, so
stated to him, without reservation. In
this relation the minister alludes to
the charge that the United States
steamer San Francisco carried news to
the Balmacedists of the Congressional
landing, and encloses an unequivocal
denial Of the charge by Admiral Brown.
THE QUESTION OF ASYLUM.
The minister tells of Balmaceda's
suicide, and then begins recital of his
efforts. lasting months, to protect the
refugees in his legation. September
oath be telegraphs that he is expected
to terminate the asylum and send the
refugees out to be prosecuted, but to do
so would be to sacrifice their lives, and
he has refused to permit them to go out
OF the legation. except under safe con-
duct to neutral territory. He says, on
account of the Itata and other ques-
tions, bitter feeling has been fomented
bv the government supporters against
Americans. Secret police surround the
legation, with orders to arrest visitors.
Two of Mr.. Egan's servants have been
arrested and are now in prison. Against
this disrespect to the legation he has
addressed protest to the minister of
foreign affairs.
Later he telegraphs that twenty per-
sons have been arrested in the last two
days for entering the legation, and 9TH
ers have been prevented by the police.
All this is intended to force him to drive
out the refugees, which he will not do
without instructions. He has addressed
a second note to the minister of foreign
affairs requesting an explanation of such
extraordinary, unjustifiable and Often
sive conduct.
The department evidently sustained
Mr.. Egan's course in this respect, for on
September 26th the following telegram
was sent to him: "Mr. Wharton in
structs Mr.. Egan, by direction of the
president, to insist firmly that the re-
spect and inviolability due to the min
lister of the United States and to the
legation buildings, including free access,
shall be given and observed fully and
promptly by the Chilean authorities.
The government of the United States is
prepared to consider in friendly spirit
the question as to whether asylum has,
ander the circumstances, been properly
given to the persons now at the legation
when the facts are more fully before it,
but it cannot allow to pass without a
firm protest the evidence of disrespect
towards its minister, which Mr.. Egan
reported. 1t is expected that this pro-
test will be followed by prompt action
on the part of the authorities of Chile"
On the following day Mr.. Egan tele-
graphs the department that he has
acted strictly in the spirit of the depart
ment'g instructions in the Barrundia
affair. He adds: "Three notes have
been received from the minister OF for
eign affairs, in which he charges that
the refugees had abused the right of
asylum, and for this reason defends his
action towards the legation. Mr.. Egan
has informed the minister that the
charge is absolutely and entirely un-
founded, and has asked for safe conduct
for the refugees. Similar requests had
been made by him two weeks previous,
informally, but orders were given that
all persons leaving the legation should
be arrested, and many persons were thus
obliged to procure passports to visit the
legation"
In long letter dated September Goth
he explains these events at great detail,
showing in substance that the allegation
of the local authorities was that the
refugees were engaged in a conspiracy
against the government. The inten-
dente himself had declared to him that
he did not believe the story a moment.
but at his suggestion Mr.. Egan caused
the friends Of the refugees to discontinue
their visits to the legation. Neyerthe-
less the arrests and police persecution
continued in spite of Mr.. Egan's best
efforts, through the medium of three
notes addressed to the foreign office, to
cause their cessation. He tells of in
timations conveyed to him that he
should cause the refugees to leave the
legation to avoid complications and per-
sonal unpopularity. He speaks of the
refugees in other legations, and calls at
tention to the fact that in the case of
one or two army officers who escaped
into the English legation, in spite of its
refusal to take any refugees, the govern
ment did not hesitate to grant safe con-
duct.
MINISTER MATTA's BRUsQUENEss.
In his notes to Minister Egan, rela-
tive to this subject, Sef1or Malta. the
Chilean minister of foreign affairs, is in
instances rather brusque, as may be
seen from the following extracts: IRE
lating to the extraordinary, and without
example, events taking place at the le-
CATION, the envoy extraordinary will
permit me to excuse discussion of the
point, because everything done and
everything that will be done by the police
agents, not only exercise the attributes
incumbent upon the local authorities,
which are better informed and better
posted on what takes place inside the
legation and its vicinity, than appears
to be by the envoy extraordinary and
minister plenipotentiary. In reference
to the communication of his excellency,
the envoy extraordinary and minister
plenipotentiary to his government, upon
these subjects, and the proceedings that
may follow, and the new instructions
and orders they may be given him,
these are not matters to give grounds
whatsoever for discussion with the un-
dersigned, who believes and hopes that
knowing the facts, such as they are,
they will be judged in the same light
and by the same criterion that he him.
self judges them"
In telegram OF the date of Septem-
Der 30th, Mr.. Egan states that in note
sent him the minister for foreign affairs
refuses safe conduct or permission to
refugees to leave the country, and main
tains the correctness of all that has been