Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-27
The Chilean Affair Handled
with Care.
Congress Is Chary of Going Off
at Half-COck.
A Futile Attempt to Precipitate Dis
cussion in the House.
Breekinridge of Kentucky Tacitly Ac-
euses the President of withhold
ing Information From
Congress.
Associated Press Dispatches.


marked falling off in attendance in the
house this morning, both on the floor
and in the galleries.
Breckenridge of Kentucky asked for
Immediate consideration of the following
"Resolved, That the president of the
United States be respectfully requested
to inform the house whether any answer
has been received, either from our min
lister to Chile, Egan, or from the govern
ment OF Chile, to the dispatch sent by
the government of the United States to
the republic of Chile, January 21st, and
If 30 from whom such answer was re-
ceived and at what time and that he
will communicate to the house all cor
respondence between the government of
the United States and its minister to
Chile and the Chilean government not
communicated to congress with the mes
sage heretofore sent in"
There was some attempt made to have
the resolution referred to the committee
on foreign affairs, and Blount of Georgia,
chairman of the committee, made a
motion to that effect, but the speaker
ruled that the motion came too late, he
having previously recognized Breckin-
ridge to debate on the resolution.
BREcKINRIDGE's SPEECH.
Breckenridge said, if the chairman OF
the committee on foreign affairs desired
the resolution referred to the committee,
he would make no objection, but he
wished to say q few words on the SUBJ
ject. Congress recently received mes
sage from the president concerning a
question of peace or war. under circum-
stances which, in the nature of the case,
must be grave. Now it appeared pos
sible that the Chilean government did
send an answer to the dispatch repeated
in the message the president had sent
Congress knew the fact to be that on
January 2lst dispatch was sent to the
republic of Chile. He did not now
criticise the president for waiting until
an answer was received, or until the time
for such answer elapsed before sending his
message to congress. He did not make
any criticism either on the haste with
which the message was sent or on the
language of the message, pending con-
Bideration by that republic of it's action
ON the dispatch of January 21st. 1t
must be remembered, however, that the
language of that message to congress
could have been communicated to the
authorities of Chile, and might, if no
answer was made to the dispatch of
January 21st. affect the nature of the
answer that government would feel
called upon to make. Therefore, it was
not too great a presumption to indulge
In the wish that the president of a great
and free people, dealing with free but
feeble people, would not have used such
language pending the consideration by
Chile of its answer to the dispatch. 1t
was not too great presumption to in
dulge in that grave emergency like
that would have called from the presi-
dent due consideration and ample time,
if he had not had some intimation what
the answer would be. 1t was scarcely
credible that language so-he would not
say insulting-b but severe, used by him,
would have been used if he believed a
friendly and sufficient response would
have been made to the dispatch of the
2lst of January. 1t was, therefore, not
impossible that he may have had some
intimation of what that answer would
be. and yet it is in such an unofficial
and informal manner received by him
as to justify him in not putting it in his
message. Applause on the Democratic
side.
Continuing. Breckenridge said: "The
power granted alone to congress to de-
clare war, the president has put upon
US. We must face it, and 30 decide, on
the one hand, that the honor and dig
nifty of the American people shall be
upheld. No man in this house, no
tka- f~o~ -Ao% u,~o 10
from what section he may hail, but will
man that wears the American uniform,
or guard at whatever expense, the honor
and glory of the American people.
IGreat applause.l 1t will be perceived
by every honorable man in all She
country that the honor, glory and dignity
of the republic, and the safety and Sc
curity of its seamen are safe in the hands
of this congress. But on the other hand
war should only be declared as a last
resort. When war must be with a
sister republic, a republic like the
United States, anxious for liberty, desir-
ing to maintain constitutional freedom,
seeking progress by means of that free
dom, aud with gravity greatly in
creased by the fact that republic in
the midst of great internal trouble, hav-
ing just overthrown a dictator while
seeking for congressional liberty un-
der constitutional guarantee
all great men, all generous men, all who
love liberty will desire to bear and for
bear with such people, passing through
such state in the midst of such desper-
ate conditions, as long as our reason
will allow US to bear and forbear with
her. [Applsuse
Therefore, it is our dutyto know all
the facts. Every fact that can bear any
relation to this matter is part of our
necessary information in the conclusion
we must reach upon matter
so important as this, and /
confess it never occurred to me
that the chairman of the committee on
foreign affairs or any member OF the
house, would hesitate to submit this re-
quest to the president of the United
States. BY reference, by postponement,
or by delay of any sort, we weaken the
attitude we ought to bear to this ques-
ti0n. Let us say to the president at
once: Give us information send to us
that which has been communicated to
you; let us have it before our opinions
crystallize into convictions ;Ibefore we
become biased by reading the CORE
epondence in which are unkind, bitter
things; before our temper is aroused by
offensive utterances which may have
been made. Before any conclusion is
Il. - : -