The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-31

useless to deny that the affair was ex-
tremely grlevous. though II is said it was a
result of drunkenness, owing to the locality
in which it occurred. The truth is that
two American seamen were killed and
swelve or fourteen others wounded.
Perhaps the Valparaiso does not
remember anything of such magnitude
and with such results. But notwithstand-
ing this, an easy and simple solution was
offered. We do not think that the govern
ment at Washington desired anything more
than a prompt aud expeditions judicial in
vestigation that the guilty might be
punished, and that there might be an offer
OF an equitable indemnity II necessary, and
an expression Of regret from the
Chilean government for an ac-
cident quite foreign to its will
We do not believe, either. that our governs
ment would have denied satisfaction. But
unhappily diplomacy has not been in accord
with this proposition and want of frankness
and expression of views little meditated
have disturbed the Tranquil settlement of
an affair which ought to have been ar
ranged satisfactorily already. But what
has principally called our attention to the
judicial proceedings is the desire
to surround this affair with
silence and mystery, invoking
to this end the ancient Spanish laws on the
secrecy OF summary, which ia within the
discretion OF the judge who conducts, and
he is permitted to violate the secrecy at any
time when the case demands it 1t is his
duty to ascertain the facts in the case and
to request assistance from the injured
parties, who IN this case were seamen of the
Baltimore. and as their representatives, the
captain and. other officers Of the ship
ANOTHER UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES.
There is another unfortunate oircum-
etauna in nOnnanti0n with tha fudfnial r,ro
ceedings, and one which ought not to have
existed. The, judge of crimes Of Valparaiso
is Foster Recabarren, son of Julio Foster,
who is az present in the United States
where he is making great outcry against
Secretary Blaine and Minister Egan and
against the political party to which both
belong. 1t is strange that the
regard with mistrust the result
of an investigation conducted by man who
is so closely connected with Julio Fosterl
In regard to the other question about asy-
lum, 1t is necessary to confess that the ac-
tion of our foreign office has been far from
corresponding with the historical antece-
dents which have always distinguished ii.
Minister Malta publicly confesseS that the
American legation is acting in the right in
giving asylum 10 political refugees. but
after making this acknowledgement
he denies the natural and logical
result of that right, which is that safe con-
duct shall be granted for the removal of
the refugees TO foreign countries, as without
this, asylum is a sham, "a trap offered Instead
of place of refuge. Minister Egan's ar
guments in this matter are con-
elusive, and Minister Malta has not even at
tempted to refute them. Let us pass by
the shameful practices of placing spies
around the legation. emake no Comment,
but refer the matter To the INDIGNATION
which cannot look iudifferently npon OUT
RACES which friendly nation aims at the
person of its highest representative In Chile.
But in the train Of STUPID ties there is one
that eclipses them all We refer to the
cablegram sent by Minister Malta to our
minister in Washington. Any one who
reads that document, which will become
historical, cannot but be convinced that it
contains everything but propriety and
decorum. # And this unfort>
unate document, which might have
passed unnoticed il it had been transmitted
to Minister Montt without publication, was
put before the public in both hemispheres
by Minister Malta and was laid before the
Senate, which accepted It In silence and
was given TO the press of the country,
which praised and applauded it. We have
said the press, but we must also say that at
the time the telegram was published
the press was restrained. But to-day, when
the dictatorship has fallen and we enter
again upon a legal and constitutional
regime, the first words of the DemocrGcid,
modest though they be, are protest against
the document that Is far from representing
public opinion of Chile" The article of La
DemocrdciG was written by a man who
was chief of the cabinet under ex- President
Balmacedo and who was at one time the
Chilean minister in Washington.