The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-26
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the Chilean authorities, nor has any demand been
made for the surrender OF these refugees. That
there was urgent need OF asylum is shown~b by
Mr.. Egan's note of Aug. "a. 1881, describing tha
disorders that prevailed in Santiago and by tha
evidence OF Capt. Schley as TO tbs pillage and
violence that prevailed at Valparaiso.
The correspondence dscloses, however. thai
the request of Minister Egan for safe conduos
from the country in behalf OF these refugees.
| was denied. Precedents cited by him il the
correspondence. particularly in the case OF the
revolution in Peru in 1865 did not leave the
| Chilean go7ernment in q position TO deny the
right OF asylum TO political refugees and
seemed very clearly to support Minister Egan'a
contention that safe conduct TO neutral territory
| was necessary and acknowledged incident OF
| asylum. These refugees have very recently
without formal safe conduct, but by ac4
| quiescence of the Chilean authorities, been
placed on board the Yorktown and are now
being conveyed to Callao, Peru.
| TIE WATCH ON THE EMBASSY.
This incident might be considered wholly
| closed but for the disrespect manifested toward
| this government by the close and offensive
police surveillance Of the legation premises
which was maintained during the most of the
] period OF che 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
| yorktown the legation premises seem to
have been surrounded by police in uniform,
| and police axrnts or detectives, in citizens'
dress. who extensively scrutinIzed persons enteri
ing or leaving the legation, and on one or mora
| occasions arrested members of the minister's
family. Commander Evans, who by my d.
Tection, recently visited Minister Egan at San.
tiago, in his telegram to the navy dsparts
mont described the legation as "a vertabl.
prison" and states that the police agents or de-
tectves were. after his arrival, withdrawn
| during his stay.
THE LEGATION INVADED
IL appears further, from the noteYof MinisteE
| Egan OF Nov. 20. 1891. that on one occasion at
| least these police agents, whom he declares to
| be known to him, invaded the legation prem
| ises, pounding upon its windows and using iu-
sulting and threatening language toward
Of o hnr ~
the minister TO freedom from police espionage
aud restraint seems to have been so fagranu
that the Argentine minister, who was dean Of
| the diplomatic corps, having observed It, telH
| called upon to protest against 1t TO the Chilean
minister of foreign affairs. The Chilean
oSseTTed trom nave the % Dos be
| charged the refugees and inmates of the lega-
| tion with Insulting the police but it seems to
jeopardy and whose safety could only be
secured by retirement and quietness.
s0iII.;on s0NIid haze haze SOUS sought to provoke
| destruction or to aGgrsvate their condition ~
intensifyinR the popular feeling that at one tim
so threatened the legation to require Minist q
| Egan to appeal TO the minister OF foreigD u
affairs.
THE ATTACK ON THE SAILORS.
But the most serious incident disclosed by
the correspondence is that Of the attack upon
the sailors OF the Baltimore In the streets OF
Valparaiso on Oct. 10 last. In my annual mes.
sage. speaking upon the information then In my
l
| able to learn. no other explanation OF this
| bloody work has been suggested than that 10
had its origin 10 hostility to these men as sailors
| OF the United States wearing the uniform
| OF their government, aud not, In any
| individual act Of personal animosity"
We have now received from the Chilean
| government an abstract of the conclusions OF
| the fiscal general upon the testimony taken bv
| the judge OF crimes in an investigation which
| was made TO extend over three months / very
i much regret to be compelled 20 say that this
1 report does not enable me to modify the CON
4 oiuslon announced IN my annual message
am Sill OF the opinion that our sailors we're as
| saulted, beaten. stabbed and killed not for any
| thing they or any one Of them had DONE bur
| for what the government Of the United States
had done, or was charged with having done, by
| iCs clvil oHicers and naval commanders.
| BECOMES INTERNATIONAL
| II that be the true aspect OF the case the In.
| jury was to the government of the United
| States. not TO these poor sailors, who wers
assaulted In manner so brutal and SO
| cowardly.
| LEGAL ASPECT OF THE CASE.
Before attempting TO give an outline of tha
facts upon which this conclusion rests. I think
IL right to say word or two upon the legal as
pcct OF the case The Baltimore was In the
| harbor OF Valparaiso by virtue OF that general
| invitation of which nations are held 10 extend to
| war vessels other powers with which they have
| friendly relations. This invitation, / think,
| must be held ordinarily to embraces
the privilege of such communication with
the shore as is reasonable. necessary
I
| the Offices and men Of such vessels Capt
| Schley testifes that when his vessel returned to
Valparaiso, on Sept ID, the city officers, as is
customary extended the hospitality of the city
| to his officers and crew. IL 10 not claimed that
| every personal collision or injury In which a
| sailor or officer of such naval vessel visiting the
shore may be involved. raised an International
| question: but am clearly Of the opinion thaa
| where such sailors or officers are assaulted by
| the resident populace, animated by hostility 70
| the government whose uniform these sailors
| and officers wear. and In resentment OF acts
done by their government, not by thems
| their nation must take notice of the
event as one involving an infraction OF
its rights and dignity; not In a secondary
way, as where citizen is injured and pre-
| senbs bis claim through his own government.
but In primary way, precisely as II its minis
ter or consul or nag itself had been the object OF
the same character Of assault. The officers and
| sailors of the Baltimore were in the harbor OF
Valparaiso under orders OF their government,
| not by their own choice. They were upon shore
by implied invitation of the governments
their commanding officer, and it does NOS
distinguish their case from that Of a consul thaH
| bis stay is more permanent or that he holds ex-
press Invitation Of the local government TO JUS
| tfy his longer residence Nor does 1t affect the
| question that the injury was the act OF mob.
| II there had been no participation by the poice
| military 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 ana
| character are considered, involving interna-
| tIonal rights.
INCIDENTS OF THE AFFAIR.
The incidents OF the affair are, briefly, as fol.
lows: On Oct 10 last Capt. Schley, commando
ing the United States steamship Baltimore gave
shore leave to III petty officers and sailors OF
Miss ip. These men left the snip about sd
O'Clock p m. No incident of violence ocourredx
none OF our men were arrested; 10 complaint
was lodged against them; nor did any collision
or outbreak occur until about O'Clock D. m.
Capt. Schley states that he was
himself on shore and about the streets Of the
city until $50 O'Clock p. M; that be met very
many OF his men who were upon leave; that
they were sober and were conducting them
selves with propriety, saluting Chilean and
other ofhcers as they met them Other officers
of the ship and Capt. jenkins of the mer-
chant ship Keweenaw, corroborate Capt
Bchley as to the general sobriety and
good behavior Of our men. The Sisters OF
Charity at the hospital to which our wounded
men were taken, when inquired of. stated that
they were sober when received. If the situation
had been otherwise, we must believe that the
Chilean police authorities would have made
arrests. About p. m, the assault began, and
u is remarkable that the investigation by the
judge OF crimes, though so protracted does
not enable him to give any more satisfactory
account OF Its origin than is found in
the statement that IL began between
drunken sailors. Repeatedly Ia the CORE
spondence it is asserted ttat it was impossible
TO learn the precise cause of che riot yh5
minister OF foreign affairs, Mr.. Matta in his tel
egram to MI. Montt, under date OF Dec. 81.