The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-01-26

populace Of Valparaiso, are SO abundant
and various as to leave no doubt in the
mind of any one who will examine the
papers submitted.
1t manifested itself in threatening and
insulting gestures towards our men as
they passed the Chilean men-of-war in
their boats, and in the derisive and
abusive epithets with which they greeted
every appearance of an American sailor
on the evening of the riot.
Captain Schley reports that boats from
the Chilean war ships several times went
out of their course to cross the bows of
| his boats, compelling them to back
water. He complained of the discour-
tesy and it was corrected.
| That this feeling was shared by mon
| of higher rank is shown by an incident
| by Surgeon Stitt. of the Baltimore.
After the battleof Placilla he, with other
| medical officers of the war vessels in the
harbor, was giving voluntary assistance
to the wounded in the hospitals The
son of Chilean army officer of high
rank was under his care, and, when the
| father discovered it he flew into pas
sion, and said he would rather have his
son die than have Americans touch him,
and at once had him removed from the
ward.
This feeling is not we'll concealed in
the dispatches of the foreign office, and
had quite open expression in the disre-
spectful treatment of the American le-
| CATION.
The Chilean boatinen In the bay re-
| fused, even for large offers of money, to
return our sailors, who crowded the
Mole, to their ship when they We're en-
| deavoring to escape from the city on the
night of the assault.
The market boats of the Baltimore
were threatened, and even quite re-
Gently the gig of Commander Evans, of
the yorktown, was stoned while wait
ing for him at the Mele.
Chile's Discourteous Delays.
The evidence of our sailors clearly
shows that the attack was expected by
the Chilean people, that threats had
been made against our men, and that in
one case somewhat early in the after
noon the keeper of one house, into which
some Of our men had gone, closed his
establishment in anticipation of attack,
which ne advised them would be made
upon them as darkness came on,
The communications of the Chilean
government in relation to this cruel and
disastrous attack upon our men, as will
appear from the correspondence, have
not i'll any degree taken the form of a
manly and satisfactory expression of re-
gret, much less of apology.
! The event was of so serious charac-
ter that if the injuries suffered by our
men had been wholly the result of an
accident in Chilean port, the incident
was grave enough to have called for
some public expression Of sympathy and
regret from the local authorities.
1t is not enough to say that if the
AFFAIR was lamentable, for humanity
would require that expression even if
the beating and killing OF our men had
been justifable.
1t is not enough to say that the incl
dent is regretted, coupled with the state
ment that the affair was not of an unus-
ual character in ports where foreign
sailors are accustomed to meet
1t is not for a generous and sincere
| government to seek for words of small
or eIuivocal meaning in which to con-
Vey to a friendly power an apology for an
offense SO atrocious as this.
what Chile Should Have Done.
In the case of the assault by a mob in
New Orleans upon the Spanish consulate
III 1901 Mr.. Webster wrote to the Span
lsh minister, Mr., Calderon. that the
acts complained of were "a disgraceful
and fragrant breach of duty and pro-
| priety."
That his government "regrets them
as deeply as Minister Calderon or his
| government could possibly do" that
these acts have caused the president
| great paia, and he thinks proper az
acknowledgement is due to her majesty"
lie invited the Spanish consul to re.
turn to his post, guaranteeing protection,
and offered to salute the Spanish flag if
the consul should come in Spanish
vessel.
Such treatment by the government
OF Chile OF this assault would have been
more creditable to the Chilean author
llles; and much less can hardly be salts.
factory to a government that values its
dignity and honor.
The president then refers to the DELAYS
by Chile in investigating the affair, and
laeloses his communication to Chile of
last Thursday, as follows:
The Presidents Demands,
On the elst inst, caused to be COM
mHnicated to the government Of Chile,
by the American minister at Santiago,
the conclusions of this government after
ftll consideration of all the evidence
and Of every suggestion affecting this
matter, aud to these conclusions | ad-
here. They We're stated as follows:
"flrst-Ihat the assault is not re-
l1eYed OF the aspect which the early in
formation of the event gave it. VIZ;
the United States navy, having its origin
and motive in a feeling of hostility to
tins government and not in any act Of
the sailOrs or OF any of them.
'.Second-That the public authorities
OF Valparaiso iiagrantly failed in their
duty to protect our men, and that some
of the police and some Of the Chilean
soldiers and sailors were themselves
guilty of unprovoked assaults upon onr
~ hpf pY,l e.
president1 thinks tho preponderance of
the evidence and the inherent probahili-
ties lead TO the conclusion that Riggin
was killed by the police or soldiers.
"Third-Ihat he (the president) is
therefore, compelled TO bring the case
back to the position taken by this gov
efnment IN the note Of Mr.. Wharton of
Oct. ~ last ard to ask for Il
suitable apology and for some adequate
rnnnrni ION fnr The inii,r,. lI,nn -. ~.