The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1892-01-30
TALKS RIGHT OUT.
President Harrison Transmits His
Message onthe CHILEAN Difficult
ties to Congress.
Recites the Insults That Have Been
Heaped Upon American Citi-
zens of Chill.


zens Of Chill.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.-The presi.
dents message on Chilian affairs was
sent to congress today and referred to
the foreign committees of each house.
The president opens with the repeti-
ton of his mention of the subject in his
annual message, and calls attention to
the accompanying correspondence, and
says:
"It may be we'll at the outset to say
that whatever may have been said in
this country or in Chill in criticiem of
Mr.. Egan, our minister at Santiago,
the true history of this exoit-
ing period in Chilian affairs,
from the outbreak of the revolution
until this time discloses no act or the
part of Egan unworthy of his position,
or that could justly be the occasion OF
serious criticism. He has. I think, on
the whole, borne himself in the very
trying circumstances with dignity, dis
oretion and courage, and has conducted
the correspondence with ability, cour-
tesy and fairness. 1t is worth while.
also, at the beginning to say that the
right of Egan to give shelter in the lega-
ton to certain adherents Of the Balma.
ceda government who applied to
him for an asylum has not
been denied by the Ohilian authorities
nor has any demand been made for the
surrender of these refugees. That there
wal urgent need of the asylum is shown
by Egan's note of Aug. "a, 1891, de-
scribing the disorders that prevailed in
Santiago and by the evidence OF Gap.
tain Schlev as to the pillage and violence
that prevailed at Valparaiso. The cor.
respondence disclosea. however, that
the request of Egan for the safe con-
duct from the country in behalf OF these
refugees was denied"
The president Endorses Egan's claim
that the right of asylum meant the right
to save and conduct to neutral territory,
and says: 'This incident might be con-
sidered wholly closed but for the disre:-
spect manifested towards this govern
ment by the close and offensive police
surveillance of the legation premises
which was maintained during most OF
the period of the stay Of the refugees
therein. After the date Of my annual
message and up to the timeof the trans.
fer of the refugees to the Yorktown the
legation premises seem to. have been
surrounded by police in uniform and
police agents or detectives in oltl.
zens' dress, who Extensively scrutinlzed
the persons entering or leavingth lega.
ton, and one o. more occasions ar
rested the members of the minister's
family. This breech of the right of the
minister to the freedom from police es-
poinage end restraint seems to have
been so fragrant that the Argentine
minister. who was dean of the diplo
matte corps, having observed it, felt
called upon to protest against it to the
Ohilian minister of foreign affairs.
Regarding the Baltimore affair, after
repeating what be said in his annual
message, the president says: We have
now received from the Ohilian govern.
ment an abstract of the conclusions of
the fiscal general upon the testimony
taken by the Judge of crimes in the in
vestigation which was made to
extend over nearly three months. I
very much regret to be compelled
to say this report does not enable me to
modify the conclusion announced in my
annual message. I am still of the opin.
ion that our sailors were assaulted,
beaten, stabbed and killed, not for any
thing they or any of them had done,
but for what the government of the
United States had done or was charged
with having done by its civil officers and
naval commanders. If that be the true
aspect of the case. the injury was to the
government of the United States. not to
these poor sailors, who were assaulted
in themannerso brutal and sc o%owardly."
Regarding the legal aspect of the case
the president says: 1T is not claimed
that every personal collision or injury in
which a sailor or officer of such naval
vessel visiting the shore may be in
volved raises an international question,
but I am clearly of the opinion that
where such sailors or officers are as.
saulted by the resident populace. ami
mated by hostility to the government
whose uniform these sailors and officers
wear. and in resentment of the acts done
by their government. not by them,
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 the citizen
is injured and presents his claim
through his own government, but in q
primary way, precisely as if its minister
or CONSUL, o the flag 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 the shore
by the implied invitation of the govern.
ment of Chill, and with the approval of
their commanding officers; and it does
not distinguish their case from that of
the consul, whose stay is more perma-
ment or that he holds an express invita-.
tion of the local government to justify
his longer residence. Nor does it affect
the question that the injury was the act
of q mob. 1t there had been no partioi-
patton by the police or military in this
cruel work and no neglect on their part
to extend protection, the cas would
still be one, that in my opinion, when
the extent and character is considered,
involvs international rights"
The rroo;don< roo;kod tho fon&u ~ tho