Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-01-30

I Dy the COTresp 7n1ence Is that or Tie at
tack on the sailors Of the Baltimore in the
/ street Of Valparaiso on the 18th of Otto
Der last In my annual message, speaking
upon the information then in my posses.
sion, | said;
so far as nave yet been able to learn,
I no other explanation Of this bloody work
1 has been suggested than that it had its
/ origin in hostility TO these men as sailors
/ OF the United States, wearing the uniform
\ OF their government, and not in any in
/ dlvidual act or personal luminosity.
We have now received from the Gillian
I government an abstract of the conclusions
/ of the fiscal general upon the testimony
taken 10y the Judge Of crimes in an inves-
tigation made to extend over nearly three
months. very 1luch regret TO
be compelled 10 say that this
report does not enable me TO
modify the conclusion announced in nv
annual message | am still of the opin-
ion that our sailors were assaulted, beat
en-, stabbed and killed, not for anything
they or any one 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 com
manders. II that be the true aspect of
the case the injury was to tie government
Of the United States, not to these poor
sailors who we're assaulted in a manner so
brutal and cowardly
After summarizing the CORES ondence
up to a certain point he SAYS
The communications of the CHILEAN gov.
eminent in relation to this cruel ami dis.
astrous attack uron our men, as will
appear from the correspondence, have not
In any degree taken the form of a manly
and. satisfactory expression of regret, much
less Of apology The event was of so seri.
Gus q character that if the injuries spf-
tered by our men had been wholly
the result Of an accident Ia a CHILEAN port.
the incident was grave enough to have
called for some public expression of sym
pathy and regret from the local authorit.
les. 1t Is not enough to say that the
affair was lamentable, for humanity would
require that expression even if the beating
and killing of our men had been
Justlhable, 1t is not enough to say that the
incident is regretted, coupled with the
statement that the affair was not of au
unusual character in ports where foreign
sailors are accustomed 10 meet. It is not
for a generous and sincere government to
seek for words of small equivocal meaning
In which to convey to friendly power an
apology for an Otfense 50 atroCiOus as this
In the case of an assault by a mob in New
Orleans upon the Spanish consulate in
1851, Mr.. Webster wrote to the Spani sh
minister, Mr., Cauldron, that the acts com
planned Of were "a disgraceful and fla
grant breach Of duly and propriety, and
that his government regrets them as
deeply as Minister Caldron or
his government could possibly do;
that 'these acts have caused the
president great pain, and he thinks
proper acknowledgement is due to her
majesty He invited the Spanish consul
to return TO ais post guaranteeing protec
tion and offered to salute the Spanish
flag j. the consul should colhe in Span.
ish vessel Such treatment by the gov
eminent of Chill of this assault would
have been more cTeditable to the CHILEAN
authorities. and much less can hardly be
satisfactory to a government that values
its dignity and honor
Ia our note of October % last, which
appears in the correspondence, after re-
ceIytng the report of the board Of officers
appointed by Capt Schley TO inYesti-
gate the affair, the CHILEAN govern
ment was advised of the aspect
which it then assumed, and called
upon for any facts in its possession that
might tend to modify the unfayoraOie inn
presslons which our report had created.
1t is very clear from the correspondence
that before the receipt OF this note, the
examination was regarded 10y the police
az rOritlas us practically closed. II was,
however, reopened and protracted through
period of nearly three months. We
might Justly have complained Of this an.
reasonable delay but in view Of the fact
that tho government of Chilli was still per
sOnal, and with "A disposition to be fOrbear
ing and hopeful of a friendly treatment,
have waited che report which has but
gently been made
On the Dist INST. caused to be commu-
nlCated to the government of Chill, by the
American minister at Santiago, the conciu-
sIons OF this government after a full con
sideration o. all the evidence and of every
suggestion affecting this matter and o
these conclusions / adhere They we're
stated as follows;
l. That the assault is not relieved of
the aspect which the early information of
the event gave TO 1t, viz, That Of an at
tack upon the uniform OF the United
States navy, having It's origin and m tive
in feeling of hostility to this government
and not In any act If the sailors or OF any
OF th m
?. That the public authorities of Val
pariso Aagrauty failed in their duty to
protect cur men. and that some of the po-
lice and the Chilian soldiers and sailors
were themselves guilty of uuprovnEed as
sauits upon our sailors before and after at
rest. He tthe preStdeut) thinks the pre-
pondarmCe Of the evidence and the iuher.
emit probabilities lead to the conclusion
that Riggiu was killed by the police or
soldiers
3. That he ltbe pyesidertl is therefore
compelled to bring the case buck to the
position taken by this government IN the
note of Mr. Wharton, OF October % last,
and 10 ask for suitable apology an for
some adequate reparation for the Injury
done 10 tins government.
In the Same note the attention or the
CHILEAN government was called 80 the Of
f..,yiyra eH8r.trtpr 0f "a note addressed hy