Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-01-29


has been conducted by the Criminal court al
Valparaiso. 1t Is reported unOtfi cially that the
investigation is about completed, and it is ex-
pected that tEe result viii be commune
Gated to this government together with some
adequate and satisfactory response to the note
by which the attention of Chile was called to
this incident. Ifthcsc Just expectations should
be disappointed further needless delay in
tervene [ viii by special message bring this
matter again 10 the attention of Congress for
such action as may De necessary.
In nv OnnOn the time has come when I
should before the Congress Of the country
the corr; aDondencc between this government
and the government Of Chile from The tine OF
the breaking out If the revolution against Bal
m&ceda. together with all other taCt5 in the
possession OF the Executive Department re-
lating to this matter The diplomatic CORE
spond; nee lis herewith transmitted, together
with some correspondence between the naval
officers for the time il command il Chilean
waters and the Secretary of the Navy, and also
the evidence taken at the Mare island Navy
Yard since the arrival OF the Baltimore at San
Francisco. | do not deem it necessary in this
communication to attempt any further analysis
of the correspondence Of the evidence. A
brief restateIncnt OF the nterna tional questions
involved and OF the reasons why the responses
of the Chilean government are unsatisfactory
Is all that deem necessary
MIR. Egan Justified.
It may be well, at the outset. to sa y that
whatever may have been said in this country
or in Chile in critisism Of Mr.. Egan, our minis
ter at Santiago, the true history of this exciting
period in Chilean affairs, from the outbreak Of
the revolution until this present time. discioses
no act on the part of Mr.. Egan unworthy of his
position or that could justly be the occasion of
Serious annadVerSiOn or criticism. He has
l think, on the whole borne himself in very
trying cirCumSt lnlcS with dignity, discretion
ana cOur&C and has conducted the CORE
spondeuce with abIity courtesy and fairness.
1t is worth while also at the beginning to say
that the right of Mr.. EEGn to give shelter in
the legation to certain adherentS Of The B&lna-
Ceda Government who appl ed to him lOr asylum
has not Oeen denied by the CHILEAN authorities,
nor has any demand been made for the surren-
nor of Ia.h lpf11 fbppT T.l, r1r.r
need Of asylum is shown by Mir. Egans note Of
Aug. 24 1891, describing the disorders that pre-
vailed in Santiago and by the evidence of
Captain Schley as TO the pllage and
violence that prevailed at Valparaiso. The
correspondence Giscloses, however that the
request Of Mr., Egan Tor safe co3dG : from
the country on behalf TT these refgg; rs was de-
MED. The prCcedeutS cit ed by him in the cor
resDODderve. particularly in the case OF the
revolution in Peru in 1865. did not leave the
Chilean government III IA position to deny the
right Of asylum to political refugees and
seemed very clearly 10 support Mr.. E. MS con-
tention that safe conduct TO neutral territory
was necessary and acknowledged incident Of
the asylum These refugees have very recent
ly, without formal safe conduct but by the ac-
Quiesceuce of the Chilean authorities, been
placed on board The Yorktown ana are now
! being conveyed to CalaO. Peru.
The Chilean authorities have, as will be OBJ
Tefneees and he inmates Of the ieGati9 WIZ
Insulting the police but it seems to me incredi-
BILE that men whose lives were in jeopardy and
whose safety could only be secured by retire
woke collision which could only end in their
destruction, or to a-gravate their condition by
intensifyirg popular feeling that, at one time.
so threatened the Legation as to require Mr..
| Egan to appeal to the Minister of Foreign
Affairs
Attack on the Ea!timore's sailors.
But tho ..ost serious incident disclosed by
the corrr.-.ar.,enec s that Of the IT -, 11no1
the sailors Of the Baltimore in tn streets of
| Valparaiso 0n the 10Th OF October last.
We have now receive from the Chilean gov
| fiscal ganc..l upon the testimony taken by the
! Judge of Grimes in an Investigation which was
| made TO extend nearly over three months l
| very much regret to ne compelled to say that
| this report does not enable me to modify the
! conclusion announced in my annual message.
| I am still Of the opinion that our sailors were
| assaulted, beaten, stabbed and killed not for
! anything 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 70 these poor sailors, who were
assaulted in manner so brutal and so cow
! ardly.
Legal Aspect OF the Case.
| Before attempting, to give an outline Of
two upon he legal aspect Of tn.
case. me @ ,' IF %1s IN me Haroot OF
which nations are held 10 extend 10 the war
I vessels OF other powers with which they have
friendly relations This Invitation, I think,
] must be held ordinarily TO embrace the privi-
/ lege OF such communication with the shore as
/ is reason bic, necessary and prorer for the
{ comfort and convenience Of the officers and
/ uaeu Of such vessels Captaiu ScAIev testified
/ that when his vessel returned to Valparaiso on
Sc u. II the city officers, as is customary ex-
| tended the Inequalities OF the city TO his on
/ GERS and crew.
| InfractIon of Our Rights.
II is not claimed that every personal collision
/ or injury in which q sailor or officer Of such
! naval vessel visiting the shore nav be fnyol we'd
raises an international question, but ] am
clearly of the opinion that where such sailors
/ or officers are assaulted by resident populace,
| animated by hostality TO the government