Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-01-26
THE SPECIAL MESSAGE.

Abstract of President Harrison's State
ment to Congress.
The following is an abstract of Presi-
dent Harrison's message to Congress
ON the Gillian situation:
To the Senate aud House Of Representatives:
In my annual message, delivered to Congress
at the beginning of the present session, after
brief statement of the facts then in the pos
session of this Government touching the as
sault in the'street3 of Valparaiso, Chill, upon
the sailors of the United States steamship Bal
timore, on the evening of the 10th of October
last, said:
This Government is now awaiting the result
of an investigation, which has been conducted
| by the Criminal Court at Valparaiso. 1t is
ported unofficially that the investigation is
about completed, and it is expected that the
result will soon be communicated to this Gov
ernmcnt, together with some adequate and
satisfactory response to the note by which the
attention of Chilli was called to this incident.
/ If these just expectations should be disap
pointed or further needless delay intervene, l
| will, by a special message, bring the matter
| again to the attention of Congress for such ac-
| ton may be necessary"
| In my opinion the time has now come w hen
| ] should lay before the Congress and the cOun-
| try the correspondence between this Govern
| mcnt and the Government of Chilli, from the
| time Of the breaking out of the revolution
| against Balmaceda, together with all other
| facts in the possession of the Executive De-
| partment relating TO THIS matter.
| The correspondence is herewith transmitted.
| do not deem it necessary in this communion
ton to attempt any full analysis of the CORES
| pondencc or of the evidence. A brief restate-
ment of the international questions involved
| and of the reasons why the responses of the
| Gillian Government arc unsatisfactory is all
| that deem necessary.
Minister Egan COmplimented.
1t may be as well at the outset to say that,
whatever may have been said in this country
or in Chilli in criticism of Mr.. Egan, our Minis
| ter at Santiago, the true history of this eXcit-
ing period in CHILEAN affairs, from the outbreak
of the revolution until this time, discloses no
act on the part of Mr.. Egan unworthy of his
position, or that could justly be the occasion
of serious an1madversion or criticism. He has
l think, on the WHOLE borne himself, in very
trying circumstances, with dignity, discretion
and courage, and has conducted the CORES
pondence with ability, courtesy and fairness.
1t is worth while also at the beginning to say
that the right Of Mr. Egan TO give shelter in
the Legation to certain adhcrcnts of the Bal
maccda Government who applied to him fol-
| asylum has not been denied by the Gillian au.
thorities, nor has any demand been made for
the surrender of these refugees. That there
was urgent need of asylum is shown by Mr.
| Egans note of August n, 1891. describing the
, disorders that prevailed i'll Santiago, and by
| the evidence of Capt. SChley as to the pillage
; and violence that prevailed at Valparaiso.
The correspondence discloscs, however, thai
| the request of Mr.. Egan for a safe conduct
from the country in behalf Of the refugees
was denied. The precedents cited by him il
the correspondence, particularly the case o.
the revolution in Peru in 1868. did not leave
| the Gillian Government in q position to deny
| the right of asylum to political refugees, anC
seemed to support Mr.. Egan's contention tina
safe conduct to neutral territory
necessary and acknowledged incident of the
asylum. These refugees have very recently
without formal safe conduct, but by the &C
quiesccncC of the authorities, been placed OF
board the Yorktown and are now being con
veyed to Calao Peru.
This incident might lie considered who'll,
J closed but for the dsrespect manifestet
toward this Government by the close and often
Bive police surveillance OF the Legation prem
ises which was maintained during most of tn
I | period of the stay of the refugees therein.
2 The Legation IA Veritable Prison.
After the date of my annual message and III
| to the time of the transfer of the refugees t,
r the Yorktown, the Legation premises seem t
n have been surrounded by police in uniform
r and police agents or detectives in citizen
: dress, who extensively scrutlnized persons en-
| teTing or leaving the Legation, and on one O
more occasions. arrested members of the Min
: ister's family. 1t appears further that on on
occasion at least these police agents invade
e the Legation premises, pounding upon 1t
o windows and using insulting and threaten in
| language towards persons therein.
But the most serious incident disclosed in tn
correspondence is that of the attack upon tn
q sailors of the Baltimore.
We have now received from the CHILEAN Gov
eminent an abstract of the conclusions of tn
> | Fiscal General upon the testimony taken b
n the Judge of Crimes in an investigation whic
g was made 10 extend over nearly three month.
h l very much regret to be compelled to sa
y that this report docs not enable me to modif
, the conclusion announced in my annual mes
Q sage. | am still of the opinion that our sailor
were assaulted, beaten, stabbed and killed, no
for anything they or any one of them had don
- but for what the Government of the Unite
States had done, or was charged with havin
done, by its civil officers OF naval commander
Commander Evans, who by my direction N
nantIv visited Mr.. Egsn at Santiago, in b
telegram to the Navy Department. describe
the LEGATION as "a veritable prison" and stat
that the police agents, or detectives were, aft,
:, his arrival, withdrawn during his stay.
The Nation, Not the Men, Attacked.
IF there had been 20 participation by Il
police or military In this cruel work and l
! uegiect On their part To extend nratartinn- =