The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-14

est confidence that Chile would soon tender
an ample apology and make reparation for
tine misdeeds OF her subjects, are now will
ing to admit privately that the situation Is
full OF the gravest difficulties.
AN oMINoUs SIGN.
One omincus sign is the great inactivity
OF congress in the matter. Heretofore il has
been customary whenever a matter of the
smallest public interest is the subject of
correspondence for one Of
the two houses of congress to call
upon the President for all the
information in possession of the state
department. In relation 20 the matter.
But no senator or member has vet been
venturesome enough to introduce O resolu-
ton calling for the Chilean correspondence.
although it has been apparent to all of them
that the relations Of the United States with
Chile have been strained nearly TO the
point OF a rupture within the last few
weeks. The very gravity of the
situation appears to have had repressive
effect upon congress. The republicans are
lndisposed to embarrass the President by
calling for the correspondence, having in
view his sig ltfcant promise to transmit il
to congress at an early day.
FEAR OF THE DEMOCRATS.
The democrats are fearful of interfering
with the negotiations and thereby precipitat-
ing trouble that may then be chargeable TO
their action. Uf course the President
might decline to accede to the request for
the correspondence, as he has done in other
cases, on the ground that it would not be
expedient or in the public interest
to publish it, but he would find it hard
to do so after the strong expressions upon
the subject contained in his annual message.
so the situation In congress Is one of
anxious waiting, in the hope that the Presi-
dent will soon relieve the general desire for
Information by voluntarily, or by means Of
a prompt request, supply the correspond
ence.
PARTY LINES woN'T BE DRAWN.
Very naturally the senators and men,
bers who are members of the committees
having the foreign relations Of the govern
ment in their charge are unwilling to ex-
press themselves at this juncture upon
the merits of the controversy, with
which they may soon have TO
deal officially; but from their private ex-
pressions 1t is clear that no party lines are
to be drawn and that the President will
have the united support of congress in the
adoption Of any measures he feels to be
necessary to the preservation Of the dignity
Of the United States
SENATOR MORGAN INCENsED.
Senator Morgan, who is the leading dem
ocratic member of the Senate committee on
foreign relations, is particularly indignant
at the revelations in the case of Patrick
Shields, the fireman of the American
steamer KeHenaw, who was cruelty treated
in the Chilean prison. He declares that
Shields is undoubtedly entitled to the protec-
tion of the American government, as he
was serving on an American vessel He
predicted that the Chilean government
would never raise a question of Shields
citizenship, Us had been suggested in view
of the fact that be is an Irishman and has
not been naturalized, 6s plea for refusing
reparatlon.
WILLING To WAIT.
In the House the members of the foreign
affairs committee have discouraged all who
spoke to them in favor of calling for the
correspondence, but there has been no con-
sultation among the members of the COM
mittee as whole on the subject. The
members of the committee said that
it would not be wise to precipitate discus
sion in the House while the correspondence
was incomplete for fear that ill-considered
utterauces OF action might result in embar-
RAISING the negotiations, if indeed it dld not
prevent an honorable understanding from
being reached.
A SOMEWHAT SIMILAR CASE,
In this connection, the older members of
Jllb LlOuS6 T6CGlk u Odh6 SOubh u6U duAlOROuS,
which arose in the Forty-ninth congress,
when resolution was offered calling for
correspondence. and requesting the Presi-
dent to demand of the British
government immediate trial or
release of four Irish suspects
confined in prison. Richelieu Robinson of
Brooklyn, who acquired a notable reputa-
tion as an opponent Of all things British,
aided by s. s. Cox, pushed the resolution
aud endeavored TO force the foreign affairs
committee to report it. Negotiations
between the representatives of the
two governments. Considerable excitement
was aroused in the House by the speeches
made on the resolution, and it looked as if
it would be adopted MIR. Frelinghuysen,
then Secretary of State, in conversation
with members of the House asserted that
the adoption Of the resolution would only
embarrass the government and
perhaps defeat its aims. He de-
sired the matter kept out of the
House and said the British minister wanted
to keep it out of the commons. Mr..
Frelinghuysen was confident that if the
negotiations were left untampered the res
suit would be the prompt release OF the men
on promise to leave Great Britain.
demand for an unconditional release,
he said, would strain the relati ns
between the two countries, and be called
attention to the fact that the unpublished
correspondence would leave the United
States in a bad light If the resolution were
passed, as Great Britain had made the
point that the United States, during the
civil war, had herself set precedent by
refusing TO grant a demand or Great
Britain for the release of her subjects con-
fined on suspicion Of working against the
United States, except on condition that the
men leave the United States.
Mr.. BLoUNT's POSITION.
Mr.. Blount of Georgia, now chairman OF
the foreign affairs committee, made aspeech
in which he said the adoption of the resolu-
tjon might seriously interfere with the
nropress of the negotiations; that the
House, by making such a demand, would
take it out of the power of Great Britain to
gracefully accede to the friendly request for
the release of the men, and that by preclp~
itate' action the United States be put In
warIike attitude, breaking of the negot1a-
tions. which, if left alone, would prooaDly
secure all that the United States could con-
sistently ask. The House thought well or
Mir. Blount's suggestions, and the resolution
went over. The end was the release OF
four suspects. The case Is cited oy
members of the committee on ior-
eiQn affairs to show the inadvisaolllty
of congressional action, taken, perhaps. on
Martial knowledge, which would interfere
with the executive In a matter OF great
6aIicacv IL is feared that If taken up In
the House speeches might be made that
would agRravate the present irritation be-
tween the two governments.
HooKER's VIEWS.
Representative Hooker Of Mississippi,a
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