Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-26
The Presidents Message Laid
Before Congress.
Chile's Conduct Criticised in
Caustic Terms.
A Firm, Fair Demand for Complete
ReparatiOn.
The Dignity of the Nation Must Be Up
held at ANY COst-The Message
and Ultimatum Generally
Approved.
Associated Press Dispatches.

Associated Press Dispatches.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.--The corre-
spondence in the Chilean controversy
and the presidents message on the
subject were laid before congress to-
day. In the house, on motion Of
Blount, and in the senate, on motion
of Sherman, the message was referred
to the committee on foreign affairs,
after reading.
Following is the text of the mes
sage:
To the Senate and 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 possession Of this govern
ment, touching on the assault in the
streets of Valparaiso, Chile, upon sailors
of the United States ship Baltimore, Oc-
tober 10th, last, / said: ''This govern
ment is now awaiting the result of the
investigation which has been conducted
by the criminal court at Valparaiso. 1t
is reported unoficially that the investi-
cation is about completed, and it is ex-
pected that the result will soon be com
municated to this government, together
with some adequate and satisfactory re-
sponse to the note by which the atten-
tion of Chile was called to this incident.
If these just expectations should be dis
appointed or further needless delay in
tervenss, will, by special message,
bring this matter again to the attention
OF congress for such action as may be
necessary"
In my opinion the time is now come
when l should lay before congress and
the country the correspondence between
this government and the government OF
Chile, from the time of the breaking out
of the revolution against Balmaceda, to-
gether with all other facts in possession
of the executive department relating to
this matter. The diplomatic cores
pondence is herewith transmitted, to-
gether with the correspondence
between the naval officers for
the time in command in Chilean
waters and the secretary of the navy,
and also the evidence taken at Mare
Island navy yard since the arrival of
the Baltimore at San Francisco. / do
not deem it necessary in this communi-
cation to attempt any full analysis of
the correspondence or Of the evidence.
A brief restatement of the international
questions involved and the reasons why
the responses OF the Chilean govern
ment are unsatisfactory, is all | deem
necessary.
l L. 49, l.
whatever may have been said in this
country or Chile in criticism OF Mr..
Egan, our minister at Santiago, the true
history of this exciting period in Chilean
affairs, from the outbreak of the revo-
luton until this time, discloses no act
on the part OF Mr.. Egan, unworthy of
his position, or that could Justly be the
occasion of any serious animadversion
or criticism. He has, l think on the
whole borne himself in vely trying cir
cumstances, with dignity, discretion
and courage, and has conducted the cor
respondence with ability, courtesy and
fairness.
1t is worth while, also, at the begin
ming, to say that the right of Mr.. Egan
to give shelter in the legation to certain
adherents OF the Balmaceda government,
who applied to him for asylum, has not
been denied by the Chilean authorities,
nor has any demand been made Tor the
surrender OF these refugees. That there
was urgent need of asylum, is shown by
Egan's note of August "a, 1891, describ-
ing the disorders that prevailed in San
tiago; and by the evidence of Captain
Schley as to the pillage and violence
that prevailed at Valparaiso. The cor
respondence discloses, however, that the
request of Mr.. Egan for safe conduct
from the country, in behalf of these
refugees, was denied. Precedents are
cited by him in the correspondence,
particularly in the case of the revolution
in Peru in 1885, that did not leave the
Chilean government in position to
deny the right of asylum to political
refugees, and seemed very clearly to
support Mr.. Egan's contention that
safe conduct to neutral territory was
a necessary end acknowledged incident
of asylum. These refugees have very
recently, without formal safe conducts,
but by the acquiescence of the Chilean
authorities, been placed on board the
Yorktown, and are now being conveyed
to Callao, Peru.
This incident might be considered
wholly closed but for the disrespect
manifested towards this government by
the close and offensive police surveil-
lance of the legation premises, main
tanned during the most of the period of
the stay OF the refugees therein. After
the date Of my annual message and up
to the time of the transfer OF the refu
gees to the Yorktown, the legation prem
ises seem to have been surrounded by
police in uniform and police agents or
detectives in citizens dress, who offans.
lively scrutinized persons entering or
leaving the legation, and on one or more
occasions arrested members of the min