Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-01-27
BRecKlNRloeE'S RESOLUTION.
lie Proposes One Containing an Imputa-
tion on the President


| in the house of Breckinridge of Kentucky.
/ Breckenridge was of those who criticized the
| message as reported in these dispatches of
| yesterday, and his speech yesterday was
| direct imputation that at the time the
| president had sent that message to con.
| gress he (the prcsident) knew that Chill
| had sent = reply to the ultimatum, and
| what that reply was. Breckenridge was
not supported in his action by any other
| member who said anything, and his at
/ tempt to have his resolution acted on at
| once was evidently not approved of by his
! Democratic colleagues, especially those
| from the south.
Text of tho Resolution.
! The resolution reads as follows:
| Resolved, That the president of the United
| States be respectfully requested to inform the
| house whether any answer has been received
! from our minister to Chill, Patrick Egan. Esq,
| or from the government of Chill 10 rfle dis
| latch sent by the government OF the United
| States TO the Republic of Chill on Jan. 81 and
| # 50, from whom such answer was received
! and at what time; and that he will communi-
! cate 10 the house all the correspondence be-
| tween the government O: the United States, its
| minister to Chill and the Chilian government,
! not communicated to the congress with the
| message heretofore sent IN.
! Breckenridge asked Tor ;he immediate
/ consideration OF the above, while Blount
/ and others tiied to have it referred i'm
! UcHIately to the foreign affairs committee,
/ Juj they were to late
CouIdn't Think of Criticism.
| BgecNiuridge said that congress knew
| the fact to be chat on Jan. 2l a dispatch
/ was sent to the republic of Chill. He did
| nos now criticise the president fornot wait
| ing until an answer had been received, or
] INF = -f-a.r g.l. l.
| before sending the message to congress.
! lie did not ROW make any criticism either
on the haste with which the message was
I sent or the language OF the message, pend
! ing the consideration by that republic of
! rs action on he dispatch of Jan. 81. 1t
must be remembered. however that the
! language Of That message to congress could
( nave been communicated TO the authorities
/ Of Chilli, and might. if no answer had been
! maze TO the dispatch of Jan. p. affect the
/ H't'iTh OF the answer that that government
( would leei called upon 10 make.
Guarded Imputatfon.
! Therefore it was not too great pre-
! sumption to indulge in that president of
/ great and free people, dealing with a free
! people, would not have used such Ian
! guage pending consideration by Chill in
| Its answer to the dispatch 1t was not too
| great presumption to indulge in that
| grave emergency like that would have
called from that president due consideration
and ample time, if he had not had some in
| tImation of what the answer would be-
IL was scarcely credible that the
language so-he would not say insulting
hut 50 severe, used by him, would have
| been used if he had believed that friend
| ~ and sufficient response would have been
| made to the dispatch of Jan. y.
Blount Remember Some History.
After few flights of the eagle Breckin-
| ridge closed with a call for the president
| TO give Us all the facts, and an expression
| Of surprise that Blount should hesitate to
| act upon the resolution at once. Blount
| then arose and said that it seemed to him
| that at this time before the course of con-
| CreSs had been considered. this matter
! should not have been thrust in the house
| Il remember said he. land ii is familiar
to You all, the course pursued on the war
of 1872. 4 message was sent to the congress
! OF the United States, the senate and house
| went into a secret session. the committee
! on foreign affairs resolved upon secrecy of
procedure, and the report OF the committee
on foreign affairs was made TO this house.
! accompanied by A declaration Of war and
her measures subsequently in relation to
| the regulation Of privatcering: We; nothing
was given to the public. The in junction
OF secrecy was never removed until the
/ executive signature had been affixed to the
ball declaring war
Agreed with EIouu-.
Herbert thought that the r, 4lution was
an impgiauou upon the =. ~i6ent. and
that it should be at Iea~' referred to
the foreign affairs committee. Nc
Creary though the committee. being
strictly Of a non-partjsan character. could
he entrusted with everything that per
tanned 10 the affair until he committee
lad made its report Hit was of q similar
opinion.
Breckinrid-e deprecated haste because
nc feared that war might possibly be
brauCht upon the country. as 50 many seem
ed TO desire H. but when Blouut again re-
que~tvd that the resolution ne referred to
his committee Breckenridge made no
more objection and on "a vote it was 50 re-
fgrred.
Denounced the Resolution.
/ = member Of tae cabinet last night de-
noUucsa Erechiulit.ge's resolution and re-
masks - more than ridiculous. They are
infamous said he There was not the
slightest ground for his imputation that
the president has been guilty Of mis-
conduct either in withholding infor-
nation or in rushing his message
10 congress while he had reason to
believe important facts were soon "a
rench him. I cannot with propriety dis
cuss the details OF the president 5 business,
but few days win suffice to show how
false and how atrocious, how disgraceful
TO the man who gave it public voice and
sent it throughout the world while such q
grave question IF peace or war Is pending.
i this cowar'ily aspersion upon the head
Of the nation
Not Likely to Propose War.
The senate committee met to discuss the
ChiIian matter yesterday afternoon The
two committees will report by joint resolu-
ton. and it i believed thai whatever they
. report congress Will adopt. Should the
committee not believe the message sub
/ stantiated by the correspondence they will
report TO lay the whole thing on the table
and probably recommend an investigation
Of the whole affair. If they be
! lieyp the message suEsIant iat.d