Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-01-26
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
Continued frog First page ,

alleged violation of the neutrality law, IN the
cable incident and IN the charge that Admiral
Brown conveyed information to Valparaiso OF
the landing 1t QuiEterU- It l. not my purpose
to enter here any defense Of the action OF this
government IL these matters
II l. enough for the present purpose TO say
that If there was any breach OF international
comfy or duty upon our part II should have
been male the subject Of official complaint
through diplomatic channels. or o. reprisals for
which a fun responsibility was assumed. We
cannot consent that these incidents and these
perversion< of the truths shan be used 70
cite a nGrde-ous attack upon our unoffending
sailors ami the government Of Chill 80 acquitted
of responsibility.
Recognized the New Government.
In fact. the conduct If this government dur
ing the war in Chilli pursued those lines Of
international duty which We had 50 strongly
insisted mon on the part of other nations when
this country was in the thrOeS OF active con
fict We continued the established diplomatic
relations with the government IN power until
it was oyerthrowu. and promptly and cordially
recognized the new government when II was
established The good Offices Of TINS govern
ment were offered % bring about peaceful
adjustment. and the interposition of Mr. Egan
TO mitigate seventies and shelter adherents of
the c0a-r,-Si0ual PARTY were effectual and
frequent. Tine charge against Admiral Brown
Is too base To gain cTeience with any one who
knows his high personal and professional char
acter.
Referring T. the evidence of our sailors
think 1t j. shown that there were several dis
tinct assaults and - nearly simultaneous a. 10
show that they did not spread from one point.
4 press summary OF the report Of the Fiscal
shows that the evidence OF the Gillian officials
and others was in conflict a. 20 the place Of
origin several p,ares being named by different
Witness the l9cs,llty where the first out
break occurred This If correctly reported,
shows that there were several distinct out
breaks ard so nearly at the same time as 10
cause this confusion.
The La Pa-ria in the same issued from which
I have already quoted. after descrlhing the
killing Of Ri.giu and the fight which from that
point extended To- the Mole says: At the same
time IL other streets Of the port the Yankee
sailors fought tcrrc.y with the people Of the
town, who believed 20 So in them incsrnate
enemies u the Cailian navy"
Corroborative Testimony.
The testimony Of Captain jenkins, Of the
American merchant ship hvweeuaw. which
had gone 10 EalTGE.si-J for repairs. and who
was witness OF some part Of the assault upon
the crew Of the Baltimore Is strongly corrobO
ratiye OF the testimony OF our own sailors
when he says that he saw Gillian seutries drive
back SEAMAN seeking shelter upon a mob that
was pursuing him. The officers and men Of
Captain jenkins ship furnish the most con-
elusive testimony Is u the ind entities which
were Practiced towards Americans in Valpa-
raise When American sailors. even OF mcr-
chant ships can only secure their safely by de-
nying their nationality. il must be time TO re-
adjust our relations with q government
that permits such demonstrations. As
10 the participation Of the police, the
evidence Of our sailors shows 5hat our men
were struck and beaten by police officers
before AID after arrest and tina; one, at least,
was dragged with q. lasso about his neck by a
mounted policeman. That the death OF Riggin
was the result of q rife shot fired by police
man or soldier on duty : shown directly by the
testimony Of johnson in whose arms he was at
the time, and by the evidence Of Charles
Langen. an American - 'or. not then a Nom
Der Of the Baltilo0res crew. who
stood close by and saw the transaction
The CHILEAN authorities do not pretend
TO fix the responsibility OF t.is shot
on any particular person. but avOw their ina
blhty {" ascertain who fired il, further than
that it was fired in a crowd. The character Of
the wound. as described By one Of the surgeons
OF the Baltimore. clearly supports his opinion
that 1t was made 10y rife ball, the orifce OF
exit being as much inch or an inch and
aquarter il width. When shot the poor fell
low was unconscious and in the arms uf a com
rade who was endeavorinc to carry him 70 a
nelghboring drug store for treatment.
Riggin Was Unconscious.
The story OF the police that ia coming up the
street they passed these men and LETT them be-
hind them Is inconsistent with their own state
nent as to the direction Of their approach and
H.
dlsproved In fact, Riggin was not behind
but in front, OF the advancing force and was
not standing in the crowd, but was uncDu-
scious and supported in the arms of johnson
when he was shOt. The communications OF the
Gillian government in relation 10 this cruel
and disastrous attack upon our men. as viii a,,-
pear from the correspondence, have not in any
degree taken the form of a manly and salts
factory expression Of regret much less OF
apology.
The event was of 40 serious a character that
IL the injuries suffered by men had been
wholly the result of accident in Gillian
port the incident was grave enough to have
called for some public expression. sympathy
and regret from the local authorities. 1t is
not enough to say that the affair was laIneIi-
preston, even ii the beating and killing of our
men had been justifable.
1t is not enough to say that the incident Is re-
GREETED, coupled with the statement that the
affair was not of an unusual character in ports
where the foreign sailors are accustomed to
meet 1t Is not for generous and sincere gov
eminent to seek for words of small or
equivocsGl meaning in which to con-
vey to friendly power an apology
for an ofense SO atrocious as this.
The New Orleans Affair.
In the case of the assault by mob in New
Orleans, upon the Spanish consulate in 1851.
Mr.. Webster wrote to the Spanish minister.
"A disgraceful and fragrant breach of duty and
propriety," and that his government deplores
them as deeply Us minister Calderon and his
government could possibly do that these
acts have caused the president great pain, and
he thinks proper acknowledgement is due to
her majesty government"
He invited the Spanish consul to return to his
post, guaranteeing protection, and offered to
salute the Spanish flag if the consul should
come in Spanish vessel. Such treatment by
the government of Chill of this assault would
have been more creditable to the CHILEAN
authorities and much less can hardly be salts
factory to government that values fits dignity
and honor. In our note OF October y last,
which appears in the correspondence. after
receiving the report of the board of officers
appointed by Captain Schley to investigate
the affair, the CHILEAN government was adj
vised of the aspect which it then assumed and
called upon for any facts in its possession
that might tend to modify the unfavorable
impressions which our report had created. 1t
is very clear from the correspondence that,
before the receipt of this note, the examination