The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-01-28

nuGl message. / am still or the Opln
ion that our sailors were assaulted
stabbed and killed, not for anything
they or any one, of them had done, bu
for what the government of the tnitet
States had done or was charged VIII
having done by the civil officers ant
naval commanders. If that be tn
true aspect of the cGse, the injury wa
to the government of the United
States, not the poor sailors, who wer
assaulted in manner so brutal ant
coWardly.
Before attempting to give an out
, line of the facts upon which this con
clusion is reached, think | WOUlC
like to say word or two upon thu
legal aspect of the case The Balti
|, more was in the harbor of Valparaiso
by virtue of a general invitation
which the nations are held to extend t.
the war vessels of other powers witt
which they have friendly relations
This invitation, think, must be helC
ordinarily to embrace the privilege O.
such communication with the shore as
is reasonable, necessary and proper
for the comfort Of the officers and mer
Of such vessels.
Capt. Schley testifies that when
his vessel returned to Valparaiso
Sept. IA, the city officers as is custo.
mary, extended the Inequalities Of
the city to the officers and crew. 1t
is not claimed that every personal
injury in which a sailor or,otficer of
such naval vessel, visiting shore
may be involved, raises an interna-
tional question, but / am clearly OF
the opinion that where such sailors or
officers are assaulted by residents, the
pOpulace animated by hostility to the
government whose uniform those
sailors and officers wear and in re.
sentiment of acts done by that gov
eminent, not by them, The nation
must take notice of the events, in
volving the fraction of its rights and
dignity and in secondary
way as where the citizen is
injured and presents claim through
his own government, but in primary
way precisely as if its minister, or
consul, or the flag itself had been the
object of the same character of as
sault
"The officers and sailors OF the Bal
timOre were in the harbor of Nalpa-
raise under the orders of their govern
ment, not by their own choice. They
were upon the shore by the implied
invitation of the government of Chile,
and with the approval Of their COM
commanding officer, and it does not
distinguish their case from that of the
consul that his stay is more perma-
nent or that he holds the express in
vitatiOn of the local government to
justify his long residence, nor does it
affect the question that the injury was
the act of mob. If there had been
no participation by the police or mill
tary in this cruel work, and no neg
leot on their part to extend protection.
the case would still be, in my opinion,
when its extent and character is con-
sdered, involving international
rights
The incidents Of the affair are given
briefly with the evidence that the
United States sailors were sober and
peaceful. The president then says:
at appears, from Chilean sources,
that almost instantly, with sudden
ness that strongly implies premedita-
ton and preparation, the mob, as
stated by the police authorities, at
one time to the number Of 2000 and at
another of 1000, was engaged in the
assault upon the sailors, who are
represented as resisting with stones,
clubs and bright arms. The report OF
the intendente OF Oct. 30 states the !
fight begun at p. m. in the streets, |
which are named; that information
was received at the Indencia at 6:l5
p. M. and the police arrived on the
scene at $3.50, full half hour after the
assault begun. At that time, he says,
q mob of 1000 men had collected, aud
for several squares there was he APP
pearance of q real battle field. The
pretense that our men were fighting
with stones, clubs and bright arms,
in view of these facts is incredible. II
is further refuted by the fact that cur
prisoners, when searched, were &bsO-
lutely without arms,
"Only seven knives were found in
the possession of our men when arrest
ed, while there were received by our
men moro than so stab wounds, every
one OF which was inflicted in the back
and almost every confused wound was
in the back Of the head, The evidence
of the ships officer of the day is that
even tia jack knives Of the men were
taken from them before leaving the
ship"
The president next quotes from the
Chilean papers as to the brutality Of
the affair, and continues: "NOamount
of evasion of subterfuge is able to
cloud our clear vision of this brutal
work. 1t should be noticed in his
connection that the American sailors
arrested after the examination were
during the four days following arrest
every one discharged, no charge for
any breach Of the peace or other
criminal conduct having been sus-
tanned against q single one of them"
1t is quite remarkable and quite
characteristic Of the management of
this affair by the Chilean police au-
thorities that we should now be ad-
vised that Seaman Davidson of the
Baltimore has been included in the
his offense being, as far
as L am able to ascertain, that he
to defend his shipmate
against the assailant who struck him
with knife. A perfect vindcation
of our men is furnished by this re-
port, only one found to have been
guilty of criminal fault, and that for
an act clearly iustifiable. AS to the