Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-26

WASHINGTON, d. c., JAN. e5.-The fol-
lowing is President Harrison's message on
Chilean affairs, in full, as sent to Congress
to-day:
To the Senate and House of Representatives:
In my annual message, delivered to Con-
gress at the beginning of the present ses-
sion, after brief statement OF the facts then
in the possession of this Government touch
ing the assault in the streets Of Valparaiso,
Chile, upon the sailors Of the United States
Steamship Baltimore, on the evening of oc-
tober 16 last. L said: "This Government is
now awaiting the result of an Investigation
which has been conducted by the Criminal
Court at Valparaiso. 1t is reported unoffi-
cially that the investigation is about com
pleted, and it is expected that the result
will soon be communicated to this Govern
ment together with some adequate and sat
isfactory response to the note by which the
attention of Chile was called to this Incl
dent. If these Just expectations should be
disappointed or further needless delay in
tervene, Will, by a special message, br1n :
this matter again to the attention of Con-
gres for such action as may be necessary"
In my opinion the time has now come
when 1 should lay before the Congress and
this Government and the Government of
Chile, from the time OF the breaking out of
the revolution against Balmaoeda, together
with all other facts in the possession of the
Executive Department relating to this mat
ter. The diplomatic correspondence is
herewith transmitted, together with CORES
pondence between the naval officers for the
time in command in Chilean waters and the
Secretary of the Navy, and also the evil
dence taken at the Mare Island Navy Yard
since the arrival of the Baltimore at San
Francisco. 1 do not deem 1t necessary in
this communion to attempt any full nnalv-
SIS OF the correspondence or of the evidence.
A brief statement OF the in ternational ques-
tions involved and of the reasons why the
responses of the Chilean Government are
unsatisfactory is all that L deem necessary.
Harrison Still Stuck ON Egan.
It may be well, at the outset, to say that,
whatever may have been said in this -corn-
try or in 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 revolution until this time
discloses no act on the part of Mr.. Egan un-
worthy of his position or that could justly be
the occasion of a serious animadversion or
criticism. He has, think, on the whole,
borne himself, in very trying circumstance
with dignity, discretion and courage, and
has conducted the correspondence with
ability, courtesy and fairness.
1t is worth while also at the beginning to
say that the right of Mr.. Egan to give shelter
in the Legation to certain adherents of the
Balnaceda Government who applied to him
for asylum has not been denied by the
Chilean authorities, nor has any demand
been made for the surrender of these refa-
gees. That there was urgent need of asylum
Is shown by Mr.. Egan's note OF August "a
1891 describing the disorders that prevailed
in Santiago and by the evidence of Captain
Schley as to the pillage and violence that
prevailed at Valparaiso. The correspond
ence discloses, however, that the request of
Mr. Egan for safe conuuct from the coun-
try, in behalf of these refugees, was denied.
The precedents cited by him in the CORE
spondence, particularly the case Of the revo-
lution in Peru in 1S65, did not leave the
Chilean Government in a position TO deny
the right OF asylum to political refugees and
seemed very clearly to support Mr.. Egan's
contention that q safe conduct to neutral
territory was a necessary and acknowledged
incident OF the asylum. These refugees have
very recently, without formal safe conduct,
yet by the acquiescence OF the Chilean
authorities, been placed on board the York
town, and are now being conveyed to Callao,
Peru.
Disrespect That Can't Be Forgiven.
This incident might be considered wholly
closed. but for the disrespect manifested
toward this Governments by the close and
offensive police surveillance of the Legation
premises, which was maintained during
most of the period of the stay OF the refugees
therein. After the date of my annual mes
the refugees to the Yorktown the Lega-
tlon premises seem to nave been surrounded
by police, in uniform. and police agents or
detectives in citizens Dress, who extensively
scrut1nlzeo persons entering or leaving the
Legation and, on one or more occasions, ar
rested members ofthe Minister'S family.
Commander Evans, who by my direction
recently visited Mr. Egan at Santiago, in his
telegram to the Navy Department, described
the Legation as "a veritable prison." and
states that the police agents or detectives
were, after his arrival, withdrawn during
ms stay. II appears further. from the note
OF MI Egan, of November 90 1891 that on
one occasion at least, these police agents
WHOM ne declares to be known to him, in
vaoed the Legation premises pounding on
the windows, and using insulting Language
toward persons therein. This breach of the
right of a Minister to freedom from police
espionage ana restraint seems to have been
90 Migrant that the Argentine Minister, who
was dean OF the diplomatic CORDS having OBJ
served it, felt called upon to protest against
1t to the Chilean Minister of Foreign At
fairs.
The Chilean authorities have. as will be
observed from the correspondence, charged
the refugees and the inmates of the Legation
with insulting the police: but it seems to me
incredible that men whose lives were in
jeopardy and whose safety could only be Sc
cured by retirement and quietness should
have sought TO provoke collision which
could only end in their destruction. or to
aggravate their condition by inteusifyinr n
popular feeling that, at one time SO threat
eneo the Legation as to require Mr.. Eean 10
appeal to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Serious Baltimore Incident
But the most serious incident disclosed bv
tile correspondent is that of the attack unon
the sailors of the Baltimore in the streets of
Valparaiso on the 10Th of October last. In
my annual message, speaking on the infor
nation then in my possession, 1 said: 80
far as / have yet been able to learn, no other
explanation of this bloody work has been
suggested than that it had its origin in hos
tility to these men as sailors of the United
States, wearing the uniform of their Govern
ment, and not in any individual act or per
sonal animosity."
We have now received from the Chilean
Governments an abstract of the conclusions
OF the Fiscal General upon the testimony
taken by the Judge of Crimes in an inyesti-
CATION which was made to extend over
nearly three months. i very much regret
to be compelled TO say that this report does
net enable me to modify the conclusion
announced in my ann-"' -------- - -~-''