Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-02-06
THE MESSAGE
Harrison Lays the Situation Before
Congress.
The President Defends Minister
Egan's Course.
Demands Made Upon Chile Must
Be Satisfied.
Full Text Of the UItimatum Sent
To Santiago.
No Notice Taken of the Demand
tor tgan's Recall,
poIogy Must Be Made for the
Malta Note.
The Chilean Government Assured That
the United States viii not Recede
Ap oIogy Must Be Made for the
Malta Note.
The Chilean Government Assured That
the United States Will not Recede
From the Ground Taken
Courteous, but Firm.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.-The follow
ing is President Harrison's message oil
today:
10 the Senate and House Of Representa-
tives: In my annual message, delivered
to congress at the beginning of the presen
session, after q brief statement of the fact,
then in possession of this government
touching the assault in the strcet'
Of Valparaiso, Chile, upon the sail
ors of the United States steam
ship Baltimore on the evening Of the 10th
of October last, l said: This movement
is now awaiting the result of an iuvestiga
ton wsich has been conducted by the
criminal court at Valparaiso. II Is re.
ported unofficially that the investigation
Is about completed, and It is expected the
result will soon be communicated to this
government, together with some
adequate and satisfactory recompense
to the note by which the attention Of Chile
was called to this incident. If these just
expectations should be disappointed or
further needless delay intervene, l will by
n special message bring this matter again
to the attention of congress for such action
as may be Lscessnry.n In my opinion the
time has now come when ! should lay be-
fore the congress and the country the cor.
r~espondence between this government and
the government of Chile, from the
time of the breaking out of
tho revolution against Balmaceda
together with all other facts
in the possession Of the executive depart
ment relating to this matter.
The diplomatic CORES pondence Is here
with transmitted, together with some cor
r~espondence w the naval officers
for the time in command in Chilean waters
and the secretary Of tho navy, and also
the evidence taken nj the Mare island
navy hards since the arrival of the Bnlti-
more ut San Francis CO..
Egan's Course Defended.
do not deem 1t necessary in this COM
municntion to attempt any full analysis of
the correspondence or Of the evidence. A
brief statement of the international ques-
tions involved and of the reasons why the
responses OF the Chilean government nre
unsatisfactory is all that / deem neces-
sary. 1t may be well at the outset to
say that, whatever may have been said in
this country or in Chile in criticising Mr..
Egan, our minister ut Santiago, the true
history of this exciting period In Chilean
Affairs from the outbreak of the revolution
antil this time discloses no act on the part
Of Mr.. ERan unworthy of his position Or
that could justly be the occasion of seri-
gus animndversion or criticism. He has,
| think, on the whole borne himself in very
trying circumstance with dignity, discrc-
ton, and courage and has conducted the
correspondence with ability, courtesy and
fairness
1t is worth while also in beginning TO
say that the right Of Mr.. Egan to give
shelter in the legation 10 certain
adherents of the Balmacodan gov
ernmcnt 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
refugees. That there was urgent need of
asylum is shown by Mr. Egnn q note of
August 4. ls9l, describing The disorders
that prevailed in Santiago and b the evil
deuce of Captain schiey as to the pillage
and violence that prevailed in Valparaiso.
The co ~respondenre dieclo>es. however.
that the pequest of Mr.. EEau for a safe
couduct from the country in behalf of these
refugees was denied. The precedents
cited by him In The correspondence, parti.
cularly the case of the revolution IA Perm
in IS 3, did not leave the Chilean govern
ment in n position to deny the right of
Asylum to political refugees and seemed
very clearly to support Mr.. Icgan's con-
Eention TINT n safe conduct to neutral
territory was a necessary aud acknowl-
edged incident of the asylum. These re-
fugees have very recently, without
formal safe conduct, but by
the acquioscence of the Chilean
autnOfttfts Dccu biaCed On DOurd the York;
town and are now being conveyed to
Callao, Peru This incident might be
considered wholly closed but for the dis
respect manifested TOWARD this govern
ment 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 an
nual message and up to the time of the
!ransfer Of the refugees to the Yorktown
the legation premises seem to have been
surrounded by police in uniform and
police agents or detectives In citizens,
2ress who Extensively scrutinized persons
entering or leaving the legation and on
one or more occasions arrested a member
Of the minister's family.
A yeritable Prison.
Commander Evans, who by my direction
recently visited Mr.. Egan at Santiago, in
his telegram to the navy department., de-
scribed the legation Is n ''veritable
prison. and states that the police agents
DR. detectives were after his arrival with
irawn during his stay.
It appears further from the note of Mr..
Egan of November 20, 1891, that on one oc-
sasion at least these police agents whom
ne declares to be known to him, invaded the
.egation premises, pounding upon its win
lows and using insulting and threatening
language towards persons therein. This
preach of the right of q minister to free
dom from police espionage and restraint
seems to have been SO fragrant that the
Argentine minister, who was dean of the
diplomatic corps, having observed IL, felt
called upon to protest against IL to the
Chilean minister of foreign affairs.
The Chileans have. as will be observed
n the correspondence, charged the
refugees and the inmates of the legation
with insulting the police, but IL seems to
~ snaraAthla that man UhoQa Hyas xunra
n jeopardy and whose safety could only
Do secured by retirement and
auietness should have sought to provoke
collision which could only end
n their destruction or to ~aggravate their
condition by intensifying a popular feel
cation as to require Mr.. Egan TO appeal to
The minister OF foreign affairs.
The Baltimore AfYair,
But the most serious incident disclosed
,y the correspondence Is that of the at
nck upon The sailors of the Baltimore in
he streets of Valparaiso on the 10th Of
October last. In my annual message,
possession, said: $50 far as I nave
ret been able to learn, no other
explanation of this bloody work has been
suggested han that 1t had It's origin In
hostility to these men as sailors Of the
United States, wearing the uniform of
heir government, ARD not In any indlvid-
ial act or personal aaimosity."
Views Not Modified.
We have now received from the Chilean
| government an abstract Of the conclu-
ions of the fiscal general upon
he testimony taken by the judge
Il crimes in an investigation which was
made to extend over nearly three
nonths. ] very much regret to be CON-
| relied that this report does not enable me
| O modify the conclusion announced In my
.nnuai message. am still of the opinion
bat our sailors were assaulted, beaten,
tabled and killed, not for anything they
r. any one of them had done. but for what
he government Of the United States
las done or was charged with having
lone, by Its civil officers and
laval commanders. II that be the true
| ,spect of the case the injury was to the
government Of the Unitid States. not TO
hose poor sailors who we're assaulted In n
nanncr SO brutal, and 80 cowardiy.
Legal Aspect OF the Case.
J Before attempting - gtve ~ outline Of