Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-01-28
The Time Has Come, He Thinks, When
the Country Should Know
All the Facts.
Mr.. Egan Said TO be Guilty of No
Action Unworthy of His
Position.
Insulting Circular of Elk Minister
Malta Must Be Withdrawn
Other Conditions.

rison delivered his special message on the
Gillian outrage and the subsequent diplo-
matte controversy to both houses OF con-
gress at noon today. Accompanying the
message was a digest Of the extensive
correspondence which passed between
this country and Chill. If given in full
the correspondence would take up more
than 100 columns Of IN ordinary newspa-
per.
Folio wing is the presidents mes.age:
To THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRE-
sENTATIvEs: In my annual message, de-
livered to congress az the beginning Of the
present session, after brief statement of
the facts then III the passion of this gov
eminent touching tbs assault in the streets
of Valparaiso, Chilli, upon the sailors of
the United States steamer Baltimore, on
the evening of the 10Th of October last,
said
This government is now awaiting the
result of an investigation which has been
conducted by the criminal court at Valpa-
raise. It is reported unofficially that the
investigation is about completed, apd 1t is
expected that the result will soon be COM
mun1cated to this government, together
with some adequate and satisfactory
response to the note by which the attention
of Chill was called to this incident. Ii
these just ex pectations should be disap-
pointed, or further needless delay intervene
| will, by special message, bring this
matter again to the attention Of congress
for such action as may be necessary"
In my opinion the time has come when
| shall lay before the congress and the
country the correspondence between this
government and the government of Chill,
from the time of the breaking out of the
revolution against Balm aceda, together
with all other facts In the possession of the
executive department relating to this mat
ter. The diplomatic correspondence is
hereby transmitted, together With some
correepond ence between the naval officers
for the time in command in CHILEAN waters,
and the secretary Of the navy. and also the
evidence taken at the Mare island navy
yard since the arrival of the Baltimore at
San Francisco. do not deem it neces
sary in this communication to attempt
any full analysis CT the correspondence, or
of the evidence A brief re-statement of
the international question involved, and of
the reason why the responses of the Chill
ian government are unsatisfactory is all
that | Geem necessary.
whatever may have been said in this coun-
try or in Chill in criticism of Mr.. Egan,
our minister at Santiago, the true his
tory of this exciting period in the Chilian
affairs, from the outbreak Of the revolu.
ton until this time, discoses no action on
the part of Mr.. Egan unworthy of his pc
sition, or that could justly be the occasion
of serious animadversion or criticism.
He has, think, on the whole, borne him
self IN very trying circumstances, with
dignity, discretion and courage, and has
conducted the correspondence with ability,
courtesy and fairness.
It is worth while, also, at the begin
ming, to say that the right Of Mr. Egan to
give shelter in the legation to certain ad-
herents of the Ralmaceda government who
applied to him for asylum has not been de-
MED by the CHILEAN authorities, nor has
any demand been made for the surrender
of the refugees. That there was urgent
need of asylum is shown by Mr.. Egan's
note of August "a, 1891, describing the
disorders that prevailed in Santiags. and
pillage and violence that prevailed at
however, that the request of Mr.. Egan for
a oaIC SOLGu(b IlOn1 lAc COuLilI LII UChdll
of these refugees, was denied, The prece-
dents cited by him in the correspondence,
particularly the case of the revolution in
Peru in 1865, did not leave the CHILEAN
COVER ment in position TO deny the right
Of asylum TO political refugees. and seem
ed very clearly to support Mr.. Egan S
contention that safe conduct to neutral
territory was necessary acknowledged
81
very recently, without formal safe con-
ian authorities, bsen placed on board
ga to Gallo, Peru.
;iosed but for the disrespect manifested
offensive police surveillance of the lega-
ton premises. which was manifested dur
ing most Of the period of the stay Of the
refugees therein. After the date of my
annual message and up to tho time |
Of the transfer of the refugees to |
the Yorktown, tbs legation prem |
lses seem to have been surrounded by po
lice IN uniform, and police agents or de- |
tectives in citizens dress, who Extensively |
scrutlnlzed persons entering or leaving |
the legation, and on one or more occa-
sions arrested members of the minister's |
family. Commander Evans, who by my
direction, recently visited Santiago, 10 his |
telegram to the navy department de |
scribed the legation as a 'tveritable |
prison, and states that the police agents |
Or detectives, were, after his arrival, with
drawn during his stay. It appears fur
her from the note of Mr.. Egan of Novem-
Der 20, 1891, that Oh one occasion at least |
.hese police agents, whom he declares to |
be known to him, invaded the legation
pounding on its windows, using
insulting and threatening language
oward persons therein. This
preach of the right of minister
o freedom from police espionage aud
restraint seems to have been so fla
grant that the Argentine minister,
Who Was dean Of the diplomatic corps,
laving observed it, felt called upon to pro-
est against it to the Gillian minister of
oreign affairs. The Chilian au horities
lave, as will be observed from the cor
charged the refugees and
he inmates of the legation with insulting
he police; but it seems to be incredible
nat men whose lives were in jeopardy,
md whose safety could only be secured by
etirement and quietness, should have
ought to provoke collision which could
'nly end in their destruction, or to aggra-
7ate their condition by intensifying
popular feeling that at one time 80 threat
ned the legation as to require Mr.. Egan
o apneal to the minister of foreign
fairs
But the most serious incident disclosed
y the corresp 7ndence is that Of the at