Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1892-01-28

conclusively establish that the attack was upo,
the uniform-the hationality--and not upon thu
men. The origin OF this feeling is probably
founp In the refusal OF this government to Civ,
recognition to the congressional party before II
had established itself in the seizure OF the Itats
for an alleged violation of the neutrality law Ii
the cable incident, and in the charge that Ad
m!ral Brown conveyed information to Valpa
rafso OF the landing at Quintero. It is not m,
purpose to enter here any defense Of the actor
OF this government in these matters.
1t is enough for the present purpose to say
that If there was any breach of internationa
comfy or duty on our part it should have beer
made the subject of official complaint through
diplomatic channels or OF reprsals for which 9
full responsibility was assumed. We cannot
consent that these incidents and these per:
versions Of the truths shall be used tc
excite murderous attack upon our unoffend
ing Sailors and the government Of Chill go &C
Quilted OF responsibility. In fact, the conduct
OF this government during the war in Chilli pur
sued those lines of International duty which We
had so strongly insisted upon on the part
OF other nations when this country was
in the throes of active conflict. We continued
the established diplomatic relations with the
government in power until it was over
thrown and promptly and cordially recognized
the new government when it was established
The good offices Of this government were
offered to bring about q peaceful. adjustment, anG
the interposition of Mr.. Egan to mitigate severi
ties and to shelter adhcrents OF the congress
sfonal party were effective and frequent. The
charge against Admiral Brown is too base tc
gain credcnce with anyone who knows his high
personal and professional character.
Referring to the evidence of our sailors, ]
think 1t Is shown that there were several dis
tlnct assaults and so nearly simultaneous as tc
show that they did not spread from one point
a press summary of the report of the fiscal
shows that the evidence of the Chilial Of
hcials and others was in conflict as to the place
of origin, several places being named by differ
ent witnesses as to the locality
where the first outbreak occurred. This
II correctly reported, shows that there
were several distinct outbreaks and so nearly
at the same time as to cause this confusion
The La Patria, in the same issue from which I
have already quoted, after describing the
killing Of Riggin and the fight which
from that point extended to the mole, says:
"At the same time In other streets of the port
the Yankee sailors fought tiercely with the
people OF the town, who believed to see in them
incarnate enemies Of the Gillian navy
The testimony of Capt. Jenkins, Of the Amer.
lean merchant ship Keweena, which had gone
to Valparaiso for REPAIRS and who was a wit
ness OF some part of the assault upon the crew
of the Baltimore, is strongly corroboratiye of
the testimony OF our own sailors when
ne says that he saw CHILEAN sen.
tries drive back seaman seeking shelter
from mob that was pursuing him. The officers
and men OF Capt. Jenkins ship furnish the
most conclusive testimony as to the indignities
which were practiced towards Americans in
Valparaiso. When American sailors, even of
merchant ships, can only secure their safety by
denying their nationality, it must be time to re-
adjust our relations with government that
permits such demonstrations. AS to the par
ticipaton of the police, the evidence of our sail
ors shows that our men were struck and beaten
by police officers before and after arrest and
that one, at least, was dragged with lasso
about his neck by a mounted policeman. That
the death of Riggin was the result of rife
shot fired by policeman or soldier in duty is
shown directly by the testimony Of Johnson, in
whose arms ne was at the time, and by the evil
dence of Charles Langen, an American
sailor not then member OF the Balti-
more's crew who stood close by and saw the
transaction. The Gillian authorities do
not pretend to fix the responsibility of this shot
on any particular person, but avow their inabil-
ity to ascertain who fired it, further than that it
was fired in crowd. The character of the
wound, as described by one of the surgeons of
the Baltimore, clearly supports his opinion that
1t was made by a rifle ball, the orifce of exit
being as much as an inch or an inch and quar-
ter in width. When shot, the poor fellow was I'M
conscious and in the arms of a cOmrade, who was
endeayoring to carry him to a neghboring drug
store for treatment. The story of the police
that in coming up the street they passed these
men and left them behind them is inconsistent
with their own statement as to the direction of
their approach and with their duty to protect
them and is clearly disproved In fact Riggin
was not behind, but in front of the advancing
force, and was not standing in the crowd,
but was unconscious and supported in the arms
of johnson when he was shot.
The communications of the Gillian govern
1nent in relation to this cruel and disastrous at
tack upon our men, as will appear from tho
correspondence, have not in any degree taken
the form OF a mighty and satisfactory express
sion OF regret, much less Of apology.
The event was Of so serious character that
II the injuries suffered by our men had been
wholly the result of an accident in Gillian
port, the incident was grave enough to have
called for some public expression of sympathy
and regret from the local aurnor1Iles
1t is not enough to say that the af-
fair was lamentable, for humanity would
require that expression, even if the
beating and killing of our men had been justifi-
able. 1t is not enough to say that the incident
is regretted, 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
S4ul'oSd1 ucduluS III WHICH 10 convey TO
friendly power an apology for an Of
Tense so atrocious as this. In the case
OF the assault by mob in New Orleans
upon the Spanish consulate in 1851 Mr..
webster wrote to the Spanish minister, Mr3
Calderon, that the acts complained of were "a
d1sgraceful and fragrant breach of duty and pro-
prlety," and that 'his government deplores
them as deeply as Minister Calderon and his
government could possibly do,'' that 'these
acts have caused the president great PAIN and
ne thinks proper acknowledgement is due to
her majesty's government
He invited the Spanish consul to return to his
post, guaranteeing protection and offered to sa
lutte 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 satisfactory
10 a government that values it's dignity
ana honor In our note of October
70 last. which appears in the correspondence
after receiving the report OF the board of Off.
GERS appointed by Capt. Schley to investigate
the affair, the Gillian government was advised
OF the aspect which it then assumed and called
upon for any facts in its possession that might
tend to modify the unfayorable impressions
which our report had created. It is very clear
from the correspondence that, before the re.
ce1pt OF this note, the examination was re-
garded by the police authorities as practically
SiooSA' ~ was uO"cVtr, FcOpeueu luu pro-
tracted through a period of nearly three
months. We might justly have com
planned OF this unreasonable delay but in
view OF the fact that the government OF
Chill was still provisional and having disposi.
ton to be forbearing and hopeful of friendly
termination, have awaited the report which
has but recently been made. On the 21st inst.
1 caused to be communicated to the government
OF Chilli by the American minister at Santiago
the conclusion of the government after full ex.
animation, and every suggestion affecting this
matter, and to these conclusions I ad.
here they were stated as follows:
First-That the assault is not relieved
OF the aspect which the early information
OF the event gave to it, viz: that OF an attack
upon the uniform OF the United States navy
having its origin and motive in feeling of hos
tility to this government and not in any act of
sailors or Of any of them.
Second.-That the public authorities of Val
paraiso fagrantly failed in their duty to protect
our men and that some OF the police and some
OF the Gillian soldiers and sailors were them.
selves guilty Of unprovolxed assault upon our
sailors before and after arrest He (the presi.
dent) thinks the preponderance of the evidence
nn6f irha