New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1892-02-03
THE CHILEAN FUSS.
President Harrison's Message on the
Trouble With the Chlleans Goes
to Congress,
With It's Proof That the United States
Has Been Repeatedly lnsulted
by Chile.

WASHINGTON Jan. 25.-The following is
che full text of President Harrison's mes
sage on the Chilean trouble sent to congress
to-day:
To the Senate and House of Representatives:
In my annual message. delivered to congress at
the beginning Of the present session. after a brief
statement OF the facts then in the possession OF
this government touching the assault in the
streets OF Valparaiso, Chile, upon the sailors of
the United States steamship Baltimore, on the
evening OF the 10th OF October last, said:
This government is now awaiting the result
OF all investigation which has been conducted by
the criminal court at Valparaiso. 1t is report
ed unoilically that the investigation is about
completed and it is expected that the result
will soon be communicated to this government
together with some adequate and satisfactory
response othe note by which the attention OF
Chile was called to this incident If these Just
expectations should be disappointed or further
needless delay intervene will. by special mes
sage. bring this matter again to the attention of
congress for such action may be necessary"
In my opinion the time has now come when l
should lay before the congress and the country
the correspondence between this government and
the government OF Chile from the time OF the
breaking out'of the revolution against Ballna-
'ceda together with all other facts i'll the posses
sion OF the executive department relating to this
matter. The diplomatic correspondence is here
with transmitted. together with some CORE
'spondeuce between the naval officers for the
time i'll command on Chilean waters and the Sec
rotary OF the navy. and also the evidence taken
at the Mare Island yard since the arrival of the
Baltimore at San Francisco. do not deem it
necessary in this communication TO attempt
any full analysis OF the correspondence or of the
evidence. A brief restatement OF the interna-
tional questions involved and OF the reasons
why the responses OF the Chilean government
are unsatisfactory is all that deem neces-
-sary.
EGAN's ACTIONS APPROVED.
1t may be we'll at the outset tosay that, what
ever may have been said in this country or in
Santiago, the true history OF this exciting period
iii Chilean affairs, from the outbreak OF the rev.
olution until this time, dlscloses no act on the
part Of Mr.. Egan unworthy OF his position or
that could justly be the occasion OF serious an
imadversions or criticisms. He has. think. on
the whole. borne himself in very trying circum-
stances 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 Balmaceda
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 refugees. That there was urgent need of
asylum is shown by Mr. Egans note OF Aug. "a,
K Santiago, and by the evidence Of Capt. Schey
as to the pillage and violence that prevailed at
however. that the request Of Mr.. Egan for Il safe
conduct from the country, i'll behalf OF these
refugees, was denied. The presidents cited by
him i'll the,correspondence. particularly the case
" OF the revolution i'll Peru in 1865, did not leave
3 the Chilean government in a, position to deny
the righ6 of asylum to political refugees and
4 seemed very clearly to support Mr.. Egan's con-
agtentiOn that safe conduct to neutral territory
was Il necessary and acknowledged incident OF
. the asylum. These refugees have very recently
without formal safe conduct, but by the acqu
4 cscencc OF the Chilean authorities been placed
. on board the Yorktown and are now being con-
veyed to CallaO, Peru. This incident might be
& considered wholly closed
DIsREsPECT
manifested toward this government 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.
thnT dor n RI
the time OF the transfer OF the refugees to the
lorkton. the legation premises seem to have
been surrounded by police, i'll uniform, and
police agents or detectives; n citizens dress
who Extensively scrutinized persons entering or
leaving the LEGATION and, on one or more occa-
slouS, arrested members of he minister's family
Commander Evans, who by my direction, re-
Gently visited Mr.. Egan at Santiago, III his tele-
gram to the navy department. described the
legation 'veritable prison." and states
chat the police agents detectives were, after
his arrival, withdrawn during his stay. 1t APP
pears further from the of Mr.. Eean OF
Nov. 20, 1891, that on occasion at least
these police agents. whom he declares to be
known to him, invaded the legation
premises, pounding Oh its windows ana
tIlsing insulting and threa tenng language toward
persons therein. This breach of the right of a
minister to freedom from police espionage and
restraint seems to have been so dayrant that
the Argentine minister who was dean OF the
diplomatic corps. having observed it. felt called
upon to protest AGAINST it to the Chilean minis
ter OF foreign affairs The Chilean authorities
have, will be observed from the correspond
Gnce, charged the refugees ana the inmates OF the
legation with insulting the police: but it seems
to me Incredible that whose lives were III
jeopardy, and whose safety could only be Sc
cured by retirement and quetneSS, should have
sought to provoke collision which could only
end i'll their destruction. or to aggravate their
condition by lntenslfylng popular feeling that,
at one time, so threa tened the legation
qure Mr.. Egan to appeal to the minister OF for
e!gu affairs.
THE BALTIMORE ASSAULT.
But the most serious incident disclosed by the
correspondence is that OF the attack on the
sailors OF the Baltimore in the streets of Val
paraiso on the 10th OF October last. In my an
Nual message, speaking upon the inform
ton then in my possession l said:
$50 far as I have yet been able to learn, no
other explanation OF this bloody work has been
suggested than that it had it's origin III hostility
TO these sailors Of the United States,
wearing the uniform Of their government, and
not i'll any individual act or personal ami
mostly"
We have now received from the Chilean gov
eminent an abstract OF the conclusions OF the
fiscal general upon the testimony taken by the
judge OF crimes in AN investigation which was
made to extend over nearly three months.
very much regret to be compelled to say that
this report does not enable me to modify the
conclusions announced in my annual
message I'm am , still OF the opinion
stabbed and killed. not for anything they or
any OF them had done, but for what the govern
neiiU OF the UnlteQ states nau done, or was
charged with having done, by its civil officers
and naval commanders. II that be the true as
pect OF the case. the injury was to the govern
lneut OF the United States, not to these poor
sailors, who were assaulted in manner so
brutal and so cowardiy. Before attempting to
give All outline OF the facts upon which this con-
c!uslon rests think it right to say word or
two upon
THE LEGAL ASPECT OF THE CASE.
The Baltimore was III the narbor of Vallar-
also by virtue OF that general Invitation which
nations are held to extend to the war vessels of
other powers with which they have friendly re-
lations. This invitation, tn , must be held
,oruinariiyto embracet the priv. - Of such COM
ununication with the shore ats, is reasonable
necessary and proper for the comfort and Scol.-
yenie'lce OF the officers and men OF such vessels
Capt. Schlev testites that when his vessel re-
turned to Valparaiso Sept Ia, the city officers,
as is customary, extended the hospitalites OF
the city TO his officers and crew. 1t is not
claimed that every personal collision or injury
in which a sailor or officer OF such naval vessel
visiting the shore may be Involved raises an
international questions; but I am clearly
OF the opinion that where such sailors officers
are assaulted by resident populace, animated
by hostility to the government whose uniform
HEcn Inp Dffo