The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-01-26
Message OF the President to Both
Houses of Congress.
/ MODEL STATE DOCUMENT.
Tho Whole Difficulty between This
Country and Chile Laid Dnro Be-
fore the Pcoplc..A Complete Re.
sumo of tho Incidents That Led to
tho Present Trouble = Minister
Matta's Offensive Notcs..Ministcr
Egan Endorsed.

President sent the following message to
both houses Of Congress to-day:
To The Senate and House Of Representatives.. y.
In my annual message delivered to
Congress ut the beginning Of tho pres.
cnt session, after brief statement OF
the facts then in tho possession Of this
government touching the assault in the
streets OF Valparaiso, Chile, upon the
sailors OF tho United States steamer
Baltimore on the evening Of tho 10th of
October last, l said: "This government
is now awaiting the result OF an invosti-
CATION which hos been conducted in the
criminal court Mt Valparaiso. 1t is re-
ported unoilicially that the result will
soon be communicated 10 this govern
ment, together with some adequate and
satisfactory response to, the note by
which the attention OF Chile was called
to this incident. Ii these just expecta-
tions should bo disappointed or further
needless delay intervene, will, by q
special message bring this matter again
to tho attention OF Congress for such
action as may be necessary"
In my opinion the time has now como
when l should lay before the Congress
and the country, tho correspondence
between this government and the
government of Chile from the time OF
the breaking out OF tho revolution
against Balmaceda, together with all
facts i'll the possession OF the executive
department relating to this matter
MINISTER EGAN ENDORSED.
Itmay be well at the outset, whatever
may have been said in this country, or
in Chile, in criticism OF Mr.. Egan, our
minister Mt Santiago, tho true history
OF the exciting period in Chilean affairs
from tho outbreak of the revolution
until this time discloses no action on
the part OF Mr.. Egan unworthy OF his
position or that could justly be the
occasion OF serious animadversion, or
criticism. He has, 1 think, on the
whole, borne himself in very trying
circumstances with dignity, discretion
and courage, and has conducted the
correspondence with ability, courtesy
and fairness.
1t is worth while also at beginning to
say that the right OF Mr.. Egan to give
shelter in the legation to- certain nd.
hercnts OF the Balmacedh 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.. Egan, note OF Aug. q, 1891, describ-
ing the disorders that prevailed in
Santiago, and by the evidence OF Capt.
Schley, as TO the pillage, and violence
that prevailed at Valparaiso.
SAFE CONDUCT TO REFUGEES DENIED.
The correspondence discloses, how
ever, that the request OF Mr.. Egan for a
safe conduct from the country in behalf
Of these refugees was denied. The prece-
dents cited by him i'll the corrcspon-
dence particularly the case OF the revo-
luton in Peru in 1865, did not leave the
Chilean government III 4 position to
deny the right OF asylum 10 political re-
fugecs and seemed very clearly to sup
port Mr.. Egan's contention that safe
conduct to neutral territory was nee
essarv and acknowledged incident OF the
asylum. These refugees have very re-
Gently, without formal safe conduct but
by the acquiesence OF the Chilean autho-
rites, been placed on board the York
town, and are now being conveyed to
Callao, Peru.
It appears further from the note OF
Mr.. Egan OF November 20, 1901, that on
one occasion Mt least the police agents,
whom he declares to be known to him,
invaded the legation premises, pound
ing on its windows, and using insulting
and threatening language towards per-
sons therein.
ARGENTINE MINISTER PROTESTS.
This breach OF the right OF minister
to freedom from police espionage and
restraint seems to have been so fragrant
that the Argentine minister VINO was
dean OF the diplomatic corps having OBJ
served it, felt called upon to protest
against it to the Chilean, minister OF
foreign affairs. The Chilean authorities
have, as will be observed from tho cor
respondencc, charged tho refugees and
the inmates OF the legation with insult
ing the police, but it seems to me in
credible that men whose lives were in
jeopardy, and whose safety could only
be secured by retirement and quietness,
should have sought 10 provoke collis-.
ion which could only end in their de-
struction, or to aggravate their condi-
ton by intcnsifying n popular feeling
that at one time so threatened the ,lega.
tion as to require Mr.. Egan to appeal
to the minister OF foreign affairs. n X
TIE BALTIMORE AFFAIR.
But the most serious incident dis.
closed by tho correspondence is that OF
the attack on the sailors OF the Balti-
more in the streets Of Valparaiso on the
10th OF October last. In my annual
message, speaking upon tho confrma!
tion in my possession, l said $50 far
MS l have yet been able to learn no
other explanation OF this bloody work
has been suggested than that it had its
origin III hostility to these men as sail
ors OF tho United States wearing the
uniform OF their government, and not
in any individual act or personal ami
mostly" 55.
| am still OF the opinion that our
sailors were assaulted, beaten, stabbed
and killed not for anything they or any
one OF them had done, but iorA what the
government OF the United States had
done, or was charged with having done,
by its civil officers and naval command.
ers. II that be the true aspect OF the
case the injury was to the government
OF the United states, not to these poor
sailors who were assaulted in manner
go brutal and so cowardly.
After reci,ins the cgal aspect of the
case the message continues: The OF