The Portland daily press., 1892-01-26

| attack upon our unoHenQlng sailors ana
the government of Chill go acquitted of
responsibility
| The communications of the Chilian
government in relation to this cruel and
| disastrous attack upon our men, as will
appear from the correspondence, have not
in any degree taken the form of manly
and satisfactory expression of regret,
much less of apology. The event was OF
SO serious character that if the injuries
suffered by our men had been wholly the
result of an accident in Chilian port the
incident was grave enough to have
called for some public expression OF
sympathy and regret from the local au-
tRorities. 1t is not enough to say the
affair was lamentable, for humanity
would require that expression even if the
beating and killing of our men had been
justifiable. 1t is not enough to say the
incident is regretted, coupled with the
statement that the affair was not of un-
usual character in ports where foreign
sailors are accustomed to meet 1t is
not for a generous and sincere govern
ment to seek for words of similar OF
equal character with which to convey
to friendly power an apology for an
Offence SO Atrocious as This.
In the case of the assault by a mob in
New Orleans upon the Spanish Consulate
in 1851 Mr.. Webster wrote to the Spanish
Minister Mr. Calderon, that the acts
complained of were ga disgraceful and
fagrant ..s.
Breach of Duty and Propriety,"
and that his government regrets them
as deeply as Minister Calderon or his
government could possibly do;'' that
''these acts have caused the President
great pain, and he thinks proper ac-
knowledgement is due to Her Majesty"
He invited the Spanish Consul to return
to his post, guaranteeing protection, and
offered to salute the Spanish flag if the
Consul should come in Spanish vessel.
Such a treatment by the Government
of Chill of this assault would have been
more creditable to the Chilian authori-
ties, and much less can hardly be salts
factory to a government that values its
dignity and honor.
In our note of October "a last, which
appears in the correspondence, the Chill
ian government was apprised OF the as
pect which the affair had then assumed,
and was called upon for any facts in its
possession that might tend to modify
any unfavorable impression which our
report had created. 1t is very clear from
the correspondence that before the re-
ceipt of this note the examination was
regarded by the police authorities as prac-
tically closed twas, however, reopened
and protracted through a period of near
ly three months. We might justly have
complained of this unreasonable delay,
but in view of the fact that the govern
ment of Chill was still provisional, and
with disposition to be forbearing and
hopeful Of friendly termination, / have
awaited the report which has but recent
ly been made. ~
On the 2fstinst. II caused to be com
municated- to the government of Chill
by the American minister at Santiago the
conclusions of this government, after a
full consideration of all the evidence and
of every suggestion affecting this matter,
and to these conclusions / adhere, They
were stated as follows:
''First-That the assault is not relieved
of the aspect which the early informa
ton 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 hostility to this
government, and not in any act of the
sailors OF of any of them,
sSecond-That the public authorities of
Valparaiso fagrantly failed in their duty
to protect our men, and that some of the
police and of the Chilian soldiers and
sailors were themselves
Guilty of Unprovoked Assaults
upon our sailors before and after arrest.
He THE President thinks the preponder-
ance of the evidence and the inherent
probabilities lead to the conclusion that
Riggin was killed by the police and sol
diers.
'Third-That he the President]is there
fore compelled to bring the case back to
the position taken by this government in
the note of Mr.. Wharton of October 23d
last and to ask for suitable apology
and for some adequate reparation for the
injury done to this government
In the same note the attention of the
Chilian government was called to the
offensive character of note addressed
by Mr.. Malta, it's minister of foreign
affairs, to Mr.. Montt, it's minister at this
capital, on the 11th ult. This dispatch
was not officially communicated to this
government, but Mr.. Montt was directed
to translate it and give it to the press of
could not pass without official notice. 1t
was not only undiplomatic, but grossly
insulting to our naval officers and to the
Executive Department, as it directly i'm
puted untrutb and insincerity to the
reports of the naval officers and to the
official communications made by the Ex-
ecutive Department to Congress. 1t will
be observed that I have notified the Chi
lian government that unless this note is
at once withdrawn and an apology as
public as the offence made, will
Terminate Diplomatic Relations.
The request for the recall of Mr.. Egan
upon the ground that he was not persona
grata was unaccompanied by any sug-
gestion that could properly be used in
support of it, and I infer that the request
is based upon official acts of Mr.. Egan
which have received the approval of this
government. But however that may be,
[ could not consent to consider such a
question until it had first been settled
whether our correspondence with Chill
could be conducted upon a basis of
mutual respect.
In submitting these papers to Congress
for that grave and patriotic considera-