Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-01-28
THE PRESIDENT AND chill.
THE GILLIAN MATTER IN IT'S
ENTIRETY LAID BEFORE
CONGRESS.
The President Discusses the Cues
ton, Dwelling Especially Upon
the Legal Aspect.

| To the Senate and House cq@Hepresonta-
tives: In my annual message delivered to
congress at the beginning of the present scs-
zion, after a brief statement OF facts then IN
possession of this government touching the
assault in the streets Of Valparaiso, Chill, up
on the sailors of the United States steamship
Baltimore on the evening OF the 10Th Of Octo-
Der last, ] said:
''The government Is now awaiting the re-
suit of an investigation which has been con-
Quoted by the criminal court at Valparaiso.
1t is reported unonicially that the nycstiqa-
ton Is about completed aud IL is expected That
the result will soon DC communicated g. this
government, together with some adequate and
satisfactory response to the note by which the
attention of Chill was called 20 this
incident. If these just expectations
should be disappointed or further needless
delay intervene, / evil 10y special message
bring this matter again to the attention OF
congress for such action as may be ueccs-
sary.n
In my opinion the time has now come when
] should lay before the congress and The coun-
try the correspondence between this govern
mcnt AMI the government Of Chilli
from the time Of the breaking out OF
the revolution against Balmaceda together
with all other facts in the possession Of The
executive department relating to this matter.
The diplomatic correspondence is herewith
transmitted, together with some CurrcspuG-
IN command in Chill aud the secretary Of the
navy, and also the evidence taken at the Mare
Island navy yard since the arrival OF the Bal
timorc at San Francisco. | do not deem it
necessary in this communication to attcmptH
tull analysis of the correspondence or OF The
evidence. A statement of the international
questions involved aud OF the reasons why the
responses of the CHILEAN government are Uu-
satisfactory is all that ! deem necessary. Il
may be well at the outset 10 say
that, whatever may have been said ia
this country or in Chilli in criticism Of MIR.
Eagan, our minister at Santiago, The truC his
tory Of this exciting period In Gillian affairs
from the outbreak Of the revolution until this
time discloscs no act on the part Of Mr. Egan
unworthy of his position or that could justly
be the occasion OF serious animadvcr5iun or
criticism. lie has / think, on the whole car
ricd himself IN very trying circumstances with
dignity, discretion and courage, and has CO.
Quoted the CORE spOndcnce with ability c0ur-
tcsy and fairness. IL Is worth while
also at the beginning to say that the
right of Mr.. Egan TO give shelter in the lcga-
ton to certain adhCrCnts of the Bai3UaCCia
government who applied to him for asylum,
has not been denied by the Gillian authorities
nor has any demand been made for the sur
render of these refugees That there WAS
urgent need Of asylum is shown by Mir Egon
I'm note November -, 1891, de-
sgrbng the disorder that prevailed
in Santiago and by the evidence
Of Captain SchlCy rs TO the piiagc
and violence that prevailed 1t Valparaiso.
The correspondence diSCl0sCS however That
the request Of Mr.. Egan FOR a safe conduct
from the country in behalf OF those refugees
was denied. The prcccdrnts cited by him in
the correspondence, particularly the ease Of
the revolution in Peru IN 1853, dill not leave
the CHILEAN government in position To deny
the right to asylum TO politicm refugees
and seemed very clearly 10 support
Mr. Egan's contention that a safe conduct
and acknowledged Incident of the asylum.
| These refugees have very recently, without
formal safe conduct hut hy the 5cguicscance of
/ the Gillian authorities, been placed on board
| the Yorktown and are now being conveyed to
/ CalaO, Peru. This incident might he c3usii-
/ cred wholly closed but for the dlsreSVCgt ruau-
/ ifcsted towards this government bE tie
close aud offensive political Surveillance"
/ of the legation premises which UG
/ maintained during most Of the period Df th"
| stay of the refugees therein. After the date
! Of my annual message and up 20 the time OF
/ the transfer of the refugees to the yorktown,
I the legation premises seem to have been sur
/ rounded by police in Uniform and police
! agents or detective IN citizens dress WHO Of
/ fensWcy scrutiuNrl persons entering O..
/ leaving the legation and on one or
more occasions arrested members
/ Of the minister's family. Commando
! Evans, who by my direction recently wished
I Mr.. Egan at Santa o. ia his telegram 10 IEe
navy department described the legation us 20
/ Veritable prison. and states that The police
agents or detectives We're, after his arrival
/ withdrawn during his stay. 10 appears further
/ from the note OF Mr. Eg1u of Nov. 20, 1871, tau
on one occasion at least, these police agents
| whom he declares TO be known 10 him. Invaded
the legation premises, pounding upon It's VIA.
J
/ threatening language towards persons therein,
This breach OF the right of amnesty, tn FREQ
dom Of police espionage and restraint seems
! TO nave been so fragrant that the Argentine
1 minister, who WAS dean Of the diplomatic
corps, having observed H. feCcalIed upon 10
protest agaiust it to CHILEAN miuslcrof foreign
affairs The Gillian authorities have as
will be observed from the cores pundcacr,
| charged the refugees aud the inmates Of tie
legation with insulting the police hut 10 seems
10 ME Incredible that men whose lives were IN
jeopardy and whose safety could only be se-
. cured by retirement and QUiclucss,
. should have sought to provoke q
collision which could only end In
their destruction or 10 aggrayatcthctr cDndl-
ton By intensifying n popular feeling thai 10
one time so threatened the legation as 10 re
quirc Mr.. Eggn to appeal to the minister OF
foreign affairs.
| But the most serious incident disGlp u hy
the correspondence is that Of the attack upon
the sailors Of the Baltimore in the streets o!
/ VALPARAISO on the l6th OF October
last In my annual message, speaking
upon the information then In my possession
said: So far as have yet been able 10 learn.
no other explanation of this bloody work has
been suggested than that il had It's Origin 81
hostility to these men as sailors Of the United
States wearing the uniform Of their govern
ment and not in any individual act or personal
nnimosity
We have now received frOm the Gillian
government an abstract OF the conclusions OF
the fiscal general upon the testimony taken
by the Judge Of crimes III GH investigation
which was made to extend over nearly tlrna
months. very much regret to be compelled
10 say that this report docs not enable me To-
modify the conclusion announced In my an,
nual message.
am still Of opinion that our sailors Tcrl
assaulted, beaten, stabbed, AMI killed
hot for anything they or any one Of them
had done, but for what the government of
the United States had done. or Wa
charged with having done, by it. civil officer.
and naval commanders. IL that DE the trUC
aspect of the case, the injury wus 20 the GOV
eminent Of the United States, not To those
poor sailors who were assaulted in manner
so cOwardly. Before attempting 10 give an
outline of the facts upon which this cDgclu
sion rests, think Il right to say a word OF
two upon the legal aspect Of the case.
The Baltimore was tn the barbOr OF Val
paraiso by virtue Of that general Invitation
which nations are held TO extend 10 th
war vesselsof other powers with which the,
have friendly relations. This invitation.
think, must be held ordinarily TO embrace tl
privilege of such communication Will
the shore as Is reasonably nee
essary and proper for the comf0r
and convenience Of the officers AM
men of such vessels. Captain Schlcy testilie
that when his vessel returned 10 Valparaiso 81
September l4th, the city officers, Is cusiC
mary, extended the Inequalities Of the city d
his officers and crew
II is not claimed that every personal col
Ssion or injury ia which o sailor or officer @
, .nch naval vessel visiting the shore may be ia
vjlyed raises an international question, bu
] am clearly Of the opinion that where sue
sailors or officers are assaulted by q resden
populace animated by hostility
the government whose unifOrl
the sailors and officers wca
and in resentment Of acts done by their go'
, eminent not Ivy them, this nation must tab
4 notice of the event rs one involving uu infra'
: tlou Of its rights and dignity; not in seeo'
Diary way as where a citizen Is Injured au
=, presents his claim through hi own govern
!. ment but in primary way precisely us II i
minister or consul or the flag Use