Mr. Egan to Mr.
Blaine.
Legation of
the United States,
Santiago, December 28, 1891.
(Received February 1, 1892.)
No. 256.]
Sir: In the Ferrocarril of the 26th instant were a
number of letters from the intendente or governor of Santiago to the
minister of foreign relations, with attached reports from police or
detective officers, translation of which I beg to hand herewith (inclosure
No. 1).
Those letters and the attached reports of policemen, which served as the
basis of the notes addressed to this legation by the minister of foreign
relations, are made up of a tissue of errors and actual untruths, of which I
shall only notice a few.
First. It is said by the intendente, apparently with the intention of
connecting this legation as an accessory after the fact with the barbarous
execution of Lo Cañas described in my No. 192 of the 19th of August, that—
It was known also at the time that ex-Col. Vidaurre, against whom
lies the accusation of being the signer of the sentence of death of
more than 20 defenseless youths who were shot in Lo Cañas the 19th
and 20th of August, had gone out from the legation of North America
and embarked in the warship San Francisco,
disguised as a sailor of that nation.
As a matter of fact, Col. Vidaurre never setfoot in this legation; and,
inasmuch as he had taken part in the battles of Concon and Placillas, and as
it was matter of public notoriety that he had escaped after the last-named
fight into Valparaiso and from there went on board the San
Francisco, it seems more than strange that the intendente of
Santiago should have endeavored so pointedly to connect his name with this
legation.
[Page 277]
Second. In the report of the police official Samuel Plaza, dated the 15th of
November, it is said:
On various occasions it has been made known to me that on passing by
the house occupied by the legation in the Calle Monjitas they (the
detectives) have been grossly insulted by different persons calling
them hirelings, miserables, traitors, and other names which decency
forbids me to repeat. On other occasions also it has been reported
to me that they have been actually assaulted, eggs having been
thrown at them from the porch of the legation.
The persons who have most distinguished themselves and who have been
recognized by the detectives are Señores Juan and Guillermo
MacKenna, Acario Cotapos, and Ricardo Cruzat.
Three of the persons named in the foregoing detective report—Señores Juan and
Guillermo MacKenna and Ricardo Cruzat—are men of education and culture,
ex-ministers of state, and gentlemen of very serioas disposition, and to
charge such men with using gross and indecent language and throwing eggs at
the detectives is the very height of ridiculousness. The other person
named—Acario Cotapos—was a member of the Chamber of Deputies and is also
incapable of the conduct charged.
Besides, it must be remembered that those police agents or spies by whom the
legation has been and is surrounded are persons of the peon or half-breed
class, who have on more than one occasion become intoxicated and created a
public disturbance in the street before the legation, and who have come into
the porch of the legation under the influence of liquor to try to extract
money from the refugees under promises of immunity in case they desired to
go out through the city.
Third. In the detective report of the 18th of November it is said:
Last night the police agents Rafael Herrera and Ramon Sepulveda,
after having gone over a great part of the city, found themselves
resting for a moment seated on the threshold of the door of a house
near the legation, when there presented himself before them the son
of the American minister and addressed them in terms which did but
little honor to him who used them and were wounding to our national
pride.
It will be observed that in this report by saying that the detectives, “after
having gone over a great part of the city, found themselves resting for a
moment, etc.,” there is a most transparent effort to disguise or evade the
fact that a number of these detectives have been stationed permanently on
the doorsteps of the houses adjoining and facing the legation.
The only ground for the statement about my son is the fact that when on one
occasion two of these detectives, in a state of intoxication, came into the
porch of the legation and demanded to see some of the refugees, a young lad
of the age of 15 years, a companion of one of my sons of the same age,
ordered the fellows to get out as a pair of drunken spies.
None of my family ever exchanged a word with those detectives, although on
some occasions their conduct toward them and me has been very offensive and
annoying.
I was obliged again and again to complain to the minister of foreign
relations of the attitude and conduct of those spies, and, as the sequel, I
beg to call your attention to the final paragraph in the printed
correspondence which I inclose, in which the minister of foreign affairs,
writing to the intendente under date of the 30th of November, expresses
himself as follows:
In order to do away absolutely with the fears occasioned by the
representative of the United States, this department approves all
the measures that the intendencia
[Page 278]
may take out of respect to the immunities
which the American legation enjoys and should enjoy.
Of the interpretation given to-those immunities by the honorable minister and
by the intendente of Santiago, you will be able fully to judge from the
correspondence now on file in the Department.
On the 24th instant there was hurriedly passed through both houses of
Congress a law of amnesty, which only extends to officers of the army below
the grade of colonel and to the less important public officials who were
practically beyond the range of prosecution. Among those excluded from this
amnesty are generals and colonels of the army, first and second chiefs of
the navy, ministers of state, councillors of state, members of both houses
of Congress, and members of the judiciary.
The policy of prosecution and persecution of the vanquished is already
raising fears, and even real danger, of retaliation, and if persisted in
must undoubtedly cause serious troubles in the near future. This opinion is
fully shared by my English and other colleagues of the diplomatic body.
Not having received from you any instructions in response to my telegram of
the 22d instant, I did not, of course, attend the inaguration ceremony on
the 26th instant, and my absence was much commented on. At a banquet given
in the evening by the President to the diplomatic body, the president of the
Senate, Señor Don Waldo Silva, read from manuscript the toast of which I
send you translation (inclosure No. 2), which toast would seem to be
intentionally framed to exclude the United States.
The situation with regard to the formation of a ministry is very peculiar.
The new ministry should have been announced on the 26th instant, but, owing
to the difficulties created by the minister of foreign relations, none of
the prominent men have up to the present cared to accept the responsibility
of the situation.
Almost everyone here admits that the manner in which Señor Matta has involved
this country in such serious complications with the United States was a
terrible blunder; but Mr. Matta has always been regarded as the founder and
is one of the chiefs of the radical party which forms an important group
within the Liberal party. On this account, and on account of the slender
threads by which the different sections of the Liberal party are held
together, it would be a very delicate task for a new ministry to retract the
language and repair the actions of Mr. Matta toward the Government of the
United States and its legation, and it is generally considered that this
course will be necessary in order to avoid an armed struggle. From this
arises the difficulty of forming a ministry.
The positive promise made by the minister of foreign relations to the dean of
the diplomatic corps on the 21st instant that he would withdraw the
detectives from around the legation and leave only the police in uniform was
only partially fulfilled and for a couple of days. The annoyance has been
renewed in a more offensive form than before. There are now two to four of
these spies, in addition to the uniformed police, constantly stationed at
the corner of the block some 50 feet from the legation, and for the past
couple of days, for their greater accommodation, they are provided with
chairs, upon which they sit upon the sidewalk.
I have, etc.,
[Page 279]
[Inclosure 1 in No. 256.—Translation.—From
the Ferrocarril of December 26, 1891.]
Measures relative to asylum and
safe-conduct.
Santiago, September 24,
1891.
Mr. Minister: In the performance of my duty to
maintain public order I have taken such measures as have seemed proper,
in view of the grave occurrences which have recently taken place and of
the well-founded apprehensions of the neighborhood on account of
repeated complaints that some persons who are hidden, or to whom an
asylum has been granted in places that can not be accessible to the
police, were taking steps calculated to give rise to disorders and
conflicts in the city.
I think proper to inform you that, among the complaints received by this
intendencia, there is one to the effect that in the building occupied by
the legation of the United States of North America there are several
refugees who were seriously compromised in the acts of the Government of
the dictator Don José Manuel Balmaceda, and that those refugees, not
respecting the asylum which has been granted them by the Hon. Patrick
Egan, are in constant communication with others who serve them as agents
or deputies for the creation of disorder, inciting the troops or the
populace to raise disturbances.
The intendencia has consequently ordered the police to watch the houses
near to that which is occupied by the American legation, and they are
specially instructed to arrest any person not belonging to the legation
who can serve those who have sought refuge there as agents for the
subversive plans above referred to. The result of these measures has
confirmed the fears that were entertained by this intendencia on the
ground of the complaints which it had received. In fact, it now
positively knows that, in addition to the persons composing the
legation, i. e., the family of the Hon. Patrick
Egan and his servants, others who are looked upon as suspicious by the
authorities enter there with unusual frequency, some of whom have been
surprised with communications from the refugees, who doubtless abused
the confidence reposed in them and the shelter afforded them by the Hon.
Mr. Egan. I have also learned that persons have left the legation
through the back door who are supposed to be emissaries of the refugees,
who have thereby similarly abused the confidence of the Hon. Mr.
Egan.
As the right of asylum can not comprise acts of such gravity, the
intendencia has deemed it to be its duty to take the measures above
stated for the prevention of anything that could threaten the
maintenance of public order, respecting, at the same time, the building
occupied by the American legation, which is entitled to every
consideration as are the other legations accredited to the Government of
Chile.
The intendencia likewise performs its duty in informing the Government
with regard to those measures to the end that it may be enabled to form
a proper opinion concerning them, and to issue such instructions as it
may think proper in the case.
God guard you.
To the Minister of Foreign Relations.
Santiago, October 2,
1891.
No. 460.]
The minister plenipotentiary of the United States writes me as
follows under date of October 1:
“In the present easel have given cards to be used by each of the four
servants, employed at the legation. My identification cards have
certainly not been respected, because all my servants were
imprisoned and kept in confinement for several days, although two of
them had the cards in their possession.”
It will be necessary for you to report concerning the statement made
by Mr. Egan in his note of yesterday, which has to day been received
by me.
I salute you.
To Don Carlos Lira,
Intendente of Santiago.
Santiago, October 8,
1891.
Mr. Minister: The instructions given by
this intendencia to the police were to arrest any suspicious person
that should be found near the North American legation, since
complaints had repeatedly been made of the many persons not
belonging to the legation who visited it, and it was also stated
that among the visitors were
[Page 280]
some of the very persons who had incited the lower classes of the
people and the soldiers of our army to uprising and rebellion.
As it is the duty of the administrative authorities to preserve order
in the city, repeated complaints of such gravity could not be
disregarded. It was known, moreover, that the following persons were
refugees at the legation: Adolfo Ibañez, Guillermo MacKenna, José M.
Valdés Carrera, Ricardo Vicuña, Ricardo Cruzat Hurtado, Francisco
Javier Godoy, Acario Cotapos, Aurelio Cotapos, Nemorino Cotapos,
ex-Col. Hermójenes Cámus, Señor Sanchez, Alberto Valdivieso Araos,
ex-Col. José Ramon Vidaurre, Belisario Vial, and some others; and,
ia view of the connection of almost all of them with the
administration that has just been overthrown, it was feared that
they were attempting to create disturbances with a view to
discrediting the incoming Government, and also, perhaps, to escaping
when the attention of the authorities should be occupied with these
occurrences.
In fact, a key for writing in cipher was found in the possession of
some boys, together with a detailed list of all the occurrences that
had taken place about that time, especially such as were connected
with the movements of the military. One of the servants arrested was
the bearer of a letter in which full instructions were given by Juan
E. MacKenna to prepare the way for his escape, with false names and
under the protection of safe-conducts, which he said were to be
furnished to him by Mr. Egan; in the possession of others were found
papers showing an evident intention to assist in and take advantage
of any movement that might be made.
It was likewise learned at that time that ex-Col. Vidaurre, who was
charged with having signed the death warrant of upwards of twenty
defenseless youths who were shot at Lo Cañas on the 19th and 20th of
August, had left the North American legation and embarked on board
the war vessel San Francisco in the disguise
of an American sailor.
The persons imprisoned at the time referred to in Minister Egan’s
note were released immediately, with the exception of a Mr. Canales,
an officer in the army of the dictator. The servants who were
imprisoned and who are likewise referred to by the same minister in
his note, were: Celestino Blanco, a criminal, who was placed on
trial for highway robbery in the criminal court and who made his
escape from the jail in this city on the 29th of August last; Blanco
was the only one who had a card in his possession which showed him
to be a doorkeeper at the legation; Luis E. Estrella, who declared
that he had been for a long time the servant of Don Guillermo
MacKenna, and who is exclusively employéd by him; Francisco De Toro
Valenzuela, who had been for a long time employed by Don Juan E.
MacKenna, and who was in his service; and Luis Bansi, a brother-in
law of Aurelio Cotapos, and in the service of the family of that
name.
This is all that I have to say on the subject.
God guard you.
To the Minister of Foreign
Relations.
Santiago, November 6,
1891.
The United States minister thinks that some manifestation of
hostility to the legation under his charge might be originated by
the public meeting which is to be held in the Plaza de Armas at 5
o’clock p.m.
In view of the apprehensions of the minister, be pleased to take such
preventive measures as you may think proper and to report the same
to this department.
I salute you.
To the Intendente of Santiago.,
Santiago, November 6,
1891.
No. 58.]
This intendencia has taken all measures calculated to maintain order
at the public meeting announced for this day.
You may assure the United States minister that this intendencia will
in every case perform its duty as it should.
I write this in reply to your note No. 667 of this day’s date.
God guard you.
To the Minister of Foreign
Relations.
[Page 281]
Santiago, November 16,
1891.
No. 758.]
Mr. Patrick Egan, minister plenipotentiary of the United States,
says, under date of to-day, that for several nights past a group of
from seven to ten spies belonging to the secret police has been
stationed near the door and in the neighborhood of the legation,
alarming such persons as had occasion to call there.
At a late hour last night some of these men committed excesses which
disturbed the tranquillity of the neighborhood, and while apparently
in a state of intoxication pounded on the windows of the legation,
grossly insulting the refugees whom they saw in a room which looks
out upon the street.
The disorder was ended only by the interference of other policemen,
who drove up in a carriage at about 2 o’clock a.m. and took away the
persons who were causing the disturbance.
Be pleased to inform this department concerning what took place last
night in connection with this incident.
I salute you.
To the Intendente of Santiago.
Santiago, November 17,
1891.
No. 83.]
Your note of the 16th, in which you state the complaint made by the
United States minister on account of a disturbance which he says
took place opposite to his house during the night of the 15th
instant, has this day been received at the intendencia.
I inclose to you the original of a police report which had been
received at the intendencia and which seems to have reference to the
same matter. I have, moreover, this day requested the prefect of
police to report, and as soon as I receive his report I will send it
to you together with any other data that I may be able to obtain on
this subject.
God guard you.
To the Minister of Foreign
Relations.
Bureau of the Secret Police,
Santiago, November 15,
1891.
Mr. Prefect: Among the persons charged with
executing the orders of the courts and with the maintenance of
public order, whose duty it is to report to this bureau, several
have informed me that while passing in front of the house occupied
by the American legation, in Monjitas street, they have been grossly
insulted by various persons who called them scoundrels, wretches,
traitors, and other names which from a sense of decency I do not
repeat.
They have informed me on other occasions that they have actually been
attacked and have been pelted with eggs from the porch of the
legation.
The persons who have most distinguished themselves, and who have been
recognized by the officers, are Messrs. Juan and Guillermo MacKenna,
Acario Cotapos, and Ricardo Cruzat.
The officers who Complain are Enrique Mataluna, Felix Bustos, Abelino
Rifo, José Gil Anton, José Dolores Caceres, and Miguel Serra.
As these acts are frequently repeated, I deem it my duty to bring
them to your knowledge that you may take proper action in the
matter.
Office of the Prefect of Police,
Santiago, November 15, 1891.
Let the foregoing report be transmitted to the intendente for his
information.
Santiago, November 18,
1891.
No. 86.]
I forward you the report sent by the prefect of police, giving
information respecting the note in which you convey to me a
complaint of the United States minister, Mr. Patrick Egan, relative
to some disorders which he says occurred on the night of the 15th
instant in front of his residence.
[Page 282]
I also send you a report dated this day, in which the prefecture
relates an insult offered by the minister’s son to some agents of
the police.
This intendencia hopes that the inclosed documents will be sufficient
to answer your excellency’s note No. 758, of the 16th instant.
God preserve your excellency.
To the Minister of Foreign
Relations.
Santiago, November 18,
1891.
No. 414.]
Mr. Intendente: I have carefully noted the
contents of the note addressed to you by the minister of foreign
relations, conveying a communication from the minister
plenipotentiary of the United States, in which Minister Egan states
that a body of seven or eight spies of the secret police was found
stationed during the past week near the door and in the vicinity of
the legation, his excellency the minister setting forth that at a
late hour of the last night these men committed excesses which
disturbed the quiet of the neighborhood, knocking on the windows of
the legation and uttering gross insults to the refugees; his
excellency Mr. Egan saying, in conclusion, that the disorder was
ended through the interference of other police agents.
Admitting the correctness of the minister’s statement of the
circumstances, so far as relates to the fact that agents of the
authorities are watching his house, your excellency may be assured
that the agents of the prefecture, in whatever character they may
present themselves, and whatever commission they may be called upon
to execute, will be at least respectful, and will in no case play
the part of aggressors, as this prefecture would punish such conduct
with the greatest severity.
I am not surprised, Mr. Intendente, that some cases should have
occurred in which those in asylum at the legation have been annoyed
by some of their many political adversaries, but the prefecture has
no knowledge of any such case.
As to what the minister states with regard to a disorder instigated
by agents whom he supposes to belong to this prefecture, I have no
knowledge except through the note of which you sent me a copy.
The minister, at the end of his note, calls attention to the fact
that the disorder ended on the arrival of other agents, who came in
a carriage after 2 o’clock in the afternoon—that is to say, after
twelve hours, more or less, of alarm to the neighborhood—and carried
the authors of the disturbance to prison.
I think, Mr. Intendente, that in both cases there has been some
mistake on the part of those persons who gave their testimony to the
minister, as on the dates given by the note which I am answering the
prefecture of police and the criminal court received no report
corroborating these-assertions.
As to further information, Mr. Intendente, I think it opportnne to
call your attention to the original reports, dated the 15th and 18th
instant, made to the undersigned by the chief of the section of
investigations.
This is all that I can tell your excellency on this subject in the
report which you were pleased to ask of me.
To the Intendente of the Province.
General Section of Investigations,
Santiago, November 18, 1891.
Mr. Prefect: The agents of this section
have been insulted for the third time by persons coming out of the
house occupied by the American legation.
Last night, while the watchmen Rafael Herrera and Ramon Sepulveda
were seated at the door of a house near that occupied by the said
legation, resting a moment after having gone over a large part of
the city, the son of the American minister presented himself before
them and addressed them in terms which did little honor to the
person using them and which were very offensive to our national
pride.
I ought to state that the said agents confined themselves simply to
taking note of the insulting expressions and of the person using
them, in order to report to the proper authorities.
I report this to you for such action as you may deem proper.
Santiago, November 18, 1891.
Forward to the intendente for his information and action.
[Page 283]
Santiago, November 30,
1891.
No. 859.]
I have received your excellency’s note No. 100, of the 27th instant,
inclosing the communication sent to your intendencia by the prefect
of police, touching the complaint made by the representative of the
United States in the note which he addressed to this department on
the 20th instant, communicated by me to your excellency on the
23d.
The reports furnished by you with regard to the complaints made by
Minister Egan prove clearly that it is “possible, if not an actual
fact, that some passers-by, trying to commit acts which might create
difficulties between the American legation and this department, and
under the appearance of publie or secret policemen, have succeeded
in making the United States representative believe that the
authorities permitted or encouraged such misconduct.
In order to remove entirely the fears felt by the representative of
the United States, this department approves every measure which your
intendencia may adopt to secure the privileges which the American
legation enjoys and ought to enjoy.
I salute your excellency.
To the Intendente of Santiago.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 256.—Translation.—Prom
the Ferrocarril of December 27, 1891.]
Don Waldo Silva’s toast at the banquet.
In the evening His Excellency the President of the Republic gave a
banquet to the diplomatic corps, at which were present the diplomatic
ministers, the ministers of state, the presidents of the Senate and
Chamber of Deputies, ministers of the courts of justice, generals of the
army, chief officers of the navy, etc.
After the customary addresses, delivered by the minister of foreign
relations and the dean of the diplomatic corps, Señor Silva, president
of the Senate, expressed himself in the following terms:
“Gentlemen: To-day there is written in our
historical annals a date that will be forever memorable.
“The installation into the Government of a President designated by the
freest election the country has had, and who is invested with the
supreme command with all constitutional formalities, is an event which
presents itself to us under characters of extraordinary magnitude.
“In the closing days of the month of August, at the doors of Valparaiso,
the two great battles took place which put a glorious termination to our
long and bloody civil war. With them succumbed the dictatorship, but
left to us chaos, because its dominion lasted long enough to unhinge
everything in the Republic.
“Notwithstanding, in less than four months of labor the work of
reconstruction has been happily concluded. All the public powers of
Chile are already reconstituted in conformity to the laws; our political
mechanism is again in regular operation; to complete the period of our
glories a law of amnesty, whose purpose is to heal the wounds of war and
to reestablish harmony among our citizens, has become the aurora of this
day in which are reunited the series of the constitutional Government of
the Republic. It may therefore be confidently said that the advent to
the Presidency of His Excellency Señor Montt will be an event forever
memorable.
“Gentlemen, for more than half a century the august ceremony of
transmitting the authority from one President to another has taken place
on a classic day—the 18th of September, the anniversary of our political
emancipation. The perturbations caused by the dictatorship prevented
this from happening this year, in 1891. Nevertheless I desire to
associate with the act of the reestablishment of constitutional rule the
recollection of our emancipation. The revolutions of 1810 and 1891
resemble and complete each other, because if the first gave us a country
the second has permitted us to preserve it> under conditions that
render it worthy to be inhabited by free men.
“For all this, gentlemen, I offer prayers; in the first place, because
the peace which we have restored and the laws we have reëstablished may
have the stability necessary for them to serve as the immovable basis of
the aggrandizement and prosperity of Chile.
“I offer them, further, for the happiness of the friendly nations whose
representatives have solemnized by their presence the inauguration of
our new constitutional government, and who have desired to come to seat
themselves at this table to be witnesses of our present rejoicing as
they nearly all were of our past sorrows.”
