Mr. Egan to Mr.
Foster.
[Extract.]
Legation of
the United States,
Santiago, July 2, 1892.
(Received August 11.)
No. 319.]
Sir: In consequence of the translation into a
section of the Chilean press of the infamous letters addressed by the
Señores Ricardo L. and Juan Trumbull to certain members of the United States
Congress, in one of which Señor Juan Trumbull says: “The 1,400 men killed in
the Placillas directly owe their death to the interference of the United
States Navy,” the attacks upon Admiral Brown and other naval officers of the
United States have been again renewed, with even more than former venom.
In a leading article, which appeared in yesterday’s edition of El Heraldo, a
leading radical-liberal organ of Valparaiso the false charges against
Admiral Brown and the officers of the cruiser San
Francisco are again emphasized. Referring to my note of 17th
September last, addressed to the minister of foreign relations, conveying
Admiral Brown’s denial of the charges, it says:
In the note directed to the minister of foreign relations, Mr. Egan
speaks of the “scandalous charges” which have been made against
Rear-Admiral Brown, and insists on maintaining that the
disembarkation at Quinteros was already known to the agents of
Balmaceda. This is, without doubt, the fact; the Dictatorial
Government knew of the disembarkation of some troops at Quinteros,
but they could not have known if that was a regular attack or a
false disembarkation in order to cover a different plan of campaign,
and this was what they learned through the American naval officers
who communicated to Mr. Viel the number of ships and the approximate
number of effective troops which they had brought.
[Page 59]
In view of the effect upon the opinions of the unreasoning and uneducated
masses in Valparaiso and other Chilean ports, of these repeated and
scandalous attacks, and the danger should the opportunity offer of further
attacks being made in consequence upon the uniform of the United States,
similar to the murderous assault upon the men of the Baltimore, I deemed it my duty to address to-day to the minister
of foreign relations a note upon the subject, copy of which I beg to hand
herewith (inclosure No. 1).
I am glad also to be able to inclose translation (inclosure No. 2) of a
letter published in La Republica of this city, of 29th June ultimo, two days
prior to the appearance of the slanderous article in El Heraldo, signed by
Señor Don A. Vaides Carrera, who at the time of the landing of the
Congressional forces at Quinteros was governor of Quillota and who is a
gentleman of entire reliability.
Señor Vaides Carrera says that at 5:30 o’clock in the morning of the 20th
August he advised to President Balmaceda the arrival of the Congressional
squadron in the Bay of Quinteros, and also to Admiral Viel, intendente of
Valparaiso; that he had the landing watched by advanced pickets, who from
moment to moment telegraphed all details of the landing up to 4:30 o’clock
in the evening, when they announced the completion of the disembarkation
nearly one hour before the San Francisco arrived back
from her voyage to Quinteros Bay.
This agrees exactly with the statement of Admiral Brown, conveyed in his
letter to me of 8th September, copy of which I inclosed in my dispatch No.
203 of 17th September last, and is a complete answer to the scandalous
charges so constantly repeated here against him and against other officers
of the U. S. Navy.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 319.]
Mr. Egan to Señor
Errazuriz.
Legation of the United States,
Santiago, July 2,
1892.
Sir: On September 17 last, foreseeing and
fearing the danger that might arise to the friendly relations of our
respective countries from the reckless and utterly unfounded charges
made against Admiral Brown, of the U. S. Navy, over the signature of
Senor Don Ismael Valdez Vergara, and freely repeated by a section of the
Chilean press, which fears were afterwards so fatally confirmed a month
later by the attack upon and killing and wounding of a number of the
crew of the United States cruiser Baltimore in
Valparaiso, I considered it my duty to address to the ministry of your
excellency a note conveying copies of a letter of Admiral Brown
addressed to me, in which that officer gave a clear and positive denial
to the odious charges made against him.
From time to time since, notwithstanding this denial of Admiral Brown,
the same charge of having given important information to the Balmaceda
Government has been made against both him and his officers until the
statement has become almost an accepted part of the history of
Chile.
Only yesterday, the 1st instant, El Heraldo, of Valparaiso, in one of its
leading articles, repeated, the charges and added:*
“En la nota dirijida al Ministerio de Relaciones Esteriores habla el
Señor Egan de los ‘cargos escandalosos’ que se ban hecho al
contra-almirante Brown e insiste en sostener que el desembarco de
Quinteros era ya conocido de los ajentes de Balmaceda. El hecho es sin
duda exacto; el gobierno dictatorial conocía el desembarco de algunas
tropas en Quinteros pero no podía saber si era aquello un ataque en
regla ó un falso desembarco para cubrir un plan diverso de campaña y eso
fué lo que supo por los oficiales de marina Americanos que comunicaron
al Señor Viel el número de buques y el efectivo aproximado de las tropas
que aquellos traian.”
[Page 60]
This additional calumny is completely answered in a letter of Señor Bon
A. Valdes Carrera, ex-governor of Quillota, which I find published in La
Republica, of this city, of 29th ultimo, two days before the publication
of the article in El Heraldo, copy of which I inclose for the
information of your excellency. In this letter Señor Valdes Carrera
says:*
“El que suscribe, gobernador de Quillota, a las 5:30 a.m. del 20 de
agosto, puso telegrama al Excelentisimo Señor Balmaceda, avisando la
llegada de la Escuadra a Quinteros i comienzo del desembarco, e igual
aviso dió al almirante Viel i al jeneral Alcerreca, i que momento a
momento telegrafiaba a mis superiores dando las noticias delcaso.
“Las revolucionarios eran inspeccionados por las avanzadas que tenia en
ese lugar; una de ellas llevaba un telegrafista con máquina de mano, el
que a cada instante comunicaba lo que ocurria.
“De este modo avisé el desembarco con todos sus detalles, hasta número
exacto de fuerzas de cada arma, número de lanchas empleadas en
desembarco i número de trasportes, i a las 4:30 p.m. anunciaba
terminacion del desembarco, ántes que almirante Viel tuviese
conocimiento de estos sucesos por el cablegrama que el oficial norte
Americano le llevara para ser visado i remitido a su gobierno.”
I shall not enter further into the question of these offenses against the
honor of trusted officers of the United States naval service except to
repeat to your excellency what I stated in my note of September 17 last,
already referred to. It is to be regretted that charges of this nature,
calculated to weaken the cordial feelings of friendship which ought to
unite our people, should be so recklessly made.
I have not brought to the notice of your excellency’s ministry, nor do I
intend to do so, the vile and utterly untruthful statements leveled
against me as minister of the United States by this same section of the
press, being content to leave entirely to my own Government the
appreciation of such attacks.
Renewing, etc.,
[Inclosure 2 in No. 319—From La Republica,
Santiago, June 29—Translation.]
The Editors of La Republica: I have read in El
Ferrocarril of the 22d instant, No. 11425, an article calumniating the
worthy representatives of the United States of America in this country
with the heading “More Light,” translation from the New York World for
El Mercurio.
In this publication there is an attempt to prove that Admiral Brown and
Lieut. Dyer, of the American Navy, were occupied in informing President
Balmaceda of the advance of the revolutionists and of the disembarkation
at Quinteros on 20th of last August.
As a proof that is unimpeachable he publishes a cablegram that said
Admiral Brown sent to his Government after he had been at Quinteros on
the afternoon of that day and had assured himself of the actual
disembarkation of the troops—which cablegram was viséed by our Admiral
Viel.
Lieut. Dyer went on shore in Valparaiso at 5:10 p.m. to have his
cablegram viséed and send it to his Government, at which hour, says the
World, Admiral Viel learned of the disembarkation by means of the advice
which he received from the officers of the American Navy. This is the
proof the New York World adduces, according to the assertions of Dr.
Trumbull, agent of the revolutionists at Valparaiso.
From the above statements the management of the affairs of the country
appear in a very brilliant light since it was necessary that a foreign
admiral should inform our Government of the landing of the enemy on the
coast twelve hours after it had occurred.
Let the New York World and the traitor Trumbull both know that the
undersigned governor of Quillota, at 5:30 a.m. on the 20th of August,
telegraphed to President Balmaceda, informing him that the fleet had
arrived at Quinteros and had begun the disembarkation, and that I at the
same time advised Admiral Viel and Gen. Alcerreca, and each moment
thereafter I telegraphed my superior officers, giving them news of what
occurred.
The revolutionists were watched by the pickets which I had stationed at
Quinteros. One of these parties had with them a telegraph operator with
a portable instrument, and he informed me each moment of what
occurred.
By these means I advised the landing of the troops with all details, even
the exact number of forces in infantry, artillery, and cavalry, the
number of launches employed in the disembarkation, and the number of
vessels, and at 4:30 p.m. I announced that the disembarkation of the
troops was concluded, before Admiral Viel learned of [Page 61] these occurrences through the cablegram
which the American naval officer took him to be viséed and remitted to
his Government.
This is the truth of what occurred, and proves the calumny the most
powerful weapon of the revolutionists.
I remain, etc.,
