Mr. Egan to Mr. Gresham.
Santiago, April 16, 1893.
Mr. Egan requests further instructions in connection with Mr. Gresham’s telegram of April 15, some points of which he says are not understood by him. He says that sedition, including riot, mutiny, or insurrection in connection with the attempt made on December 11, to overthrow the Government was the charge brought against the refugees previous to their engaging in the insurrection of the 8th, and that there is no charge against them as common criminals. He asks whether he is to withdraw protection if that charge is made the basis of a demand for their surrender, and whether he should not ask, in that event, for guarantees that their lives will be safe and that violence will not be done to them, and put it as a condition that no trial shall take place for their share in the attempted insurrection of the 8th. He proceeds to explain that the excitement and passion were intense when the Chileans now in the legation, sought refuge on the night of the 8th, when the attempted insurrection occurred, and that from the information he had, and his personal belief, he gave them protection, not against arrest on previous charge which was not then in question, but against almost certain death. He adds that since their entering the legation, of which the police had no knowledge until the Government was informed by himself, their surrender has not been demanded in any form whatever and expresses regret at not making his previous telegrams sufficiently clear.