Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1892 — WILL DALLY NO LONGER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WILL DALLY NO LONGER

BLUNT REPLY TO CHILI’S INSULTING DEMANDS. (nDtead of Recalling Egan Secretary Blaine Require* tile Immediate Withdrawal of Matta’x Note. an Apology and Indemnity to the Baltimore’* Sailor*. The Hour of Reckoning Ha* Come. During the last week, in spite of the show of friendship toward Minister Egan | by Senor Pereira, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other members of the | Chilian Cabinet, events have come to light exhibiting surprising duplicity Minister Egan was asked last week by the Chilian Foreign Office to “recognize” the fact that Secretary Blaine had accepted the renunciation of Matta’s circular letter by the Chilian Government, the so-called renunciation being forwarded upon the explanation that President Harrison’s message was a domestic document and it was therefore improper foraforeign government to officially comment upon it. Mr. Egan declined to entertain the proposition until after ho

! had communicated with the Washington ' Government and obtained instructions from his own superiors. He declined ;o acknowledge the “renunciation” upon the grounds stated by the Chilian authorities without official information from Washington. When the request in regard to the Matta note was made by Minister Eagan he was told that a letter in regard to the subject would be sent to the American Legation. The promised letter was not sent. On the contrary the Chilian Government cabled Senor Pedro Montt, its Minister at Washington, to demand the recall of Mr. Egan because he was persona non grata. Secretary Blaine’s reply to the demand for Minister Egan’s recall has been delivered. Instead of being an Instruction to Mr. Egan to return home it instructed the American Minister to deliver the ultimatum of the United States Government to the Chilian authorities. This ultimatum demands the immediate and unqualified withdrawal of the Matta letter without reservation, an apology for the assault upon the sailors of the Baltimore, and the payment of an indemnity. It is couched in an extremely firm and decided tone. Minister Egan is instructed if the demand is not complied with at once to sever diplomatic relations with the Chilian Government. Chili’s hour of reckoning has come, and it must reckon with the United States for two distinct offenses. One is a purely diplomatic one. It is the insolent circular of the Foreign Minister of the Provisional Government, in which the most insulting things were said of the President of the United States, the Secretary of the Navy, the Minister to Chili, and the naval officers. The other is the antecedent one growing out of the attack on sailors wearing the American uniform by the Valparaiso mob. There is a third cause of irritation, but it is not set forth as an offense. This is the request of the Chilian Government for the recall of Minister Egan without that Government having previously settled the Baltimore outrage and disavowed the Matta circular.

Every diplomatic step has been taken. The ultimatum has been duly presented by Minister Egan to the Chilian authorities. While several messages have gone to him during the last tew days there was no possibility of mistaking the later ones. In them he was directed to state with all formality that the United States renewed on the present Montt Government the demand it had made on the Provisional Government for reparation for the Baltimore outrage, and in addition he was instructed to demand a complete disavowal of the Matta offense. These messages were not simply in the nature of an ultimatum, they were the ultimatum itself. To guard against any error in terms after he received them Minister Egan repeated the instructions back again. They were found exactly as sent, and he was directed to present the ultimatum at once and ask for an immediate reply. He did so. Chili has made no reply, either to Minister Egan in Santiago or through its minister in Washington. It is still defiant. The United States held no communication with Minister Montt in regard to the final demands. The administration ignored him and dealt directly through the Minister to Chili. He was not even told that the last message had gone and the news was known to the Chilian government before the minister in Washington had it. This was about the most emphatic way in which the President and Secretary of State could show their displeasure at the course of Chili in presenting the request for Minister Egan’s recall when the circumstances were so critical. Officially the United States does not entertain the request pending a settlement of the controversy. It. was therefore the simple truth to say that when Minister Egan leaves Santiago Minister Montt will leave Washington.

MINISTER PATRICK EGAN.