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368 A HISTORY OF CHILE disinterested spectators of the civil strife, and had no quarrel with Balmaceda. It appeared to them a fight between the ins and the outs in Chilean politics, in which the ins, as a dulj' and lawfully established con- stitutional government, were entitled to be considered as such until they were known to be out. They had little national concern and still less direct individual interest in the internal dissensions of the people of a sister republic in the south. Primarily, the new government in Chile felt this to be the real cause of estrangement. The fact that the United States government gave no recognition to the congressional party in Chile until it had established itself, that it seized the swift "Itata" for a violation of neutrality laws, a certain cable incident, a story that Admiral Brown of the United States navy conveyed in- formation to Valparaiso of the landing of the congres- sional forces at Quintero (which is denied, but which maj' have been at the time pretty generally believed in Chile), Minister Egan's and the "Baltimore's" protec- tion of refugees, all these things naturally increased the feeling against the United States government. And it is quite natural that the antipathy should have been openly exhibited. With such riotous proceedings as are heretofore recorded as taking place in Santiago and Valparaiso subsequent to Balmaceda's downfall, proceedings which no authority could restrain, it is not surprising that American sailors should have been attacked by a mob in the streets of Valparaiso. That is precisely what happened on the evening of October i6th, when Captain Schley of the "Baltimore" gave shore leave to one hundred and seventeen petty officers and sailors of his ship. They spent the afternoon sauntering through the streets of Valparaiso. A Chil- ean sailor spat in the face of an American sailor and