The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-04-30
CONSUL GENERAL BADEAU.
Serious Charges Made by Him Against the
State DePnrtment-He Explains why
He Resigned His Post.

Serious Charges Made by Him Against the
State Department-He Explains why
He Resigned His Post.
New YORK, April 28.-Adam Badeau, late
Consul General to Havana, writes to the Tri-
6une, explaining why he resigned that post.
He SAYS;
On Feb. 26, and again on March % last, I
addressed the President, protesting against the
action of the State Department in persistently
screening corruption, and at the same time me-
gotiating an injurious and improper treaty
with Spain, On April 4, having received no
reply beyond bare acknowledgment, tele-
graphed to the President, requesting to be or
dered to Washington to suhstantiate nv
charges. To this also received no reply. On
April 9th again telegraphed in these words:
take effect Immediately, unless can be order
ed to Washington for the purposes already ex-
planned then received a despatch by cable
from the Secretary of State, announcing that
the President did not think 1t advisable for
me to return TO washington, as my services
were required at Havana. I Immediately re-
piled: L request you to say to the President
that am unwilling to serve under depart
ment whose policy disspprove, and which
consider has treated me with injustice and in
dignity tender my resignation, to take eff
feet Immediately To this got no reply, and
again telegraphed to the President: 81 shall
appeal to the people tomorrow, unless hear
from you Within twenty-four hours the an.
swer came: Resignation accepted as request
ed
81 now charge the State Department with
grave dereliction of public duty; with gross
and continued neglect of injuries and insults
put upon American citizens, American sea-
men and American trade in the island of Gu
ba; with yascillating and ignominious poll
cy, requiring often to be stimulated into the
defence and protection of Americans, and
even II sometimes assuming an honorable and
becoming position, abandoning it as a rule, be
fore the resistance of Spain, and yielding more
than once Just before Spain acceded to its just
demands. charge it with negotiating COM
mercial agreement with Spain, so manifestlv
improper and ill-considered that in six weeks
after 1t was signed it had to be abandoned and
new one concluded in which two of the
original seven articles were omitted altogether,
while two others must be submitted to the de-
ciston OF the Spanish Cortes not yet elected.
charge that the stipulations of this agreement
are injurious to the interests and honor OF the
country, and reproach to its diplomacy; for
it provides that the United States shall aban-
don 10 SPAN duties amounting annually to
$6,5OO,0OO, while Spain gives up to us only ST.
7OO,OOO In return. l charge this agreement was
in reality treaty, aud not submitted to the
Senate IN accordance with the constitution.
charge That this agreement was scrupulously
concealed IN all its points from the chief repre-
sentative OF the United States on the island
which its stipulations almost exclusively effect
although private parties and interested indi-
viduals were token into the confidence of the
department and repeatedly consulted as to its
provisions. charge the department,
simultaneously with these other delin-
quencies, with screening and support
ing corrupt consular clerk whom repeated
reported Tor violation of orders, gross insub-
ordination and abstraction of public and pri-
vate moneys. I hold myself ready to substan-
tiate every one of these charges and call up.
on the state department to publish every de-
spatch that has passed between itself and me
i Mar I~1k 81
my post, without one word omitted or one line
mutilated.