New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-29
THE Observation-Disclosures
GENERAL BADEAU EXPLAINS HIS RESIGNA-
TION.


ANCE OF DISHONESTY.
20 the Editor OF The Tribune.
SIR: Having resigned my position Of Consul
General at Havana beg leave 10 state my reasons
FOR this act. Under democratic system even
the Government Is amenable TO those whom it
represents, and subordinate whose charges OF de-
lnQuencies In his superOrs are dsregarded may APP
peal to his oountrymen to secure their rights and
his own. We even now approaching the mo-
ment when the present Administration is to ask for
slfverdct upon its course. The time is therefore
fitting to throw some light upon the conduct Of one
Of the departments which compose that Administia-
zion.
On February 90, and again on March % last,
addressed the President, protesting against the
action Of the State Department in persistently
tcreenlng corruption and at the same time
pcyotiating an injurious and Improper treaty
with Spain. On April q, having received
20 reply beyond a bare acknowledgment l
telegraphed to the President requesting to be
ordered to Washington to substantiate my charges
TO this also received no reply On April l again
telegraphed In these words 81 have the honor TO
tender my resignation TO take effect Immediately,
unless eau be ordered to Washington for the pur-
poses already explained l then received a
aispatoh by Gable from the Secretary OF State, an
nounong that the Predesut did not think 1t advis-
able for me to return to Washington. as my serv-
ices were required at Havana. l Immediately re-
pled: al request you to say to the President that
am unwilling to serve under Department whose
policy disapprovo. and which | consider has
Created me with injustice and indgnity. tender
nv resignation to take effect Immediately" To
4his got no reply, ana again telegraphed to the
President: al shall appeal to the people to-mor-
row, unless / hear from you" Within twenty
four hours the answer came "Resignation ao-
oeptcd. rs requested"
now charge the State Department with grave
aereotion from public duty; with gross and con-
tinued neglect of injuries and insults put upon
American citizens, American soamen. aud American
trade in the Island of Cuba with vacIllating and
lgnoninious policy requiring often to be stimulated
Into the defence or protection of Americans. and
oven if sometimes assuming an honorable AMI be-
coming position abandoning it as a rule before the
resistance of Spain. and yielding more than once
lust before Spain acceded to its just demands.
: charge it with negotiating commercial agree
ment with Spain manifestly improper and ILL
considered that in six weeks after 1t signed it
had to be abandoned, and now one concluded in
which two Of the original seven articles were
omitted altogether. while two Others must be sub
initted TO the decision of the Spanish Cortes not
yet elected.
charge that tic stipulations of this agreement
are Injurious to the interests and honor of the OOun
try and reproach to It's diplomacy for 1t provides
that the United Sttaes shall abandon TO Spain
duties amounting annually to $6,5O0,OOO while
Spain gives up to us only 100000 in return. 1t
provides that American Custom House officials
shal report to Spanish COnsuls IN order to enable
Cuban authorities to enforce vigorously their exac-
fions on our own trade: and this it stands is the
whole of the agreement to-day.
/ charge that this agreement was in reality u
treaty, and not submitted to the Senate in accord
ADce with the Constitution; but. under the proence
that lit was a" commercial agreement" important
stipulations with foreign Government were en-
tered into without the sanction of that branch or
the Legislature whose consent is indispensable. Two
Important provisions in the treaty of January
were thus altogether illegal and unconstitutional
one stipulating as have shown, that the Custom
Houses Of the United States shall furnish to Spanish
Consuls whenever they may request them, certiil-
bates OF the cargOes of sugar and tobacco brought
from the Antilles" and the Other-far more grave
Establishing "perfect equality of treatment be-
tween the Spanish provinces and the United States"
and Tenovingall extra duties "or discrimination not
general as to other ounries having the treatment
of the most favored Nation" The Executive had
no more right to make this engagement without the
sanction of the Senate than had.
charge that this agreement was scrupulously
concealed in all its points from the chief representa-
tive of the United States on the island which it's
stIpulatons almost exclusively Affect, although
private parties and interested individuals were
faken into the confidence of the Department, and
Repeatedly consulted to its provisions; that
Enough the text was freely circulated in litho-
graph no hint of its progress was gwen to the
officer more closely concerned in its provisions than
any other servant of the Government, and who
ought to have been able. aud who was able to
furnish information without considering which 1t
should never have been concluded
charge the Department. simultaneously with
These other delinquencies, with screening and sup
porting a corrupt Consular clerk whom repeatedly
reported for violation OF orders, gross nsubordina-
tiOn aud abstraction OF public and private moneys.
These accusations, eight times presented, re-
mained utterly unnOuced officially tor 1our
months until the day when | left Havana. A
private letter il is true, eXtOred an evasyo reply
from the Secretary OF state IN March, defending the
delay and announcing a further poatpQnement;
and after ! had resigned decision huIrciiy
Forwarded to me- dated April Z, but mailed April II.
Endorsing this clerk upon his own statement that he
was innocent without rccc wing tho proofs ma
offered OF allowing me TO be heard IL person; de-
cisou which. ! venture 10 say, Will be pronounced
by either Congress the courts TO be in contraven
lion of law, justice aud property.
| charge that these c0iuci1ent circumstances
make it imperative upon the Department To prove
that no connection exists between Them ana 10
chow why il neglected American interests and
American sufferers; why II negotiated nasty ana
Snurio,, treaty without submitting il 10 the Sen
ate; why il concealed that negotiation from the
officer Who should first have been consulted m re-
gard 70 1t why for months it failed 10 notice ac-
Intention and finally dismissed them without call
Inc ths witnesses or considering the evidence;
Whether these were all part of one deliberate
kchene and what the reason for this course.
I / hold myself ready 10 substantiate every one OF
these charges and call upon tie state Department
g. publish every dispatch that has passed betWeeN
stsei and me since November - last, iht date OF my
arrival at nv post without one word omitted or
one line nutilated declare OF my own knowledge
that no legitimate interest. public OF private. can
tufer from this freedom, and that 10 one wlil be
hurt except those who should not be screened
All. sic your obedient servant ADAM BADLAU.
Jamaica. /. l., April -. 1854.