The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-29
OUR RELATIONS WITH SPAIN.
Gen. Badeau Brings Grave Charges Against
the State Department.

New YORK, April 2s.-The Tribune, of Tues
day morning will contain a letter from General
Badeau He says:
Having resigned my position as consul gen
eral at Havana, l beg leave to state my reasons
for this act On Feb. 26 and again on March -
last L addressed the President. protesting
against the action of the State Department in
persistently screening corruption and at the
same time negotiating an injurious and improper
treaty with Spain On April t. having greceivedno
reply beyond the bare acknowledgment, | tele-
graphed the President, requesting to be ordered
to Washington to substantate my charges. To
this, also, fI received no reply. On April
again telegraphed in these words:
l have the homer to tender my resignation, to take
effect Immediately unless can be ordered to Wash
lngton for the purposes already explained.
then received dispatch by cable from the
Secretary of State announcing that the Presi-
dent did not think it advisable for me to return
to Washington, as my services were required at
Havana. Immediately replied:
request you to say to the President that
willing to serve under department whose policy
dsapprove, and which consider has treated me
with injustice and ndignty 1 tender my Resignation
to take effect Immediately.
10 this got no reply, and again telegraphed
the President:
shall appeal to the people tomorrow unless hear
from you.
Within twenty-four hours an answer came:
resignation accepted as requested"
now charge the State Department with a
grave uSNldJpOu 1rOIu pubic Quty; WIFI SfOSS
and continued neglect; of injuries and in
suits put upon American mer-
chants, American seaman, and American
trade in the island of Cuba; with a vacillating
and 1gnomlnlous policy requiring often to be
stimulated into defense or protection of Ameri-
cans even if, sometimes, assuming an honorable
and becoming position, abandoning it as a rule
before the resistance of Spain and yielding
more than once, Just before Spain acceded to its
just demands. l charge it with negotiating a
commercial agreement with Spain so manifestly
improper and ill-considered that in six weeks af-
tel. it was signed it had to be abandoned
which two of the original seven articles
were omitted altogether, while two others must
be submitted to decision of a Cortes not yet
elected l charge that the stipulations of this
agreement are injuries to the interests and honor
of the country and reproach to its diplomacy,
for it provides that the United States shall aban-
don to Spain duties amounting annually to
So, 800, 900, while Spain gives up to the United
States only 81, 500, 900 ia return I charge that
this agreement was in reality a treaty, and was
not submitted to the Senate, in accordance with
the Constitution; and under pretense
that it was a Commercial agreement" import
ant stipulations with foreign government were
entered into without the sanction of that branch
of the legislature whose consent is indspensa-
BILE. l charge that this agreement was scrupu-
lously concealed in all its points from the chief
representative of the United States on the island,
which its StlpulationS almost exclusively affect.
although private parties and interested individ-
uals were taken into the confidence of the de-
partment and repeatedly consulted as to its pro-
visions
1 charge the department, simultaneously
with these other delinquencies, with screening
and supporting corrupt consular clerk whom
repeatedly reported for violation of orders,
gross insubordination, and abstraction
of public and private moneys.
hold myself ready to substantiate every one of
these charges, and call upon the State Depart
ment to publish every dispatch between itself az
NE since Nov. 2S, last, the date of my arriva5n.
my post without one word omitted or linz that |
tilated. 1 declare, of my own knowleStee can
no legitimate interest, public or d one viii
be hurt except those who shouldpZ