New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-22
GENERAL BADEACs NOVEL.


CONSPIRACY. A Cuban Romance. BY ADAM BADEAU
l2mo. pr. 32i. H. Worthingtou
General Badeau has made effective of some of
his experiences and observations in Havana and
the romance which Is concerned with the lnsur-
rectionary guerilla operations Of Aguero. comprises
not only story of love and adventure but many
brilliant pictures Of Cuban life. The sketches of
society and peculiar customs in Havana. the scenes
on the sugar plantations and the contrasted types
of the population are extremely well drawn; while
the deplorabe condition of the island industrial.
political social and moral, and the persistence Of
the revolutionary spirit are exposed with consider
able vigor. Here have some Of the elements OIL
fresh and interesting book and If nevertheless
the romance is not successful the reason is that
General Badeau's real purpose in it was something
quite different from the writing of a novel.
In two striking letters to TIE TRlBUNE nearly two
wears ago lie demonstrated the mi,chicvous charac-
ter Of q commercial agreement for the regulation
of our trade with Cuba then just concluded between
Mr. Frelinghuysen and the Spanish officials, and
still in force although neither the United States
Senate nor the Spanish Corte7 has confirmed it.
This agreement was negotiated by one of Assis-
taDt Secretaries of State without the knowledge of
the Consul-General at Havana General Badeaul
and the energetic protests Of that officer against
what he regarded as a sacrifice Of American inter
ests led to a quarrel with tho State Department
which almost amounted to public scandal. The
story of this affair is the real theme OF General
Badeau's book The author purpOscly coniuses
dates persons and the order of events hence lie is
able in the course of the romance 20 speak in the
historical tense of the object and effect of the
romance itself, and this is what he says:
Meanwhile Ernest himself resOrted to other
means to unvel to the country the proceedings
which had been so carefully concealed. lie gave 10
the world fictitious narrative describing many of
tho recognized traits Of public characters and set
ting forth many circumstances which mad actually
occurred: but adding to the portraits features
drawn from his Imagination, and TO the story Incl
dents which, it manifest, were unreal; but the
whole calculated to draw attention to tine condition
of Cuba, TO its relations with the United States
and especially to the course of the State Department
IN deliberately and peTsistenty ignoring corruption
and simultaneously negotiating an improper treaty
with Spain
This extract, as we have remarked, discloses the
principal theme of the novel and it 1isclOses
thing more 1t leaves doubt that, after all, Gen
eral Badeau's fundamental motive-perhaps not
ouite clear TO himsef-was TO get even with his
enemies In the pursuit of this desire lie assalls
President Arthur, Secretary Frelinghuysen and
certain subcrdinates of the state Department with
extraordinary vehemence, ranging from lampoon to
indictment in the most reckless manner and at
every repetition of the attack transcendng the
widest license of the novelist. IL is not ia a novel,
which ayowedy mngles the false with the true
that the Justice of such nvectives be estimated
To introduce them is mistake in every way, for
while the intermixture of the fictitious element de-
priyes them of the effect of deliberate and response
bio utterances they fail on the other hand to
spoil the fiction.