The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-11-18
GEN. DATUS z. COON.
lie Returns Prom His Post In Cuba-OpiHiOns on
Cuhans and Other Matters.

Gen. Datus T.. Coon. who has been for the
past eight years Consul at the important COM
mercial port Of Baracoa, on the northeast coast
of Cuba, is in Washington for the purpose of
settling up his accounts with the Government.
Notwithstanding his excellent record rs a SOL
der and Consul he has been removed, be-
cause his place was desired to reward a man
who had rendered the Hon. Perry Belmont
service in convention and at the polls This is
no special hardship to Gen. Coon, however, as
he had desired to relinquish the position be-
cause its revenues had fallen off so that il was
no longer remuneratiye. Gen. Coon, it will be
remembered, was publishing papers at Cerro
GOrdO and Mason City, Iowa, when the war
broke out, and selling out his papers he raised
"a company for the ID Iowa Cav, in which he
became Captain. In little while he was pro-
NOTED to Major and held this position for some
three years. though he was most of the time in
command OF his regiment He crowned long
series Of gallant services by his splendid action
in command of brigade at Nashville, which
won him the star of a Brigadier-General.
After the war he went South, to Selma, Ala,
and engaged in cotton planting, becoming
quite successful in this business. When the
Government began reeOnstructing the South
Gen. Swayne, who was the Provisional Gov
e5nor, sent for Gen. Coon aud other prominent
soldiers who had taken up their home down
there and insisted upon 1t that it was their
duty TO aid the Government politically as they
did in n military way, and, seeing the matter in
the same light that he did, Gen. Coon and
others, at some personal sacrifice, consented to
enter politics. lie was for several years men,
Der of one or the other houses of the Alabama
Legislature, but after the accession Of Hayes,
the Governments in Alabama and other States
were abandoned by the Administration and
fell to the ground. This carried with it so
many unpleasant consequences to those who
had attempted to uphold the interests of the
Government that Gen. Coon resolved to leave,
and accepted the position of Consul at Baracoa,
which, as has been stated above, he held until
last July, when he was superseded.
What do you propose to do nOw2" The
NATIONAL TRIBUNE asked the General when
it met him on the Avenue
Il think / shall stay in Cuba this Winter.
do not think il wise after so long residence in
the Tropics to brave Northern Winter, and
shall not do il. Besides, 1 have business inter
csts there. l have become interested in some
mines in the mountains, and shall spend the
Winter in exploring and developing them"
what sort of mines have your"
"They are all iron. One Is magnitite, a sec
ond chromite, the third limOnite, and the
fourth hematite."
THAT will be rather precarious business,
| will it not, until We have possession Of the
Island2"
mo; do not think so.'
"You think We should have possession OF
the Island, do you not?"
well, that depends on circumstances. The
| people down there are not of our race, and they
would be difficult of assimilation. You can
have no conception of what they are until you
visit them. They are exceedingly supertitious
and very ignorant, and it would take . long
/ time to make American citizens out Of them.
| Still. l should like to see Cuba part of this
Nation and in fact the whole West Indies on ht
to belong TO US. The people themselves are
| fond of America and Americans and are eager
| TO know all about US and our ways. This is
| especially true in regard to the women. To
have it known that an American lady or child
| Is on the street Is to bring all the women and
children to the doors to look out for her; but