The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-25
CEN. LEE AVID ooNeREss.
Ths Censul-G General at Havana withheia
Information That Was Needed.

on Foreign Relations that he should appear
before II and make a statement for Its informa-
tion 10 doubtless In pursuance Of instructions
from the Executive. Mr.. Cleveland's conduct
in the case is another illustration of his iniinical
attitude toward Congress; and 1t may properly
bo said that this attitude has been fifty charac-
terised BY several members OF both houses.
On the lrst day of the meeting of Congress.
when Gen. Lee was In Washington. he was noti-
fed Of the desire OF tho Senate Foreign Com
mittee and also Of the House Foreign Commit
tee. But for some reason he left Washington
the next day without paying any attention to
the notification, and remained absent through
the week in which a statement from hin upon
Cuban affairs would have been OF especial adj
vantage to the members Of both committees.
Meanwhile. the Cuban question was taken up
in the Senate. and the debate upon 1t proceeded
there while yet the spokesman lacked that
Information which he would undoubtedly have
been Able to communicate to them.
1t turned out that Gen. Lee had loft WASH
inEton for Virginia. and that. after staying there
some days, he had gone TO New York, where. as
was reported, he had engaged passage for
Havana in the steamship that was booked to
sail on Dec. IL. Tho debate on Cuban recogni-
ton continued In the Senate while yet no man
there had the privilege Of ascertaining the
character of the Information of which the
Havana functionary was possessed. Mr.. Cleve-
land and Secretary olney, apart from Gen.
Lee himself, were the sole custodinns of such
knowledge as he had been able to acquire. in
his official capacity. at Havana.
After all. the Consul-General did not sail
from New ork for Cuba at the time he had
designed to sail, or by the ship In which he had
taken passage. He visited West Point, made
trips to sundry other places. and, at the begin
! ming Of the third week of December, was seen
again in Washington. But. when his presence
before the Senate Committee was once more
desired by its anxious members, Dec. 10 and
Dec. II, he had taken his departure from
Washington. and soon a%fterward started for
Florida. The latest report about him is that he
will board ship for Cuba this week from q port
Of that State.
Meanwhile Congress adjourns over the holi-
day season. and II is to be supposed that Gen.
Lee will reach Havana by some route before
the assemhlage Of Congress next year. All this
time the Cuban debate has been going on in the
Senate. to the exclusion OF other important
business; but not a word has tho Senate Foreign
Committee been able to obtain from Consul
General Lee during his long stay in this coun-
try. He got here in the first week Of November;
he has spent days in Florida in the fourth week
Of December. During the period OF his visit to
the country Congress has been in session for
over a fortnight, and two OF its most important
committees have failed in their efforts to secure
his attendance for an hour.
Mr.. Cleveland and the Secretary Of State are
the only persons who can tell the reasons for
this failure. 1t may be taken for granted that
the executive department OF the Government
did not desire that the legislative department
should procure any statement from Gen. Lee.
Possibly he may have furnished the Executive
with some intelligence not favorable to the pol
icy which Mr.. Cleveland had designed for his
Administration as announced in his message.
The Senate Foreign certainly had
the right, before taking action in the case of
Cuba, to seek for such Official Information upon
it as was In the possession Of Mr.. Cleveland, or
as could be communicated without detriment
to the public interests. The privilege Of seeing
the written report of Gen. Lee. and the consul
lar reports from Cuba. and other documents in
the hands of the Secretary OF State. had been
denied to It. How could IL form a satisfactory
Judgment upon the subject? How debate
properly a question regarding which direct OFF,
cial was withheld? An hour
with Gen. Lee would have been OF
incalcuiable advantage to the committee.
He could have thrown light upon matters that
lie in ooscurity. and could have cleared away
doubts existing in the minds OF MEMBERS of the
committee. He might have made revelations
which would have affected the purposes of Con-
BiSsS. ic hlk HhNO ueiDcu HtIuDeTb TO un-
derstand the bearing of some OF the passages in
the Cuban section of Mr.. Cleveland's message.
He might. indeed. have rendered q service to
the committee which would have been of ad-
vantage to his country. even though 1t might
fail to vindicate the Cuban policy of the Ad-
ministration.
Mr.. Cleveland had his way in this case, as
in so many other cases. 1t was doubtless un-
der instructions from him that Gen. Lee took a
course at once singular and wrongful. not to say
discredi table to the Executive.
No one doubted that Gen. Lee would accept
the invitation of the Senate committee until he
Unexpectedly took his departure from Wash
ington on the day previous To that which had
been first chosen for his appearance before II.
No one could ascertain why. under the circum-
stances. he made haste TO leave the capital.
Tho only explanation offered was that his
presence in Cuba had become necessary.
and that he would take the first ship for
Havana: but that reason fell to pieces when 1t
was learned that he did not leave New York
during the first week OF the session OF Congress,
and that he was travelling about the country.
When. after he got the second invitation from
the committee, he again failed to appear here
on time. the idea began to spread that somebody
other than himself was responsible for his move
ments and his conduct. Had IL been known that
he would twice disregard the invitation pre-
sented TO him. 1t is to be presumed that other
means for securing his presence in Washington
at a fixed date would have been taken by the
Senate committee.
1t is a curious chapter of the history of the
Administration In which Gen. Lee has figured.
No one can form any judgment as to the
character of Gen. Lees oral report upon Cuban
affairs from the perusal OF Mr.. Clevolaud's
message. That document is silent upon sub
jects regarding which Mr.. Cleveland must
surely have held communication with Gen. Lee.
1t contains statements for which no one who
knows Gen. Lee would ever hold him RESPONSE
BILE; for he Is a man OF honor and fully acquainted
with the situation in Cuba. He has held con.
ferences with the Spanish commander: he has
received advices from the camp Of the revolu-
ton; he Is aware of the existence OF a Cuban
republic; he knows of the violation of military
usages by Weyler. and of butcherles that cover
Spain with dishonor, and of the wrongful
treatment OF imprisoned citizens Of the United
States; and Of tho savage way in which
Spain conducts the war upon Cuba; and
of the hundreds OF horrible deeds OF