Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-18

had the right to resort to the press for
the purpose of affecting any matter
pending in congress, or in respect to any
policy of the United States which he
might consider offensive or injurious to
his country. He characterized Senior De-
lomes statements to the press as fla
grant abuse of privileges
Mr.. Morgan then discussed the point
of the constitutional guarantee against
senators and representatives being held
to account for werds spoken in debate.
HI might, in his place in the senate, ca
lumniate any citizen of the United States
having some Connection with public af-
fairs without being accountable for libel.
Mr.. Gray asked Mr.. Morgan whether
the citizen in question would not have
the same freedom of speech
Mr.. Morgan admitted that he would.
But 1t turned out in this case he said,
that the minister from Spain was not
citizen of the United States. He was en-
tirely protected by the law of nations
against any proceeding to hold him ac
countable for libel, either criminally or
civilly There was where the rule came
in which sealed ministers lips.
Mr.. Morgan read the historical Incl
dent of the interview between Jefferson
and the French minister, Sevit and ex-
claimed passionately: Would to God
that we had somebody here now who
had a just conception of the constitution
al rights of the different parts of this
government"
Mr.. Hale called attention to the fact
that the chairman of the committee on
foreign relations (Mr. Sherman) did not
share in Mr.. Morgan's opinion as to the
Spanish minister's statement, and read
an extract of Mr.. Shermans last speech
in the senate to the effect that Mr. De-
lone had a perfect right to defend his
government and people everywhere
Mr.. Morgan said that he had not pro-
posed to notice the position of Mr. Sher-
but that If had haPn brought
forward he would say that he did not
agree with Mr.. Sherman on that subject.
He would now place against Mr.. De-
lome's statement that of Mr.. Quesada,
the representative of the Cuban republic
to Washington, who sent the case in be-
half of Cuba. to the department of state,
which statement the secretary of state
sent to the committee on foreign rela-
tions.
strip Mr.. Delome," Mr.. Morgan said,
"of his royal commission and put him
on his Spanish blood, on his Spanish
character and his history (of which l
know nothing) Then bring Mr.. Que
sada here on his history and Spanish
blood and character (of which | know
nothing) and confront them as they are
confronted in the newspapers, and to
them both speak"
Mr.. Morgan sent to the clerks desk and
had read Quesada's letter to Washing
ton paper describing several atrocities
during the last rebellion, in which Cen
eral Weyler is represented as having had
ladies stripped naked, whipped and given
up to the lust of his troops.
The reading was interrupted by Mr..
Chandler on the ground that the state
ments were too indecent for public re-
hearsal. But Mr.. Hale insisted that the
reading should be proceeded with in or
der to show how utterly unworthy of
credit its statements were.
Mr.. Morgan read other communications
charging barbarties by the Spanish
troops during the last rebelion also an
interview with Gen. Dan E. Sickles, who
was at that time United States minister
to Spain, recently published in the New
York Sun, and which Mr.. Morgan said
had been politely sent to him by General
Sickles.
Mr.. Morgan said that he might have
rested the whole case on that interview
with General Sickles He did not choose
to cucumber the Record with more of
these statements further than to show
that a state of open, horrid war exists
in Cuba-a war involving the property,
rights, liberties and lives of American
citizens who happened to be there.
The line of action for congress to take
was to declare that open war exists in
Cuba, and that the laws of war should
apply to 1t. He had expected to have
an opportunity to answer some of the
filings thrown at the committee on for
eigr relations by the senators from Mas
sachusetts and Maine (Messrs Hoar and
Hale) but the occasion was one of too
great solemnity and too great impor-
tance to permit him to thrust himself
into the debate, either personally or as
a member of the committee on foreign re-
1ations.
The committee had most faithfully, at
tentively, carefully examined into the
great mass of petitions referred to 1T,
and had undertaken to conform its opin-
ion to that expressed by the great body of
American citizens.
In winding up his speech Mr.. Morgan
was very severe on american emigres
in the great cities of Europe" who owned
or controlled newspapers In London, Par
Is and New York, and who fared up
when the senate uttered word of SYM
pathy with Cuba; aNd he referred con-
temptuously to 1.-The recent fiasco" of
publishing an alleged dispatch from the
Spanish premier He would commend to
the Spanish premier the proverb about
the f1eas which torment those who would
consort with the canihe race.
The senate at $40 o'clock adjourned
until tomorrow.