The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-11
LODGE SAILS INTO De LONE.
THE MINISTER TAKEN TO TASK FOR
HIS NEWSPAPER TALK.

NonEresS-AhstunceS Citeu Where
Ministers Have Been Sent Home
for Similar Onenses.
Washington, March 1O-The action Of
the Spanish minister in correcting or
qualifying through the public press state
ments made in the Senate on the SUBJ
ject of war in Cuba, and particularly on
the subject of Gen. Weyler's purposes
and character, was to-day made the
ground work of a question of personal
privilege by Senator Lodge, rep, of Mas
sachusetts. 1t was brought up immedi-
ately after the reading of the journal,
and occupied most of the time usually
given to the business of the morning
hour.
The galleries were thronged with spec
tators when to-day's session opened. AS
soon as the journal of yesterday was
read Mr.. Lodge rose to question Of per-
sonal privilege, in relation to the state
ment of the Spanish minister, through
the newspaper press. That statement
accused him (AIr. Lodge of having read
to the Senate a report which had been
imposed on him, and which the
minister said was a malicious and fraud
ulent Misrepresentation He held in his
hand copy of Ell Liberal of Madrid, in
which the interview with Gen. Weyler
was published, and he would have the
article printed in the Record. in Span
ish. so that it might be seen that the
translation which he made of it was cor
rect. The Spanish word Impair meant to
clean, to clean OUT and he had given
it the translation of 'eXterminate." That
was what the Spanish minister COM
planned Of. He (Mr. Lodge could un-
derstand the sensitiveness of the Span
ish people-a people who had, in 300
gRears' Yea dssiPatea d;5 tbr great tbore empire
any excuse for the diplomatic representa-
tives of Spain taking the course which he
had taken. That minister had been re-
ferred to in the debate yesterday as a
historian, but his statements were Eek
parte' 1t was a very well established
custom and fact that debates in the SEN
ate and House were domestic matters with
which no foreign nations had any con-
cern. The proper channel for diplo-
matte representative to make communi-
cations on any subject was through the
state department, not through the news
papers. If an American diplomat were
TO criticise, in a European country, de-
bates of the representatives OF that coun-
try in the newspapers he would be sent
home. He protested against having dip
lomatic representatives using as channel
for communications the newspapers of
the United States to criticise language
uttered in debate in the Senate in the
United States.
and representative for language uttered
in debate That was one of the earliest
safeguards of the freedom of the English
speaking race. He protested against any
criticism on the part of foreign minis
ter. He knew very well what any other
country in the world would do under sim
liar circumstances.
Mr.. Gray regretted that the Senate did
not pursue the even tenor Of its way, un-
disturbed by emeutes in Madrid, or in
other Spanish cities. Why, he asked,
should the Senate lay aside its business to
discuss the Interpretation or translation
of a newspaper article in Spanish, between
the senator from Massachusetts and the
minister from Spain? 1t was quarrel
upon point-no-point.
Mr. Teller said that it had been the un-
broken rule in diplomatic affairs that the
agent of foreign government shall not
| interfere with domestic affairs. There
should be no comment made by any Tor
eign minister on parliamentary proceed
ings in the country which he is accredited.
Twice in the history of the United states,
ministers of great courts had been sent
hOme-once to France, and once to Great
Bptain-for much less offense than the
Spanish minister had been guilty Of. He
would not say that, if he were President,
he would send the Spanish minister home.
Under the circumstances and considering
the friction which had arisen in Spain, be
should have not sent him home; but he
should have suggested, very kindly, TO
HIM, through the Secretary of State that
a repetition of it would neceSSitate his
leaving the country.
Mr.. Hoar remarked that Spain would
have no right to regard concurrent reso-
lutions as binding the American people.
The declaration of the Senate of the United
States was like the declaration of indi-
vidual senator's and had no quality of au
thority.
Mr.. Teller said as to that that he did
not suppose that the Spanish people, or
the Spanish government, would consider
the question. They would treat the pas
sage of concurrent resolutions as dec
laratiOn of American principles, and they
had right to so treat it. And they
had right to take offense at it. But
they had no right to go to war on ac-
count of it. He went on to say that he
was an ardent sympathizer with the Gu
bans in their fight He should be de-
lighted to hear to-day that Havana was in
the hands of the insurgents. He should
be delighted to know that the Cubans had
run the Spanish forces into the sea. But
he had not the slightest feeling against
the Spanish government. He had not the
slightest feeling of impatience because
of the ebulitions of irresponsible Spanish
students. But, If he were President, and
If the Spanish minister repeated his Of
fense, he would give him. his walking pa
pers and send him home.
Mr.. Chandler, rep, of New Hampshire,
said that the matter complained OF by
Mr.. Lodge was entirely unbeeoming in q
minister from Spain to the United States
That communication ought not to have
been written. He asked Mr.. Gray wheth-
er, if Minister Bayard had addressed a
communication to the London Times criti-
cising remarks of Lord Salisbury, Mr..
Chamberlain and others in the British par
lament, he would not think that a very
improper proceeding.
Mr.. Gray explained his view to be that
the Spanish minister had been guilty OF
a technical violation of diplomatic usages,
but that great allowance should be made
for him. He CMr. Cray felt that mag
nanimity and forbearance on the part of
the American citizens and the people of
the American government toward Spain
would be becoming and would strengthen
the attitude of those who really felt that
Cuba ought to be free, and who hoped
that she would be free.
Mr. Frye called attention to an incident
where foreign minister pursued course
exactly the opposite of that which the
Spanish minister had pursued in this mat
ter 1t was a case where the Senate COM
nittee on commerce had before it a bill
which he thought would affect German
trade interests. AS the German govern
ment or people had no agent or attorney
to represent its interess before the COM
mittee he had written a note to the
German ambassador informing him that
a bill was pending before the committee
affecting the interests of his country and
asking him whether he had anything to
saw about it. The German minister
promptly replied that he could not, with
any propriety, address the committee or
ar4xr member of il. or member of cOn-