The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-02
WHY HE RESIGNED.
EX-CONSyLl WILLIAMS TELLS HIS
OWN STORY.
Importance of Article in the
Treaty Made in the Year 1875.


o. Williams. eX-consul general of the
United States at Havana, arrived at
his home in Brooklyn today, from a
trip through England, France and
Spain. Regarding the circumstances
surrounding his resignation as consul
general at Havana last year, and about
which so much was said at the time.
Mr.. Williams. in an interview this
afternoon, said:
There was treaty between this
country and Spain, made in the year
1875, and article Z of that treaty was
construed by the records of the two
countries in a protocol signed January
Y, 1877, by Caleb Cushing on behalf of
this government, and the minister of
state of Spain.
On the first day of the present re-
bellion in Cuba, February "a, 1895,
three naturalized American citizens
were arrested by order of the captain
general of Cuba, who announced that
he would court-martial them. They
were Messrs. Sanguilly, Aguirre and
Carrillo, who were taken as insurgents.
Article Z of the treaty of 1795 pro-
vided that unless arrested with arms
in hand. threatening the sovereignty
of Spain in her dominions, American
citizens, no matter what the charge
against them was, must be accorded a
civil trial. These men, arrested at
noon one dav. were ourt-martialled
and sentenced to imprisonment for life.
1 protested that this was violation of
the protocol.
Both the captain general and the
insular secretary of state were entirely
ignorant of the existence of article Z,
as well as of the protocol constituting
it, and thereuDon the captain general
became offended because l demanded
the transfer from military to civil jur-
isdiction of the prisoners, and the case
was represented in such 2 manner to
the Madrid government as to almost
provoke the revocation of eXequator
They did not succeed, however. be-
cause the minister Of state at Madrid
was acquainted with the existence of
the treaty, and within IS days after the
captain general had taken offense at
my stand he. by instruction of the
Madrid government, granted every
thing l had asked for, thereby showing
that I was right and that the captain
general was wrong. The cases of San
gully, Aguirre and Garlic were trans
ferred TO the Jurisdiction of the civil
authorities in Cuba. Since then San
guilly's case was carried up on appeal
from the superior court of Havana to
the supreme court of Spain, and the
proceedings of the Havana court have
been entirely revoked, and a new trial
ordered. Thus it was shown again, by
the highest judicial authority of Spain,
that l was right in demanding the
transfer of these gentlemen and that
the captain general was wrong.
1 was guided in this by a recollec-
ton of similar cases which have come
under nv notice in Cuba. l was a
young man employed as a clerk in
Havana when the Crittenden men were
shot regardless of article and the
treaty of 1895, 1 was a merchant in
Havana when the Virginius men were
shot in 1873 under almost similar cir
cumstances-
Again, while 1 was there Recconoa,
an American citizen. who had gone,
representing certain Spanish elements,
to negotiate terms of peace with the
insurgents in the eastern department.
during the last instruction in 1873,
and who was arrested by the Spanish
forces. was tried by court martial con-
demned TO death and shot in the fort
Of Cabanas, where Sanguilly and the
Competitor prisoners are now held re-
CARELESS of the safeguards of article
of the treaty of 1925 and the safe |
conduct given to him by the Spanish |
at Washington. The recoIlec- !
ton of these cases animated me to |
make quick and earnest defense OF |
these men. and it was this action on |
my part that gave offence to the Span |
sh authorities in Cuba
I was then in Washington Acting |
)n the rule that no man Of self-respect |
VIII want to return to or enter any
place where he believes that he is |
persona non srata and, therefore, not |
welcome, ] resolved not to continue |
onger in the position of consul general !
10 the island and signified my desire
10 resign. The circumstances. how
ever, were of such a character that I
vent back TO Havana, resumed charge
If the office and continued the defense
If Sanguilly until the case was trans
erred 10 the civil courts
a few weeks before this. the case
If the American citizen jose Cepero.
Who had been arrested and subjected
o court martial and several Ameri-
an citizens had been treated the same
way, and in consequence I was not
able to present my resignation in due
orm until February, 1896 Ny success
;or was appointed in April and in
Iune 1 personally transferred the Office
o General Lee, the present incum-
Dent.'
General Williams also said that his
'eturn To Havana was only at the in
stance of the earnest solicitation of
resident Cleveland. and that the sub
equent illness and death of Secretary
II State Gresham occurred too soon
o admit of his personally explaining
o the secretary his views on the mat
ers. With regard to the chances for
he insurgents to secure their freedom,
ieneral Williams positively declined to
hi