The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-24
FITzHUGH LEE A FIGHTER.
HE is SAID TO DEMAND A FIRMER
POLICY AT WASHINGTON.

Minister Hannfs Taylor at Madrid
Also Snid TO Share the Views of the
Consul GeneraI-NO VerifcatIOn of
the RumOr That GEN. Lees Resig-
nation Is on the Way to Washing
ton ObtRinabIe-Even If 1t Is IL
May He of the PerfunctOry Kind
Incident t0 Changes in the Admin
istratiOn.
| Havana, Feb. 23-Francis Scott, the
American citizen, who was arrested in
! Regla, on the morning of Feb g. and has
since been detained in a Spanish jail. was
! to-day released from the state of incom-
municado, as the result of representations
made to the acting captain general the
| Marquis of Ahumada, by United States
| Consul General Lee
1t Is understood here that Gen. Lee Is
| disposed to resign If support of his actions
is withheld by the American government,
! but nothing positive is known here as to
what is thought of the matter in Wash
| ington.
| Americans here are free in their critl-
! cism of the weakness of the Washington
| government in the matter of backing up
! Consul General Lee, and the report that
| the Spnaish navy is concentrating is at
present impossible of confirmation, no pos
! tive information regarding the statement
being obtainable. Numbers Of Spanish
war vessels are continually arriving and
departing.
Washington, Feb 23.-The incoming
mails OF the past few days received at
the state department have been burdened
with designations of diplomatic and high
consular officers abroad. IL is a custom
which has developed the force of an un-
written law for all our diplomatic OFF,
GERS to place their designations in the
hands of the secretary of state of the
outgoing administration when the change
of rulers. as in this case, involves a
change of political parties. MIR. Bay
ards resignation as ambassador to Eng
land, it is understood was received some
time since, as was also that of Mr.. Eus-
tbs, as ambassador to France, and Mr..
UhIs as ambassador to Germany. The
consuls generals at London, Paris, and
Liverpool, these being regarded as posi-
tions more important than many of the
minor diplomatic posts, have also inti-
mated that they await the nomination
and qualification of their successors.
The resignation of Consul General Lee
at Havana has not reached the state de-
partment as yet. Presumably it is on
the way, and a much discussed question
is whether 1t is of the ordinary perfume
tory kind, or, whether it is fact, as has
been stated (and denied) that the general
has pressed its acceptance upon grounds
| of dissatisfaction with the administration.
There are reasons for believing that the
matter was to-day brought up in the cab
| met meeting. Emerging from the cabinet
chamber Private Secretary Thurber said:
/ You may deny emphatically, on my au-
| thority, that General Lee has resigned"
Nevertheless as the published statements
! are not that the general has resigned, but
| that his resignation will be received by
| the next mail, some doubts as to whether
serious friction had not arisen between
| the state department and the consul gem
eral still remained unsettled. This feeling
was somewhat increased by guarded re-
| marks made by well informed officials
| that Gen. Lee was a little inclined to be
"hot-headed" There was a general under
| current of suggestion rather than of state
ment that when our minister at Madrid,
and the consul general at Havana we're
directed to make "peremptory demands"
| upon Spain and those demands were not
| complied with by the Spanish authorities,
the United States did not appear in a very
| digniied light when il had no force at
hand to back up its requirements. This,
at least, was said to be the view enter
tanned by both Minister Hannis Taylor
and Consul General Lee.
AT the white house and department Of
state ii Is impossible to get a confirma-
ton of the report that General Lee has
resigned Without allowing themselves
to be quoted, the President and Secretary
| Olney stated to-day that they had no idea
that General Lee had resigned or contem-
plated resigning until the advent of the
new administration.
Those who put the story In circulation
that the resignation of General Lee Is
now en- route to Washington by mail at
| tempt to back up this story by saying that
Gen. Lee has political aspirations in Vlr-
ginia which he hopes to further by maxi
ing a grand stand play of resignng be-
cause he cannot agree with the Pfesi-
dents policy of non-intervention. Gen.
Lees friends here are in ignorance as to
his intentions on the subject, but they
cannot believe that he will be a party to
any scheme which seeks TO degrade The
| Cleveland administration la its dying
| hours.
The most rabid shouters for Cuban In
| dependence In the House and Senate are
in ignorance concerning the alleged reslg-
! nation of Gen. Lee and they cannot see
what is 20 be accomplished by such an
act on his part now. The present con-
| gress has but few days remaining and
there seems to be but little chance of re-
viving the Cuban agitation at the capl-
| tai.
London, Feb 23.-The Times has a Ha-
vana dispatch stating that visitor to
the camp OF Gen. Maxine Gomez learned
| that the rebel commander refuses to dis
cuss the Cuban reforms proposed by
Spain. He declares that he will win the
freedom of Cuba or die in the attempt
SPANISH TROOPS SURPRISED.