The sun., 1897-03-14
rnE cAsE OF MIwmrrn D,rnuyo.
spanish Is.oiesce IN the K.riy nays Of Cur
nruuhlte.

Republic.
| WASHINGTON. March 12.-The recent publi-
cation in THE Sun Of certain extracts from the
book Of the Spanish Minister. in which he ex-
pressed his contempt for our reople and their
| institutions, recalls the conduct Of tho first
| spanish Miuister accredited to this country.
| Spain was the last OF the great European mowers
! to ack wledge our Independence. While abe
| was induced by France to render us q sort OF
perfunctory support during the Revolution. be-
| cause Great Britain was her enemy as we'll as
ours. she never s. nipathized with our efforts
| for indcpe endence; and II was not until George
| ILL., had acknowledged his former colonies to
| bo free and independent States" that the
| Spanish King recognized our right to national
sovcreigntv. And II was more than twelve years
| after the close OF the Revolution when Spain
| condescendcd 70 send q Minister to this coun-
| try. On Dec. 10, 1705. the Cbevalier Carlos
Martinez D'Yruio was appointed to that Of
| flee. He arrived in tho United Stntos in the
following summer. presented his credentials to
| President Washington on Aug. 25. 1900. and
| took up his residence In Philadelphia, then tho
| scat Of the Government.
| In 1904 this country had made the Jay
| treaty with Great Britain, which contained.
| among other provisions. u mutual recognition
OF the right OF the two nations To the FREQ navi-
| CATION OF the Mississippi. Subsequently to
| that treaty our Government had concluded an
| other With Spain. Oct. 20. 1906, by which
| Spain recognized the right OF this country 10
the navigation OF that river. but she had never
| Acknowledged the right of Great Britain TO II.
| On the 4th Of March. 1906. Timothy Picker
| ing. then Secretary OF State. and Mr.. Blount,
| the English Commissioner, agreed npon an ar
| t.cle explana tory o. the treaty OF 1894. which
| confirmed the provision relating to the free
| a. stpnt hy ha m
Inc powers.
Among the first acts OF the Spanish Minister
was q presentation to the Secretary OF State
| Of a memorial protesting against this explana-
| tory article. upon the ground that 1t Is In
consistent with the neutral obligations OF the
United States. infringes the reciprocal condi-
tions OF u previous treaty with Spain, grants
exclusive commercial privileges TO Great
Britain on the subject OF contraband. and rec
ognizes n right in Great Britain to navigate
the Mississippi. which the linked States has
no right to grant"
Great Britain and Spain wore thon at war.
and.the Spanish Minister insisted that for us
to recognize tho right OF Great Britain to ravi.
gate the Mississippi was to allow her the oppor-
tuuity Of sending hostile expcd tions from
Canada By way OF that river against the Span
ish provinces OF Louisiana and the FlLridas.
Previous to this D'lrujo had notified Mr.
Pickering that he had good reason to believe
hat the British were preparing such IN expedi-
tion and were negotiating with certain Amer.
can adventures In Georgia and Tcnnesse" for
an auxiliary force 10 CO. operate with the N In
an attack upon the Spanish provinces Pick
ering communicated these charges TO the Brit.
ith Minister. Mr.. Liston. who denied them.
by the treaty OF l7g5 Spain had agreed to
-,ithdraw lis garrisons from Natchez and other
Ia MiasissiDDi which admitted
To he within the territory OF the United States.
but when our Commissioner was sent to take
possession of these posts. the Spanish Com.
rnandant declined to deliver them upon tic
ground that their possession was ne essary to
prevent the descent OF the river by hostile
British force. In July. 1907, Mr.. Pickering
in de . report to President Ada".s. In whi,h
ho referred to the unjustiiable delay In the
withdrawal OF these Spanish garrisons. and
characterized the excuses given for II IA mere
"pretences." The Spanish Minister lost sight
cf the fact that this was privileged commune
cation. and took great offence at It. lie ad'
dressed Mr.. Pickering . letter in which he took
him severely to task for the statements In his
repors. lie wrote;
your discussion Of facts had been as correct and
impartial a. there was reason TO expect, should
not have been under the necessity OF undertaking
this task. but the construction which you are
pleased TO put upon e-ery act OF the Spanish ON
Ger. la general, and e,ps sally upon that In wi lch
am personally concerned. comp-is me TO ooserve
upon several expressions which have noticed IN
your said report.
Commenting upon P!ckering's statement
that le had communicated To the British Min
lister the suspicion OF Spain as to the proposed
expeditions. D'Yruio said:
,haiI not enter into all the observations which
suggest themselves to my mind from Jour having
communicated to Mr.. Llston the contests OF my let
ters. / expected that the American Government
would have watched his motions and taken tht
means which have already mentioned to prevent
til. success OF similar enterprise; but l never
could have imagined that you would have given &c
the British Minister n piece OF advice which migh
enable MIN to alter his pian by letting him know
that the former was discovered. by the llne 81
conduct which you have pursued In this matter au
convinced that had communicated to you mort
PARTICULAR details respecting this transaction. yos
would. with the same good d.natured franknes, have
given informal OF them 10 Mr.. Liston.
Asnin. referring to the anlmus OF tho report
he said:
SO paipabis an attempt to make groundisss anc
unfair impressions on tho public mind 10 well cal
cuIated to defeat It's own ends. and appears stii
more extraordinary when we consider that tn
American Government Is In every way anxious, b.
It's own profession. TO maintain peare amt harmon!
i with spain. Nor 10 your ili.foundcd insinuation
stop here: sentiments and expressions still NOR
violent now from that same hasty pen.
Thi. is pretty severe language for a foreign
! Minister to use toward an American Secrc
tary OF state. But D'Yrujo's insolenc~ carrie,
him still further. Not satisfied with berst
, .ng the Secretary. he proceeded to charge tn
r leader OF tho Administration forces in Congress
4 with falschood:
a You, ascriblng hostile views to tho preparation
for our self defence cannot, s:r have been matte
OF mach surprise TO me. after having heard a Ger
!. | tain member OF Congress. who Is known 20 DO III
| organ OF the viii of the Administration. declare
( that house. that he ascrlbcd to the same m'tive
the preparations were making for the defence O
=. Florida. though probably he was not ignorant, a
\ that very time. OF their real object.
!, Timothy Pickering was not remarkable 10
y the gentleness of his disposition. but he seem
n In this CORE spOndence TO have exercised n won
u d.rtul amount OF self-cuntrol. The openin
il | paragraph OF his reply is the only one tina
evinced any acerbty: