The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-05-26
COL. SUMNER AND EUGENE,
An Army Officers Retort 90 ar Inter
vention Threat.

Foreign Intervention " the menace made
by European diplomats and newspapers
II the United States hold on 70 the Phii-
ippines How tho people Of this nation
would resent the attempt islllustrdteo
bv an incident associated with Cuban
AFFAIRS that occurred during President
Peirce's administration which also dem
onstrates how history repeats itseif.
The Incident. as originally told by Dom
Plat. IS reproduced by Maunsell .. Field
I'm his Memories Of Many Men and Some
Women" and runs as follows:
Immediately after the occurrence OF
what is known IN our diplomatic history
as the Black Warrior affair, our Govern
ment sent 10 Madrid, as a special bearer
Of dispatches, Colonel Sumner OF the
United States Army, who afterward be-
came famous as General Sumner during
the Civn War. The Colonel, upon his az
rival at Paris from Washington, made
no stay there. but pushed on directly 10
Madrid. He conveyed instructions 70 Mr..
soule. our Minister 10 Spain. 70 lay the
case before the Spanish Government,
and 10 demand an immediate apology To-
gcther with PREPARATION. Mr.. Soule ac-
accordingly addressed a prempf0ry de-
spatch TO Mr. Luzuriaga, Minister or
Foreign Affairs. and asked for a reply
within twenty-fOur hours. The allotted
time passed and no reply came. Mr..
socle then wrote still more peremptorily,
saving that he could detain his messen-
ger. an officer Of rank. but one day long
err Before the expiration Of this second
day an answer came couched IN those
terms OK extreme courtesy which span
ish officials always employ but 20 the
effect that inasmuch as the Government
had as yet received no report Of the mat
ter IN question from it's agents IN Cuba,
70 must decline for the present any con-
sideraGon Of the subject. Whereupon
Colonel Sumner incOntnenuy packed
his portmanteau and hurried back 10
Paris. Having a few days ct his disposal
before ne was compelled TO return 10
America. he devoted them 20 seeing the
principal sights Of the French capltal.
Among other things he entertained an
ardent desire TO have an audience with
the Emperor and Empress. and Judge
Mason then Minister TO Franco. VINO
was usually reluctant to ask these tavcrs
finally consented to do so, and the mat
ter was arranged. The next sunday at
1 o'clock was appointed
colonel Sumner was sitting with Mr..
McRea. Of North Carolina, the United
states Consul in Paris, who lived some
where on the Rue de Rivoh, au qua
trieme or an cinquieme Now, Judge
Mason knew the Colonel TO be a blum,
his lie lighting Indians on the frontier
and who. as Plat said. while sitting one
dav with Jefferson Davis on log in
Mexico during our war with thar couh-
try. had been the joint inventor with him
of the inverted chimney pot, which Tor
so many years formed the regulation
headeear of our army. At all events
from his brief communications with him,
the Minister did not take him TO be
c. an Saturday even
ing preceding the appointed sunday, Mr..
Mason ordered his carriage after dinner
and directed the coachman 20 drive 70
Mr. McRea's residence. When he reached
that gentemans apartment he found the
Colonel IN the dining room in his shirt
sleeves. with an old uniform coat and
trousers. both covered with spots and
stains. spread out upon a table, ana
which, with a sponge saturated with ben
zine. he was vigorously securing. AT
this sight a cold Precipitation started
upon the Judges brow
. why. Colonel, what is that? ex-
claimed.
That said the Colonel. IS my uni
form. which intend 10 wear tomorrow
You certainly cannot fhink OF APP
nearing before the Emperor and Empress
in such a froghtful suit OF clothes as
thati All the scrubbing IN the world
remove
10 mention that It would be shabby even
if clean. resumed the Minister
We'll reioined the Colonel, II IS
the only uniform that ! possess. IL Is
true that IT shows the effect of service;
I don't think that the Emperor will
think any the worse Of Il on that ac-
count. SO I must wear e or not go at
ALL
This alternative was OF course. not
to be thought Of and with a very un-
easy feeling Mr.. Mason. after a short
call, took his leave promising to return
on the morrow punctually az u o'clock
to take up the Colonel and carry him 10
the Tuleres.
THE next day the Judge was punctual
in keeping his appointment. Indeed. In
his anxiety he somewhat anticipated the
hour. He climbed up the four or Eve
flights Of stairs with much putting and
blowing and when he entered the Con-
SUBS drawing room he found the Colonel
quite ready. ensc0nced I'm his rusty blue,
and with one OF the inverted chimney
pots already referred TO on his head.
The Minister gazed at him for some mo-
ments IN speeches. horror and then
broke out:
IT tell you what II IS Colonel. can
stand the Uniform bet hang me II I will
accompany you 20 the palace unless you
dispense with that object which you have
upon your head.
"But what shall do for a hatY quer-
ulously asked the Colonel. This is our
regulation cap and II II is good enough 20
wear In the presence Of the President or
the United States IL Is certainly snfil-
cienty so 20 wear In that of the Emperor
Of the French.
but the judges foot was down this
time and he would not yield So he and
the Colonel and Mr. McRae sat down
together. and. after a long consultation.
It was decided that. the latter should
20 20 a shop and purchase a military
chapeau, which should be substituted for
the obnoxious article. In the meantime
Il was getting late and Mr.. Mason was
becoming fge.ty and anxious. They
all descended the stairs together, and
while the Minister and the Colonel enter
ed the formers carriage the Consul
dashed on toward the Rue de Paix In
ouestOf the chapeau, for which the 9TH
ers were 20 await his return. Mr.. Nc
Rae was absent a long time; he had 10
90 all the way 10 the Rue Richelieu;
but Just as the Judge was aboct 20 COLI
lapse from utter despair. he returned
triumphantiy carrying I'm his hand an ele-
giant laced chapeau with magnificent
tr colored plume attached % It. lie has
tily passed Il IN through the carriage
window, and Mr.. Mason ordered the
coachman TO drive % the palace. The
Colonel held the chapeau In his hands
twirling II from side to side and curious
ar4Na