The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-15
LEE HAS NOT RESIGNED
REPORTS AGAIN DENIED BY THE
STATE DEPARTMENT.
wooDFoRD's LETTER NOT MADE PUBLIC
Rumors of Prosecution for Theft of De LONE
Letter Not Confirmed Duke D'Arcos in
Washington Causes Comment
as Ia the Ministry,
as to the Ministry.

Washington, Feb. 14.-Actuated by
a sense of honor and strict idea of
justice, the State Department has taken
steps to place in the hands of Senor
Canaleias, to whom the letter was ad-
dressed, the epistle written by Senior
Dupuy De LONE, which led to- tine re-
signation of the Minister. The transac-
tion is explained in the following brief
statement given out tonight by the
State Department:
Recognizing that the legal ownership
of the De LONE letter is in Mr. Canale
jas, and his agent and attorney, Mr..
Carlisle, having presented proper author
ity to receive the same, the letter was
delivered to him to-day"
As explained in this statement, Mr..
Carlisle was fully authorized to apply
for and receive the letter. having the
cabled authorization from Senior Canale-
las In the view of the State Department
the letter was a stolen document and.
like any other piece of property, it
should upon application, be delivered to
its rightful owner. There was no other
course left open for in the United States
as in all other countries. having a code
of laws,a letter becomes the sole property
of the person for whom it is addressed
Immediately it starts on its way from the
sender Even the latter cannot obtain
possession of it without the consent of
the person addressed: the limit of his
powers legally being in certain cases to
stop the delivery of the paper. This let
ter has beside already served all the
uses for which it might have been ap-
piled by onr government, and there are
i'll existence fac simile copies of the pa
per that are so surely authenticated as
to leave no legal doubt of their accuracy.
There remains now only the closing
chapter of the incident to be written
for the end is already in sight Not
withstanding all that has been said in
the press about demands on the Spanish
for the apologies or the retraction of
the disgreeable things said by Senor
Dupudy De LONE in his letter. it can
lie positively stated that at no time
SINCE the publication of the letter has
the State Department taken any such
course. Instead it has relied entirely
upon the sense of propriety of the Span
ish government to do all that was prop
er and needful to wipe out the unpleas-
ant impression produced by these state
ments and it can now be said that this
course has been fully justified and that
the Spanish Cabinet, now being aware
of the full text of the letter. is expected
within day or two, to make such dis
clalmer of the letter as is required by
the circumstances
Tonight the State Department. re-
ceiyed official notice from Madrid of the
selection of Senior Louis Polo Bernabe
as United States Minister to succeed
Senor Dupuy De LONE.
Ihe State Department to-day official
denied reports alleging that General
Fltzhugh Lee, Consul Geenral to Cuba
had rendered his resignation.
1T can be stated also that. while de-
tails not obtainable. matters regarding
the De LONE incident have assumed
such shape that an early and entirely
satisfactory adjustment of the affair be-
tween the United States and Spain IS
confidently expected by the State De-
partmnt.
The officials of the State Department
still maintain their reticence as to thp
contents of the cablegram from Minister
Woodford received late Saturday night.
1t may be said that all statements so
far made as to the nature of this dis
patch are speculative. The message was
not deciphered until well along in the
afternoon of yesterday and then il
passed into the hands of Assistant Sec
retary Day and the President in turn
who have been the only persons in Wash
ington, save the employees who unravel
led the cipher, to see the dispatch up tC
this time. No answer has been made as
yet to Mr.. Woodford's message and Il
is by no meanS that an answer will bt
required.
Senior Du Bose, the Spanish Charge
ID Affaires. was one of the early callers
at the State Department and this nat
urally led 10 conjecture that his visit
WAS in connection with the De LONE
incident. 1t is stated positively. however
that the incident was not referred to
but that the call had to do with Other
pending Spanish affairs. Eyerythina
relating to the De LONE letter thus
far has taken place at Madrid through
Minister WOodfOrd. Owing to the pres
encc in Washington of Duke>Do' ARGOS
late Spanish Minister to Mexico, now
on leave, it was felt that he would
be named as Minister in order that 3
speedy adjustment might be effected.
1t is understood that up to the presen
time no official intimation of the appoint
ment of Duke D'Arcos has come t,
Washington. He has had large ex
perience in Spain's diplomatic service
and in 1876, was first secretary of th.
Spanish legation here. His wife is al
American.
The Duke D'Arcos was seen today b,