Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-02-10
FROM WASHINGTON.
A'V<fH W ]N"0 ~ Y" = y ~
Correspondence OF the Alexandria Gazette.

Inc state department. CnlS morniuS
gave out for publication the substance
of the cablegram sent yesterday to
General Woodford, U. S. Minister to
Madrid, in reference to the De LONE
letter. The statement is as follows
There has appeared in thepublic print
a letter addressed by the Spanish
minister to Mr.. Canalejas. This
letter, the Minister admits, was
written by him. 1t contains ex.
pressions concerning the President OF
the United States OF such character as
to end the minister's usefulness as o
representative of his government il
this country. General Woodford. thers 6
fore, was instructed at once to say 10 the
Minister of State that the immediate re-
call of Mr.. Dupuy De LONE is expected
by the President" 1t is stated that up
to this time no response has been re-
ceived from the Spanish government.
Up to 1880 o'clock TO day Senior
Dupuy DE Lome had not re ceived from
his government an announcement OF
its acceptance of his resignation, but it
is believed that this soon will be given
ton with the government as the span
ish representative to the United States
will come to prompt termination with
out the necessity OF action by this gov
eminent in giving to the minister his
passports. Senior De LONE regards
himself as now a private citizen, al
though technically still Spain's repre-
sentative. When inquiries were made
at the Spanish Legation today as to
how the letter reached the hands of
the Cuban Junta, it Was said that the
statements made by the Junta as to
Canalejas receiving the letter were alb
solutely false. Private Inquiries, it was
stated, had been made through New
York gentleman which had disclosed
that Caualejas never saw the letter.
This inquiry was sent by cable direct to
Car aleias, now at Madrid, and he was
ask ed if be had ever received letter OF
the character described. To this Senior
Canalejas answered that he never re-
ceived the letter, and knew nothing of
its contents; laat if he had received it
he would have made an answer to the
letter. There has never been an &C.
acknowledgement or an answer from
Canalejas. After this statement direct
from Canalejas, the Spanish authorities
regard it as plain that the letter was
stolen in transit, and that the reports Of
Canalejas receiving it and reading it to
DR.. Congosto are fabrications intended
to cover up the plan by which the let
ter was distracted. The fact that the
envelope was not produced is taken as
another evidence that the letter was
taken in transit, as the envelope
would have disclosed the post
mark, with the time of sending and re.
ceipt, both in this country and Havana,
if it ever reached the latter place.
Toe DeLome incident was the princi-
pal subject of comment in all circles at
Che Capitol to-day, and the uniform re-
m ark was that the minister had, in re-
gning, pursued the only course left
open to him after the authenticity OF
h letter had been established. In the
Senate there were occasional expires
sions of surprise that diplomatic OF the
experience of the Spanish minister
should have entrusted letter OF
the character of his letter to
Senior Cansjelas to the mails, and
one or two Senators expressed per-
sonal sympathy for Mr.. DeLome.
Senator Davis, chairman of the Senate
committee on foreign relations, said
There was nothing left for Mr.. De LONE
but to resign after acknowledging the
authorship of the letter. He has taken
that step and presume the matter may
he considered ended. Said Senator Hale:
There was nothing left for Mr.. De LONE
to do but resign after acknowledging
the genuineness OF the letter. Still,
the incident is melancholy instance of
a man irjuring his own fortunes and
possibly destroying brilliant career by
one unfortunate misstep. With this
exception Mr.. De Lome's career here
as the representative of his country at
critical time has been entirely credi-
table, and he has done much to main
tain amicable relations between the
two nations. He has been wise, pru.
dent and conservative and has done
much to preserve peace when many q
less cautious man would have been apt
to commit on ofense that would nave
resulted in hostilities. 1t was certainly
indiscreet on bis part to write such a
letter and commit it to the mails and
he should have known better.
Ia view of the news from Madrid of
the acceptance Of the resignation OF ths
Spanish minister it may be stated that
the government is not disposed to split
hairs over the method of the offending
minister's retirement. In other words,
it is not concerned as to whether he re.
signs or is recalled, so long as he leaves
the capital. The message sent by the
State Department to Mr.. Woodford in.
Dictated the Presidents desire that the
minister be recalled, but the language
used was the most proper for such an
occasion and must not be taken to
mean that the President is disposed to
go further than is necessary.
The offic Il confirmation of the as.
sassination of President Bsrrios came
to-day to the State Department in the
following cable FROM United States
Minister Hunter at Guatemala City,
dated yesterday: president Barrios
was shot and instantly killed last night
at eight o'clock while walking with
two military officers near the palace.
The assassin while attempting to escape
was Immediately killed by the Presi.
dents staff. Manuel Estrada Cabrera,
temporarily the constitutional successor
has been peaceably installed. All quiet"
The House committee on labor to.
day unanimously ordered a favorable
report on the GrosYenor arbitration