The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-03-18
POPULAR GENERAL LEE
Our Consul at Havana a Ma
tional Hero.
HIS DISTINGUISHED SERVICES.

The Administration Has Great Confidence
In Him and Would Not Permit Him to
Resign Circumstances of Consul Gen
eral Williams Recall.
WASHINGTON. March a. Special. J.
General Fitz-Hugh Lee has become a ma
tional hero. The intimation given a week
ago by the Spanish government that his
recall would be gratefully received and
the prompt and firm refusal of President
Mckinley to do anything of the sort, cou-
pied with the presidents warm words of
praise of the consul general, have produced
q profound impression upon the country.
General Lee has borne himself at Havana
with great dignity and calmness. He has
been a most useful consular agent with
diplomatic powers. Every American who
goes to Havana comes back full of admira-
ton for the doughty general.
General Lee has been in Havana as con-
sui general nearly two years, or since
April, 1896. With the exception of two
short visits to this country be has been at
his post ali the time. He has served
through trouh!ous times and with infinite
credit to himself. He has been subjected
to great dangers, not, as the sensational
papers would have it, from Spanish guns
or swords, but from yellow fever and
smallpox. On several occasions he has been
forced to take vigorous steps to protect
Americans and American interests, n it
cannot be t%ruthfully said of him that he
ever neglected any of his duties or let slip
by him any chance to impress upon the
Spanish officials the fact that Americans
are entitled to n are sure to have
the protection of their government. 1t
Is an open secret that General Lees SYM
pathies have been with the insurgents
struggling for their liberty, and while
ii is believed he has always kept within
the LIMITS of proper action from the
diplomatic standpoint every one knows
do not like him.
Recall of Ramon Williams.
tits almost forgotten that General Lees
predecessor, Ramon Williams, was recalled
from Havana at the instance of the Span
ish government. Mr.. Williams offense
was the same as General Lee's-too much
earnestness and energy in protection of
Americans. The particular case which led
to the recall or resignation of Mr.. Williams
was the Imprisonment of two American
sailors charged with being flibusters. Mr..
Williams demanded their release and fol-
lowed the matter up with SO much energy
that the Spaniards took umbrage. Our
government has since demanded indemnity
for the Imprisonment of those sailors, but
up to date Spain has not satisfied the
claim. Spain never pays anything till she
is compelled to pay.
Despite Mr.. Williams fate General Lee
has performed his duty in the most vigor-
Gus fashion. The first time it became nee
essary for him to make an issue with the
Spanish government was when DIR. Ruiz,
a naturalized American citizen, was bru-
tally murdered in a prison in the suburbs
of Havana. The American public is not
likely soon to forget the Ruiz case, and
General Lees earnest effort to secure jus
tice. On account of his work in this case
General Lee had a slight misunderstand-
ing with former Secretary of State Olney
and would have been recalled had not
President Cleveland insisted that General
Lee should remain at his post. Spain has
agreed to pay $50, 900 indemnify to the
n yet forthcoming.
n Nv lil1O uhO y Jus cso
30 much attention Charles D. Scott, a
genuine American, son of a New England
sailor, was in prison on a trivial charge.
His family had not been allowed to COM
municate with him for IA days, despite
the fact that our treaty with Spain pro-
vided a limit of three days for imprison-
ment, "incommunicado," as the Spanish
say. General Lee vainly demanded that
he be allowed to communicate with Scott,
and when the Spanish officials persisted in
their refusal the consul general cabled the
state department that he would not stand
another Ruiz case and threatened to re-
sign if something vigorous were not done.
Secretary Olney carried the case to Madrid,
and soon afterward Scott was placed in an
ordinary prison and was then expelled
from the island.
Wanted to Resign.
General Lee has not been anxious to re-
main at Havana He at n time had
planned to come home and stand for SEN
ator from Virginia. President Cleveland
personally begged him mot to back out
now" and the Virginia warrior sacrificed
his personal inclinations to serve his coun-
try. When President Mckinley came in
a year ago, General Lee expected to be re-
ll0N0u, uuU OuS u0W pIOolOouo oloO oohOo
him to stay, Democrat as he was, and Gen
eral Lee reluctantly consented.
Perhaps no other act of President Nc
Kinley so we'll demonstrates his farsight-
ednesss and understanding of the Ameri-
can people as his insistence that General
Lee remain at Havana. Even as early as
a year ago the president foresaw more or
less trouble at Havana, and he knew that
it would be a good thing for this country
to have at that post a man of we'll tested
courage and experience. Nor was the pres
ident unmindful of the fact that General
Lee was a Democrat and that he had served
conspicuously in the Confederate army.
President Mckinley told a number of his
friends that if trouble of a serious nature
were to come at Havana it would give him
great pleasure to stand by General Lee and
to emphasize his approval of the consul
generals conduct. "That will show all
the world" said the president, ''that har-
mony is completely restored between the
north and the south in our country and
that Americans are as one."
Mr.. Mckinley could not have builded
more wisely had he been a prophet, which
be was indeed in this case. The very thing
he had f~oreseen actually came to pass, and
from all parts of the south there have
come during the last week words of praise
and thankfulppSc that a Popr1blicon proci-