The Red Cloud chief., 1898-02-18
WASHINGTON T

"All quiet along the Potomac sew
eral days ago it seemed likely that the
fool letter written by Senior de LONE,
the Spanish minister at Washington,
in which he insultcd the president and
said that Cuban autonomy and the ne
gotiations with this government for a
reciprocity treaty, were Spanish tricks
would make an entirely different be-
ginning necessary for a Washington
letter dated St. Valentines day, but the
blackguard minister got his resignation
accepted by his government before
this government go, in its request for
his recall, and o all depends upon
what Spain will say as to how the mat.
ter will end. Congress as a whole has
been like u keg Of powder, and had
the president desired, he could, by a
word, have furnished the spark that
would have brought about the explo-
sion. He chose the other plan, wheth-
er wisely or not every man will judge
for himself, and we have had no ex-
plosion, except on the part Of individ.
uals whose brains and tongues work
on the hair trigger principle. What
aver else may be its effect, DE Lome's
letter is expected to hasten interven.
ton in Cuba by this government, re.
CARELESS of Spanish apologies. Wheth.
er that intervention will result in war
i, a question upon which different
opinions are held by men equally com
petent to Judge.
-
Instead Of trying to make political
capital out of the attitude of the adj.
ministration toward the De Lone Incl.
dent, as many of his party colleagues
are doing, Senator Gray, of Delaware,
\ prominent member of the committee
on foreign relation us, Is trying to allay
public excitement by expressing such
opinions n the following. at seem,
To me tina, the president has acted
with great dignity in paying no atten
ton to the opinion concerning him
which ne found in the letter. IL,
could not take cognizancc Of it with
out making himself n party Ia th,
theft, for, it must he remembered, thi'
letter is "A stolen n AZ To the utter
anccs Of the minister, which indicat,
that Spain is using autonomy and re
ciprocity rs preteXts, | should say tina
they must be regarded in the sam,
light. We cannot afford to base any
complaints of this government on al
incident which is the result o.
some persons periidy, because, il W,
do so, we countenance the crime an,
make ourselves a party to it. The U
s. is such n big and powerful body tina.
when it moves something has to Civ,
way. Naturally, therefore, we should
not move unless there is something II
stake-something more important an'
serious than a personal opinion ex
pressed in n private communication
which came into public notice by sur
ruptious means. | am not in favor q
hys er!cal legislation or hysterlcal al
plomacy. We should pursue our eve
course until the time ome when ther
is really occasion for holding up on
dignity and honor. When that tim
comes, there will be no division u
opinion, and we, who take u conserva
tive view, will be found fully as patri
otic and as courageous as those VIII
now stand tearing their shirts ant
blowing fish horns instead of trump
cts" Senator Foraker, also IA membc
OF the foreign committee, who may b
said 10 represent the other eXtrem
said. The incident should not be al
lowed t. end with the acceptance b.
Spain of the ministers resignation
We should have an apology. The OF
feuse of Minister De lone was a ser