New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-21
MORE FITZHTGH LEE STORIES
THE GENERALS WAITING AND WILLING
ATTITUDE.
he EXPECTS TO REMAIN IN PUBLIC LIFE-viR-
GINA POLITICS IL HAvANA--A CUBAN

VICAR OF BRAY.
Washington Aug % (spcc!aD.-Gencral Fitzhugh
Lee returned 10 his command at Jacksonville this
week. leaving his friends in the dark regarding his
intentions. II is known that he declined place on
the Military Commission which viii represent the
United States in the evacuation Of Cuba by the
Spanish Army. The surmise is that he prefers TO
walt until Havana is occupied by American troops.
and then bo in command as Military Governor OF
the province. But General Lee also has political
ambition and wishes TO be Senator from Virginia.
The Legislature Is not TO be chosen this fall.
though the preliminary campaign work VIII he
done. and some Of the Generals supporters desire
to have him the ground. However. one advan-
tage of being absent Is that lie can be claimed hy
beth the Gold Democrats and tho Bryan Free Sil-
verites without having to explain IN person just
where he stands
Some Of General LEES friends were rallying him
evening during his stay in Washington on his
failure TO announce whether he preferred 70 be
member o: tho Military Commission Military Gov
ornor OF Havana. United States Senator from VIZ
gnia. or President lie finally explained his atti-
tuda ny telling q story.
Down in the ague country" he said. where the
only healthy person Is the one who has malaria.
there was an old fellow named Jim Robinson. who
for good many years had had the shakes The
Chill would come on n certain hour Of the after
noon az regularly the sun got to certain point
IN the sky. Every day jim Robinson would go ou'
Just before the time, take look around him.
hump his shoulders. and say 10 himself or 20 any
ono who happened to he passing: Reckon it's
about time for my regular shake. and III ne power
fully disappointed # It don't come on.
General Lee did attempt to make the appl!ca-
ton OF the story personal 10 himself although he
was willing his hearers should infer that he might
be a tribe disappointed II something which VIII
keep him in public nfe did not come his way.
General Lee did not tell II Of himself. bat some
OF those who were in Havana while he was Consul
,la tar he eta
ginia's old time election methods had become IA
nous enough for the Spanish authorities TO hear
OF them Dr. Congosto the Secretary General was
alternately terms Of cordial friendship and bit
ter enmity with the Consu-Cieneral. In ore OF his
periods OF confidential friendship he sought Lees
advice II was when the farc.cal arrangement WAS
being made TO hold elections under autonomy The
Palace as General Blancos Government was called.
was willing that the Spanish classes who were op-
posed 10 autonomy should he represented IN the
new colonial government. but did not care TO give
them representation large enough TO emharrass the
AutOnOWst policy. They wer. coaNrd 70 accept "
minority representation IN me propofus,h o' on
anti-AUtonOmist 90 two AutonomlStS. some Wei p
in favor Of doing this. while others 9pposed tsHins
ment however was afraid that the oppotil'n a'
the last moment might rally and control the cleo
lions
II was on this point that Secretary General Con-
gosto sought the advice OF General Lee lie Ok
The elections and to be sure that the Government
had a safe majority The authorities, however
lined for the elections they might not be able 20
manage it. and Secretary Congosto dclcaiciy hlnl-
cd that General Lees advice would be usciul 10
the m. because they knew he was from virginia an
they had heard that In Virginia II was so conirved
that the cOlorcd vote should not prove an cmhar-
RAISING factor. Neither Lee nor Consosio ever
told what advice the Consul General gave. hut IN
few days II quietly whispered around that
Congosio had not been initiated into the virginia
methods. Nevertheless when the time came, a
certain number OF ballots were counted. ana so
called Auonomst majority OF two-ihirds was re-
turned ,,,
General Lee has been consulted by the Adninis.
traton about the feeling Of the spanish classes IN
Havana who want anncXat N. ana also those VINO
might be opposed TO prOt"ctoratc OF inc jht'l
states He does not think that any dlMcully hceh
be expected from this source. ana b" antlclpair
no trouble from the volunteers Many or the OIL
GERS Of that organization. he said, we're at neart
anxious 10 become Americans. In proof OF THIS ne
roneatod his experience with colonel OF the vol
un,oers who is leading merchant IN havana
This colonel was telling the Consul-G' neral me
noll,cal changes he himself had undergone. flIst
he had been Carst. then an ulire-conservarVe
Standard after that moderate Cooperative ana
,hcn n Reforrnsta, the Spanlards were cnlei
Who were in favor of giving Cuba measure or
nome rule. When autonomy was adopted by the
s. gasta Ministry he became an Autonom'sth .
After he had recited his political ev0ution zen.
oral Lee asked him. innorentlv: WI NAT. next
Yankee" promptly replied This colonel OF y3'rn-
,onrs According 10 the Consul GeneraFs Dehef nc
was simply type or many