The record-union., 1898-02-15

General Lee Has Resigned.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14.-Actuated
by sense of honor and a strict idea
| of justice, the State Department has
taken steps to place in the hands of
Senior Canalejas, to whom the letter
was addressed, the epistle written by
Senior Dupuy De LONE which led TO
the resignation of the Minister. The
transaction is explained in the follow
ing brief statement given out tonight
by the State Department:
Recognizing that the legal owner
ship of the De Lone letter is in Mr.
Canalejas, and his agent and attorney,
Mr.. Carlisle, having proper authority
to receive the same, the letter was de-
livered to him to-day
AS explained in this statement MIR.
Carlisle was fully authorized to apply
! for and receive the letter. having the
cabled authorization from Senior Cam
| alejas. In the view of the State De-
| partment. the letter was a stolen doc
ument, and in that, like any other piece
| of property, it should, upon applica-
tion 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 let
ter becomes the sole property of the
person to whom it is addressed imme-
| diately 1t 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
| letter has, besides, already completely
| served all of the uses for which it
might have been applied by our Gov
eminent, and there are in existence fac
simile copies of the paper that are so
surely authenticated as to leave no le-
gal doubt of their accuracy.
There now remains only the closing
chapter of the incident to be written,
for the end is already in sight. Not
withstanding all that us been said in
the press about the demands on Spain
for apologies or retractions OF the dis
agreeable things said by Senior De LONE
in his letter, it can be positively stated
that at no time since the publication
of the letter has the State Department
taken any such course. Instead, ii
has relied entirely upon the sense Of
to do all that was proper and needful
to wipe out the unpleasant impression
produced by these statements, and it
can now be said that this course has
been fully justified, and that the Span
ish Cabinet now being aware Of the
full text Of the letter, is expected with
in day or two to make such disclaim-
ers of the letter as is required by the
/ circumstances.
Tonight the State Department re-
ceived official notice from Madrid of
the selection of Senior Louis Polo-Bern-
abe as Minister to succeed Senior De
Lone.
GENERAL LEE HAS NOT RE
SIGNED.
! WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE State
Department officially denied reports al
| leging that General Fitzhugh Lee, Con-
sul-General to Cuba, has rendered his
resignation. 1t can be stated also
| that while details are not obtainable,
matters regarding the De LONE Incl
dent have assumed such shape that an
early and satisfactory adjustment of
the affair between the United States
and Spain is expected by the State
| Department
The officials of the State Department
still maintain their reticence as to the
contents of the cablegram from Min
! lister Woodford, received late Saturday
night. 1t may be said that all state
ments so far made as to the nature of
this dispatch are speculative. The
message was not deciphered until well
along in the afternoon yesterday. and
then it passed into the hands of Assist
art Secretary Day. and the President in
turn, who have been the only persons
in Washington to see the dispatch. No
answer has been made as yet to Mr.
Woodford's message, and it is by no
means certain that an answer will be
required.
Senior Dubosie, the Spanish Charge
d'Anaires. was one of the early callers
at the State Department, and this led
to conjecture that his visit was in con-
nection with the De LONE Incident. II
| is stated, positively. however, that the
incident was not referred to. Every
thing relating to the De LONE matter
thus far has taken place at Madrid
through Minister Woodford. In some
well-informed quarters it was believed
there will be a formal disavowal by
Spain. but Ii will be deferred until a
new Minister Is sent, one of his first
official acts being to make amends
and re-establish cordial relations on
all pending questions.
Owing TO the presence in Washing
ton of Duke D'Arcos, late Spanish Min
lister to Mexico, now on leave. it was
felt that he would be named as Min
! lister. in order that a speedy adjust
ment might be effected. In other official
! quarters the view is entertained that
SPANS disavowal would be prompt,
and would he made in the form OF an
official statement by the Minister for
Foreign Affairs. Senior Gullon, ex-
pressing regret at the incident 1t is
understood that up to the present time
no official intimation of the appoint
ment of Duke DArcos has come to
Washington. He has had long expe-
rienoe in SPANS diplomatic service
Calderon Carlisle, counselor for the
Spanish Legation. was another caller
at the State Department. There was a
rumor that Calderon Carlisle's visit had
relation to prosecutions for theft of the
De LONE letter, but ii was stated later
by those fully conversant with the