No. 584.
Mr. Reed
to Mr. Evarts.
Legation of
the United States,
Madrid, September 23, 1880.
(Received October 13.)
No. 31.]
Sir: Referring to General Fairchild’s No. 74, I
have now the honor to inclose herewith a copy and translation of a note from
the minister of state, acknowledging the receipt of a copy of your
instruction No. 52, and stating that its contents had been made known to the
Government of His .Majesty, which had given orders for an immediate
investigation of the events therein complained of. I also inclose a copy of
my reply, dated the 21st instant.
I have, &c.,
[Appendix B to No.
31.—Translation.]
Mr. Elduayen to Mr.
Reed.
Ministry of
State, Palace, April 17,
1880.
Excellency:
I have made known to the Government of His Majesty the dispatch directed
to your excellency, under date of the 14th August last, by the Secretary
of State of the United States, a copy of which your excellency was good
enough to leave with me.
The events which that document denounces have not failed to call the most
serious attention of the Government of His Majesty, which has always
endeavored, and of which it has given repeated proofs, as your
excellency is already aware, to do justice to the reclamations of that
of the United States, so soon as it has been demonstrated that they are
reasonable and well founded.
It has been ordered, consequently, to proceed without delay to institute
through the ministries of marine and ultramar the opportune
investigation in respect to the acts which are attributed to the
gunboats of the royal navy that cruise in the waters of the island of
Cuba, and it is hoped that the result of this investigation, clearing up
the facts and giving to each the importance which really belongs to
them, will carry to the mind of the Government of the United S bates the
conviction of the friendly
[Page 930]
sentiments which that of His Majesty the King cherishes for a nation
with which Spain maintains such cordial and sincere relations.
I avail myself, &e.
[Appendix C to No. 31.]
Mr. Heed to Mr.
Elduayen.
Legation of the United States,
Madrid, September 21,
1880.
Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your excellency’s note of the 17th instant, in which you were
good enough to inform the legation that you had made known to the
Government of His Catholic Majesty the dispatch directed to General
Fairchild by the Secretary of State of the United States, a copy of
which was left with you on the 13th instant, relating to the firing
upon, detention, and search of certain American vessels by Spanish
gunboats off the coast of the island of Cuba.
Although the assurance given by your excellency to General Fairchild in
your late interview with him, that the Government of His Majesty the
King would at once proceed to investigate the facts of the events
complained of in the dispatch of the Secretary of State, with a view to
making prompt and proper reparation, has already been communicated to
Washington, I shall take great pleasure in at once transmitting to my
government a copy of your excellency’s note to which this is a reply,
and in which your excellency reiterates those assurances.
I need hardly assure your excellency that the sentiments of cordial
friendship therein expressed by the Government of His Catholic Majesty
are most cordially and heartily reciprocated by that of the United
States.
I gladly avail myself of this occasion, &c.
