The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-22
STANTON'S FAMOUS SALUTE
The Admiral Explains and is Re-
stored to Duty.

The Salute in Honor of the Brazilian
Flag, and Not Intended as in Any
Way Recognizing the Right of Re-
volt-rhe Aquidaban Looked Upon
as a Brazilian Warship no Matter
Which Way the Revolution Turned
Out.
Washington, Dec. 21.-Secretary Her
bert this evening, gave out his decision
in the case of Commodore Stanton, de-
tached from command of the South At
lantic station for saluting Admiral
Mello in the harbor at Rio Janeiro. The
secretary restores Admiral Stanton to
duty and assigns him to the COM
maDd of the North Atlantic
squadron. This is regarded as perhaps
the choicest station to command among
them all, although at present but one
vessel is attached to it, the Kearsarge,
since it is expected that the New York
and MiantOnomoh will be ordered to
Brazil. Commodore Stanton's report to
Secretary Herbert upon the occurrence
that caused his relief, is dated Washing
ton, Dec. 6, and is as follows:
Sir:-Ficst. l respectfully state that nv
reason for saluting the Brazilian flag flying
ABOARD the Aquidaban on Oct. 20, when the
United states flagship Newark arrived at Rio
de Janelro, was that 1 thought 1t my dLt} to
complete the saluses usually fired in honor of
nation on arriving in one of its ports. / re-
garded the Aquidaban as Brazilian man-of-
war, the flagship of the Brazilian admiral
Capt. Terry, of the Newark, thought it better
not to salute, bat after considering it still
seemed to me right to do So
Second, did not intend the salute as in
ANYWAY TnCOyniZiDU the r1obt Of raV h11t
only as an honor to the flag of the nation the
vessel bore, and IN the belief that whatever
the outcome of the contest between the par
ties might be, the ship would still belong to
the Brazilian nation.
Third. l regarded che situation Of affairs as
In a degree, similar to that OF the late war in
Chile, for the reason that the Bra. iian navy
and some, at least, OF the members OF the
Brazilian national legislature, had Joined in
the revolt and my impression was that for
elgn ships OF war ARRIVING Ia Chilean waters
had continued the usual honorS to the Chill
can warships
Fourth. When Capt, Picking of the Char
lesion came aooard, he told me that he had
saluted, but that 1t was before President
PeiXoto had declared the revolted forces
traitors and rel els. l did not fully apLre
olate the Importance of this information
In view OF the graver matter he had
to communicate which made it ne essarv
for me to decide whetherI should Join the
agreement made by the commanding officers
OF the foreign war vessels, except the Ger
man, to prevent by force the bombardment
OF the city. This seemed to me such
an active intervention in foreign
AFFAIRS that could not but regard it as of Sc
rious Importance. There were also details
concerning the part had to take in the dis
charge OF cargo belonging to American citl-
zens which tended to turn me from the further
cons Iteration fthe salute to be tired. Very
respectfully, O. f. STANTON
Commodore u. S. N
Secretary Herbert's letter to Commo-
dore Stanton restoring him to duty, points
out what he considers the errors of Com
modore Stantons reasoning and conclu-
sions, but says that as he is considered to
be guilty of nothing worse than an error
of judgment, he is again assigned to duty.