The herald., 1898-11-05

Senate did not object. And the SEN
ate always endorses Presioentiai ap-
pointment, unless there is some spe-
cial reason for objection. win NC
Kinley and Alger back of him, tnere
was an excellent prospect for Corbin.
Rutherford B. Hayes seems TO nave
made Corbin's acquaintance when the
latter was stationed at Columbus
Ohio. A mutual liking grew up be-
tween them, and Corbin was placed on
duty at the executive mansion imme-
diately after Hayes inauguration. The
duty was merely nominal, implying an
agreeable residence at the capital.
Afterwards the future adjutant-gen-
eral became an intimate Of President
Garfield, and was recognized as a
member Of that Presidents Kitchen
cabinet" Every President, be 1t un-
derstood. has a Kitchen cabinet"
composed Of personal friends, whereas
his official cabinet comprises indi-
viduals selected on grounds Of state
policy. Grover Cleveland loved no man
so well as he loved to be let alone,
and during his regime there was no
CorbiD. The latter was sent out to
fight Indians in the west.
Mckinley made Corbin adjutant-
general Of the army. 1t is a position
of peculiar personal relation to the
secretary of war, for 1t gives military
expression to the civil direction of that
cabinet officer. All army orders signed
by the President are issued by Cor
bin, and the latter has charge of the
movements Of all troops. He is, in
fact, the war department, though SUBJ
ject to superior authority, which may
reverse or modify his decisions. I'm
der present circumstances, which have
governed during the recent war, no
such superior authority has been inter-
posed, and so he has been paramount.
Throughout the period of the war, at
II o'clock every night, General Corbin
has Joined the President for an hour,
to go over the details Of the military
situation. This practice Is continued
still. To the President Corbin stands
for the army, and to the army Corbin
stands for the President.
The rise Of Shafter is one Of the
most remarkable phenomena arising
out of the late war. A man more gen.
orally disliked in the army there Is
not. He was a farm-boy to begin
with. and his manners have never out
grown his origin. There is brutality
about him which surpasses ordinary
standards. officers who were on the
spot assert that it was a mere acci-
dent that he was not killed by his own
men at Santiago. on account of his
abominable treatment of them and
criminal disregard for their safety and
comfort.
A near relative Of the writer-a man
who is acknowledged to have distin-
guished himself more than any other
civilian at Santiago. and whose word
is that Of a gentleman and a man Of
honor-has told the writer that, on the
day Of the great fight, in which so
many of our soldiers perished. and
Teddy Roosevelt led the historic as
sault, he toiled along the path which
led to the scene of the coming conflict.
On his way, several miles back of the
| fighting line. he passed a large tent,
which, the weather being warm, was
open. In the tent reclined General
Shafter on a comfortable couch, read
| ing a book, while a soldier famed him
| to keep away the flies and modify the
, heat. By his side was nice long. cold
drink.
Several hours later, after the furious
| fight had been fought, the young man
| QuOteQ CTdWIeu DdCh over tuc SeIHo
path. He found General Shafter in
the same attitude, reclining and enjoy
ing the fan, with a long. cool drink be-
side him. He had not even heard that
there had been a fight!
It is a great thing to be raised q
pet" but it is better to be the crony
of the secretary Of war, If one is an
army officer. Shafter is a brave and
gallant regimental leader; he did first
rate work in the Civil War as a COL
onel Capacity for military service on
a more expanded scale he does not pos
sess, as was sufficiently demonstrated
at Santiago. His campaign in Cuba
was a monumental blunder, and Will
stand as such in history. Only acct
dent saved him from deplorable f1asco:
the Spaniards were themselves used
| up, and gave in from sheer weakness.
not knowing that the American COM
mander was on the point Of making
| the same move.
big cities of Pittsburg and Akron, and