The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-11-19
SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 10. 1898
SENSIBLE TALK ABOUT ABUSES


great opinion of the late William H. Eng
fish. candidate for Vice-I1esident on the
ticket with General Hancock in lSSo' lie
has a son of his name who volunteered
for the Spanish war. and was a captain
unon the STAFF. The war being over ne
has resigned his commission and re-
turned TO civil life. and in letter re-
Gently published he shows that he is
worthy son OF a worthy sire. 1t Is need
less TO say that Captain English Is
dyed-in-the- wool Democrat. We make
the following quotation from his letter
He says. correcting some mistakes that
appeared In an interview:
III did say that it was my belief that
the wholesale eXtravagant attacks maze
during the political campaign just closed
upon those in command Of thd army, III
reference to the manner in which the war
was prosecuted. had proved nothing less
than a boomerang and lost US many
votes AS a member of the army l Ger
tainly have never had any sympathy with
these attacks at any time, and so stated
I'm my speech at the reception given me
by the Grand Army veterans when | first
returned from Cuba. ] have not believed
st any part Of my duty as soldier TO
criticse my superior officers or TO indulge
in captious fault-finding with those IN
trusted with national authority but l
stand with General Wheeler, General
Lee Captain Allen, and other Demo-
cratic volunteers in the opinion that, in
view Of the dscouraging conditions under
which the war was begun and prosecuted,
all connected with the army, from the
highest In authority 10 the humblest
private I'm the ranks. did the best they
could under the most trying circum-
stances. That there were some eXcep-
lions to this general proposition, some
mistakes. some failures. and even some
wrongs In the management OF army af-
fairs, were natural in the sudden bring
ing together of 10000 men in a country
wholly unprepared for war. but these
were things unavoidable and 10 be eN-
pected at such a time and I have fun
confidence in my cOuntrymen and their
government. and that eX.ry wrong viii
be rlghted in the end. l had the honor
20 serve with that part Of our army
that saw the greatest hardships, was
an inmate Of Cuban hospitals, and re-
turned 10 the United States upon what
has been called the horror ship Seneca,
but these hardshiDs. of which all con-
nected with that army had their part.
were the naturally to be expected re
suits of war, and / have yet to hear Of
a soldier Of the Santiago campaign that
has raised a public hue and cry about
them. They did not expect TO 20 10
war in Pullman cars. or have quail on
toast dealt out 10 them with every ration:
nor did any other soldier Of the late
war that / know Of. whether his service
was in the camps at home or with the
armies abroad"
We think this gentleman has as much
sense as his father. We have met with
nothing in a long time that contained
moro good. hard horse. common sense,
and the fact which Captain English com
ments upon that no soldier has been
making complaints OF this treatment is
the most satisfactory fact I'm connection
with this whole business It is news
paper sensation, wholly and entirely. got
w by the yellow journals ia sell their
papers.
We must not he understood as meaning
that there is nothing in the management
Of the war that calls for investigation.
on the contrary. we become convinced
more and more every day that the Secre-
idfS OF " ar uHfu tlc patronage VI liit
War Department as his own personal be-
Iongings and that he awarded 1t so
as to benefit his followers and satellites.
We think his part in the war
should be thoroughly investigated by
Congress and If the public suspicious are
found TO be correct that his misdeeds
should be mercilcssly exposed. and that
he should be properly punished.
But a great deaf, Ia TACT. almost all
of what the sensational newspapers have
been descanting upon as criminal mis-
management OF the war. is what was
naturally to be expected I'm the hasty or
garisa,ion OF an army OF 800 900 men from
the raw material Wherever short COM
lngs can fairly be attributed to that
cause nothing I'm the way OF consure of
any one should be said. But n Mr. Alger
got the charge OF the Santiago expedi-
ton taken from the duly-installcd com
nandsr OF the army and committed to
an inefficient commander. because he was
from Michigan and one OF his pets. then
The public should know II. II he emas-
sulated the Inspector-General' Depart
ment, because he had some personal
grievance against a most efficient officer.
then the public should know that also.