Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-02-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Wushinoton, Feb. 2Ist, 1898. /.

washington, REQ. IISI, 1885,
Prudence, patience and patriotism
have characterized every act of Pres
ident Mckinley and every member of
the Cabinet since the awful news was
received of the blowing up and sink
ing of the battleship Maine, in Havana
harbor, and the death Of $50 of it's
crew. In the midst of the excitement
consequent upon the sensational ru-
mors of Spanish treachery, they have
not for minute lost their heads. A
Court of Inquiry was at once appoint
ed to ascertain whether the loss of the
Maine was caused by accident or by
design, and by the time this is read it
will be at work. e Until it succeeds in
getting at the truth, the administra-
ton joins with brave Captain Sigsbee,
of the Maine, in asking for suspen-
sion Of public judgment. Not scrap
of news concerning the catastrophe
received by the administration, or an
order issued by it has been concealed,
and nothing will be concealed. That
the President is fully alive to our ev-
cry interest is shown by his promptly
refusing the request of the Spanish
authorities at Havana to participate
in the investigation, and that he is
calmly. performing his usual duties
was shown by his departure for Phila-
delphia, to deliver an address before
the faculty and students of the Uni
| versity of Pennsylvania, on the 22nd
inst, in.accordance with an engage
ment made some months ago. His
example should be followed by good
citizens everywhere.
Senator Wolcott of Col, has more
| than once shown himself to possess
the faculty of calm Judgment in times
of public excitement, and to be real,
not a buncomb patriot, but never
more strikingly than in the short
speech he made against the misguided
| attempt to publish to the world a dis
| trust of our Navy Department, by
providing for Congressional inves-
tigation of the wreck of the Maine.
Mr.. Wolcott said: ct desire to resent
as utterly unfounded the suggestion
that there is patriotic citizen in the
broad confines of this land who has
not the fullest and most splendid and
! glorious confidence in every depart
ment of this government, and in the
department of the Navy in particular,
and it has been true in every admin
| istration since the time of Washing
ton The people of the United States
have never yet been called upon to
distrust one of the CO ordinate branch
es of this government, and they new
er will while the flag floats. The Of
fcers appointed to investigate this
tragic disaster will do their duty. I
do not underrate the Importance of
the legislative branch of the govern
ment; believe in its dignity and in
it's wisdom, and in the openness of it's
discussion of public questions; but
what we need now, in my opinion, is
a decent and dignified silence in the
face of the appalling calamity which
has fallen upon our people. There
are times for speaking and there are
times for silence, and at this time,
when we face the awful event that
| has overtaken US, we should restrain
any expression of opinion or express
sion of our belief as to the causes of
this terrible disaster until in a proper,
regular and formal way, an investiga-
ton may be had by the Navy depart
ment, which we know will be con-
Quoted with the utmost uprightness
and the utmost integrity" Senator
Lodge of Mass, said on the same sub
ject: ''Does any one suppose that the
Captain of that ship, who, wounded
and stunned by the explosion remain
| ed the last upon the sinking vessel,
and who, in the midst of that awful
excitement, sent a dispatch showing
GOODNESS which is an honor to the
American name, is going;to lie about
his ship? The Secretary of the Navy
is man of distinguished ability, of
imagines that Secretary Long will not
tell the truth and insist upon the whole
of it, he little knows the character of
the man. I think those who know
Theodore Roosevelt would be slow to
| believe he would seek to conceal the
truth in regard to this disaster. We
want to know the truth. If it was an
accident which destroyed the Maine,
then let us provide, so far as human
foresight can, against recurrence.
If it was treachery, then the right
eous wrath of the American people
will take signal vengeance for the
treachery which sent that ship to the
bottom. And let no one think to stay
it," Congress showed its good sense
by confining its action on this subject
to making an appropriation of 5000, 900
to be used in trying to save as much
of the costly equipments of the Maine
as possible.
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