The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-02-19

Inc people OF the Inltcn Slhtco oo'o
never yet been called upon to distrust
| one OF the coordinate branches OF this
| government and they never Will while
| the flag floats. Least OF all is It decent.
| In my opinion that in this chamber there
should be insinuat!ons cast at this criti-
| cal time that there Is n lack In the
minds OF the people OF the United states
| Of confidence in the navy.
| NAVY DEFENDED.
From the time OF Paul Jones until
now our ships have sailed in every war,
| fact 20 face with the foe. The records OF
our naval battles are the most glorious
history in the page OF any country for
the 100 years and from the earliest days
until now there has never been a step
| backwards. Today the officers of our
navy are honorable. courageous. upright
| men, and above all they tell the truth.
| me captain Of this Inflated battleship
was walking his deck al 10 o'clock on the
night OF the 18th when this awful disaster
| happened. IL may be that his public
career il ended forever but the awful
disaster that overlook his ship will count
| for nothing by comparison with the de-
| grading insinuation made here that an
| officer OF our country with the oath and
with tho flag above him would lie and
| cast responsibilities where 1t did not be-
long
| An. Mr. President. we can stand much
| or discussion and debate, We can endure
much OF pubic discussion when there
should be silence. but there is one thing
] TINS country can never stand and that
Is TO listen 10 and without resentment,
| 10 an insinuation that the officers OF our
navy are not men of honor and integrity
| ana OF truth. / do not know what slums
the Senator from Illinois may have drag
ged to find the expression OF an opinion
| that there is lack of confidence In the
personnel Of our navy. but know he can
not find an honorable or n decent or
patriotic citizen who will stand up before
the country and endorse for an instant
J the utterances which the Senator has
made.
| WAR MUST COME.
Mr. President / speak as one who
svmpathizes deeply with the citizens of
that land. now engaged in this terrible
and deplOrablo conflict. | yield 10 nobody
I'm my desire TO see the conclusion OF That
war but I do say II ever there was
! moment when We should abstain from
outrageous and gratuitous insult 10
| friendly nation that time Is to-day IL
| ever there was a time we should lend our
help to every department OF the Gov
! erumcnt II should be to-day; II tneIe
! was ever a time when we should refrain
from unjust and ignorant criticism II Is
| to-day. All. Mr.. President. war may
! come. ! think myself the day may pe
not FAR distant. and when It comes we
will fight It alone, for there VIII De no
| other nation 10 lit hand 10 iiSht TOT US
When that day comes, our course must DC
| cternally grounded i'm the right ana uhtl
n comes there Is nothing so behtties thls
ueople. I'm my opinion, az these unjust anu
| outrageous attacks upon a friendly gov
| eminent. An. Mr.. President, war Is grim
| decisive and when II comes II must come
$50 that the people Of the world whetheI
| they fight with Ms or not. can al IeaS1
respect our conduct and our position anu
| above an. Mr. President. II must come un
der circumstances which make US respect
Mr. Wolcott was followed Immediately
! h, Mr. Lodge. of Massachusetts,. VINO also
| rad sat very FESTIVE under Mr.. Mason $
| reflections upon the Navy Department
| lie TOO. smoke with intense earnesiheas'
! saying.
LODGE TRUSTS THE NAVY.
"Nfr President. have no desire and no
intention OF saving one word In regard 10
the war that is raging in cuba. no one
| can datast tho horrors enacted IN tha1
island more than l. No one desires more
tban to see the Spanish power swept
from that island as il has been from All
the States OF South America, put Mt
President. that question IS not mere. We
are face 20 face at this moment WIN
great national calamity. The American
neonlo have received the awful news oil
Inc sinking Of the warship Maine with a
splcndid silence and self-restraint, Doth
I'M Congress and throughout the country
They arc waiting sternly. quietly 20
! know the truth. and the truth they Will
have. ,,....
"This IS not question which Involves
| Cubans or Spaniards This rs a question
which involves brave American seaHeh
gone 10 their death IN a foreign
mort. In the presence OF that calamity
what we want is the truth. How are we
10 Get it9 I would rather trust this in
vestigatlon 70 the officers Of the American
navy than 10 any other men I'm the coun-
try.
Does anyone suppose that the captain
Of that ship who. wounded. stunned by
the explosion. remained the last upon
tho sinking vessel and who. In the midst
Of al that awful terror and excitement
with every duty nobly done, sent dis
patch TO this country showing a cool
ness and nerve which are an honor "a
the American name-Does anyone sup
pose that Captain Sigsbee, capable OF
| sucn Splcnull toHuNSNt u h'Iub w az
about his shiD2
The Secretary OF the Navy Is n man
| OF distinguisi cd ability. Of honor and pa
triotlsm. II any one imagines that Secre-
| tarv Long will not tell the truth and In
| sist upon the whole or II. he little knows
the character OF the man who has the
honor TO nU that great post mt the head
| Of the navy. l. for one. trust that Con-
gress will await the action Of the proper
department charged with this inquiry and
will not attempt to do anyth ng which
| could in the least degree dcrogate from
the attitude which the American people
and Congress should hold I'm the presence
| of a calamity so dire and so tragic as
that which befell the battleship Maine.
| Mr.. Lodge also paid tribute TO Assi5-
tant Secretary Roosevelt.
MASON COOLS DOWN.
Mr.. Mason was in calmer mood when
he rose To reply.
HisquotatiOn ana general spasm will
| not drive me from the discussion OF TINS
question in the Senate" he began.
| Continuing, he charged Mr.. Wolcott
with making "A statement which was not
horne out by the record or by any re-
marks he had made lie shared. he said
I'm tho general admiration OF the various
departments Of the executive branch of
the Government. and Mr.. Wolcott could
NOT excel him In that respect. He MA
SOM fully endorsed all that Mr.. Lodge
had said about the head Of the navy,
with whom he had served I'm the House,
and whom he knew to be a man OF ability,
OF great head and a warm heart. He de-
| MED that his remarks contained any re-
nectfOn upOu Mr.. Longs integrity or