Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-20
The Making OF a Hero.
ATLANTA ConstItutIon.l

If they do not call themselves Off pref
ty soon the President and Secretary Al
ger will yet make popular hero of Gen
eral Miles. This is apparently the last
thing either Of these high officials de-
sire to do, but their course toward the
commanding general OF the army can
scarcely result any other way.
The petty efforts to injure Miles by
minimizing his Importance and value
continue. From Omaha come stories Of
intentional sights put upon him and
It leaks out that the reason why the
Secretary of War ordered General Shat
ter to join the presidential party In the
West was TO Offset II possible. the ova-
ton which that Official was afraid Miles
would receive. The President helped the
conspiracy along by his rather maudlin
and ELUSIVE references TO Shafter, and
by doing so showed himself a part and
parcel of the conspiracy.
During the past few weeks there have
been a number OF instances OF this sort
OF discrimination against Miles. They
have indeed been so pronounced as 20
make so strong an administration paper
as the New York Herald say:
secretary Alger. with the active assist
apce OF Acknowledgement Corbin. seems
determined to keep alive the feeling that
permeates the country against the War
Department for its laundering and iucom-
potency in the handling and care OF the
troops.
The special Washington dispatches TO
the Herald indicate that the Secretary.
by snubbng the commanding general OF
the army-by oyerruling his Views when
expressed and by ignoring him In mat
ters about which he should be consult
eds Furnishing him for publishing the
statements he gave TO the public upon
his arrival from Porto Rico.
1T would have been much more manly
and most satisfactory 20 the public II an
Official reply had been made TO General
Miless statements. If II were I'm Secre-
tary Ayers power 10 refute them he
should have done so. Ey remaining 81
lent under the charges. and then. after
the lapse OF time. subjecting their author
10 covert official annoyances and insults.
Secretary Alger and his AdWtant-General
arc unintentionally doing all they can To
remove any lingering doubts that may
have remained as TO the correctness OF
the position originally assumed by Gene
raj Miles.
our correspondent states that the or
der OF three days ago. rcorganizing the
army corps. had not been seen by GENE
raj Miles until after IL was ISSUED. That
a measure Of this sort should be framed
and the order issued without ths counsel
Of the men at the army HEADQUARTERS
and actually without their knowledge
points TO such an attitude OF the,War De-
partment toward the head OF the army as
calls FOR the serious consideration OF the
country and will demand the considera-
ton Of Congress when IL meets. In Ike
manner. when rc-enforcements were or
dered TO General Bacon. in the Bear
Island region. we are told that the com
handing general was ignored.
still another instance cited occurred q
few days ago I'm connection with The
mastering out Of the First Immune Reei-
ment. at Galveston. General Miles Gid
not consider the unruly acts OF a few
men sufficient cause for disbanding the
whole regiment He argued that the
offenders should be dismissed and the
regiment retained in the service. and be
revoked the order TO muster It out. Secre-
tary Alger. on his return, continued
the original order. Upon pleas made by
Representative Hawley Of Texas. u seem.
ed for time as II the Secretary
would reconsider the matter. but upon
the insistence OF AdJutent-G General Corbin
he yielded TO the latter. and General
Miles was overruled In view OF these
facts II Is not surprising that many army
men are bitter agains, Alger and Corhln
for their treatment OF the commanding
general.
This petty warfare In an important
arm OF the government service Is not
merely disgraceful TO the persons respon-