The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-02-24
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 81, 1898

dent 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 Ha
vana harbor, and the death of $50 of
its crew. In the midst of the excite
ment consequent upon the sensational
rumors of Spanish treachery, they
have not for minute lost their heads.
A Naval Court of Inquiry was at once
appointed to ascertain whether the
loss of the Maine was caused by accl-
dent or by design, and by the time
this is read it will be at work. Until
it succeeds in getting at the truth the
administration joins with brave Cap
tain Sigsbee, of the Maine, in asking
for a suspension of public Judgment.
Not a scrap of news concerning the
catastrophe received by the admins
tration, or an order issued by it has
been concealed. That the President
is fully alive to our every interess is
shown by his promptly refusing the
request of the Spanish authorities at
Havana to participate in the investi-
CATION, and that he is calmly perform
ing his usual duties was shown by his
departure for Philadelphia to de-
liver an address before the faculty
and students of the University of
Pennsylvania, on the 22nd inst, in
accordance with an engagement made
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 i'll the short
speech he made against the misguided
attempt to publish to the world a dis
trust of our Navy Department, by
providing for a Congressional investi-
CATION of the wreck of the Maine. Mr.
Wolcott said: Il 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 particu-
lar, and it has been true in every ad-
ministration since the time of Wash
ington. The people of the U. S. have
never yet been called upon to dis
trust one of the coordinate branches
of this government, and they never
will while the flag floats. The officers
appointed to investigate this tragic
disaster will do their duty. | do not
underrate the Importance of the leg
islative branch of the government; |
believe in its dignity and in it's wis
dom, and in the openness of its discus
sion 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 81
lence, and at this time, when we face
the awful event that has overtaken
us we should restrain any expression
of opinion or expression of our belief
as to the causes of this terrible disas-
ter until in a proper, regular, and for
NAL way, an investigation may be had
by the Navy Department, which we
know will be conducted with the ut
most uprightness and the utmost in
tegrity." Senator Lodge, of Mass,
said on the same subject: docs any
one suppose that the captain of that
ship, who, wounded and stunned by
the explosion remained the last upon
the sinking vessel, and who, in the
midst of that awful excitement, sent a
dispatch showing a GOODNESS which is
an honor to the American name, is
going to lie about his ship? The Sec
rotary of the Navy is a man of distin-
guished ability, of honor and patriot
ism. If anyone imagines that Secre-
tary Long will not tell the truth and
insist upon the whole of it, he little
knows the character of the man. |
think those who know Theodore
Roosevelt would be slow to believe he
would seek to conceal the truth in re-
gard to this disaster. We want to
know the truth. If it was an acct
dent that destroyed the Maine, then
let us provide, so far as human for
sight can against recurrence. If it
was treachery, then the righteous
wrath of the American people will
take a signal Vengeance for the treach-
cry which sent that ship to the bot
tom and let no one think to stay it.
Congress showed its good sense by
combining its action on this subject to
make an appropriation of 100000 to
be used in trying to save as much of
the costly equipments of the Maine as
possible.
The House, by vote of 159 to 1874,