The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-09-08

was not granted 80 far as accompany
Ing that expedition was concerned, but
authority was granted to equip Sec
Ond for movement and operation
against the enemy In Cuba and Porto
Rico However, before this expedition
was equipped, calls were made for ad-
dtiOnal forces to go to Santiago, and
They were Immediately forwarded.
"On the third day of July General
shafter telegraphed that his losses had
been greatly underestimated; that he
met with stronger resistance than he
had anticipated. and that he was seri-
ously considering the advisability of
railing back to position five miles to
The rear. and that he had been unable to
be up during the heat for four days.
Under such circumstances. General
Miles telegraphed General Shafter
that he would be with him within q
week with strong reinforcements, of
course taking the troops prepared for
the second expedition, which had been
ordered by the president to operate
against the enemy In Cuba. as well as
In Porto Rico. These reinforcements
were pushed rapidly forward and
some of them arrived in advance of the
commanding general. and were put in
position In the trenches around San
tiago
Under verbal instructions Of the
president. General Miles was directed
to go to wherever he deemed his pres
ence was required and that he should
give such directions as in his opinion
were best for the army and for the
government These were the circum-
stances under which General Miles left
Washington. arriving at Santiago July
ii, net as Il private individual, nor as
visitor. Any pretense that he went
there Gisr1bed Of his authority or Of
fetal capacity is too childish to be con-
sidered by sensible men. From the mo-
ment, he arrived Mt Santiago he was re-
spcnsi6le for what might occur"
The statement then gives a report OF
the various interviews between Miles
and Toral. the Spanish commander at
Santiago, and also the telegram from
Secretary Alger authorizing him
(Miles) to accept Toral's surrender on
the terms our commanding general
had demanded.
This" the statement says, "does not
look as IL General Miles was there as a
visitor. He was charged with respon-
sibility of ordering an assault upon the
iftrenchments and Notifications of an
army, which. If successful, would have
cost at least 5000 lives, or of withhold
ing the assault, if, in his Judgment
such assault would fail. No greater
discretion was ever given to any gem
eral commanding an army. and what is
more. as will be observed, he was au-
thorlZed to accept the surrender, which.
In the interest of his subordinates, he
generously declined to do. and went
away leaving all the honor to his next
in rank. General Shafter.
THE place Of landing the Porto RIcan
expedition had been so thorougbly adj
vertised in communications sent over
the French cable and in the. newspa-
pers OF our own country. and tele-
graphed to Madrid and from there to
San Juan, that not having received
the necessary appliances in which to
disembark General Miles decided to
change his course and land on the
south side of Porto Rico where the
Spaniards were the least prepared and
the least expecting to receive him, and
where he knew that the discmbarka-
tion Of the troops and supplies could be
most easily effected From the time
OF that embarkation during the fol-
lowing 10 days of the campaign he kept
the Spanlards guessing what the next
move would be.
'"rhe Island of Porto Rico was fairly
won by the right Of conquest and has
become part Of the United States.
The sentiment Of the people was in no
sense outraged by the invaders. but on
the contrary wCs successfully propi-
tiated. A people who have endured the
severity of Spanish rule for four CEN
turics hail with JOY the protection of
the great republic. One of the richest
sections of the country over which our
llag now floats has been added and will
be Of lasting value to our nation, DO
itically. commercially and from a mill
tary or strategic point of view. Gem
eral Miles firmly believes that by fair
and just treatment the people of Cuba
can be as easily controlled either as a
friendly ally and neighbor or to be-
come part of our own country as the
people Of Porto Rico
General Miles remained in Porto
Rico as long as he deemed his presence |
necessary for carrying out the wishes
)f the president. He returns at once
% Washington. where he believes he
'an be most useful as he considers the
most important need of the hour now
% be the Immediate reduction of war
expenses and the return of as large a T
portion of those in the military service
Is possible to their former occupations,
where they are most needed"