The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-25
THE PRESIDENT AND THE WAR.

the mistakes which have been made in the
war with Spain, and which have been pub
lished almost exclusively in the yellow
journals Of New York, are gradually dis
appearing. The reason Is that they have
not proven to be popular. In attacking the
President the yellow journals do not de-
sire to do the public service. Their aim
chiefly is to attract attention to them
selves. Now that they are finding that
they are not moulding public sentiment
against the President, their tone in respect
to him is becoming more moderate.
The reason that they have not been sue
cessful in creating a sentiment against
him is that the people recognize the fact
that he has endeavored, from the begin
ming Of the war, TO do what he believes to
be for the best interest of the people. He
has not been able in every instance to do
what his judgment told him was the best
to be done because the pressure against
which he has had 20 contend was too great
sometimes to be overcome. Still, in the
main. he has had his way. and his acts
show him to be patriot and a statesman.
The fact must not be overlooked that the
was wholly unprepared for it. 1t was stu
pendous undertaking to put more than go,
900 men in the field in less than three
months, and to supply them with arms and
clothes and to arrange for feeding and
transporting them And the navy had TO
be enlarged. No one could foresee how
long the war would last nor what pro-
=
army of 100000 wen drilled and we'll arm
ed men, and she had navy that was
thought by European powers to be the
equal Of ours. There was a chance also
that we should have trouble with one or
more of the Powers of Europe before the
end Of our war with Spain Therefore it
was necessary 10 make our preparations
for war on a large scale.
The President could not personally select
all the men on whom he had to rely. He
had to trust many men implicitly. Some of
those trusted proved to be capable and
worthy. Many turned out to be incompe-
tent. The incompetent ones are RESPONSE
Bile for the plumbers and mistakes which
have caused the complaints against the
war department and the criticisms of the
President. If the President could have Sc
lected the colonies and captains, the quar-
termasters, commissarles and doctors, and
the men who made contracts for ships and
for the transportation of troops on the
railroads there might have been fewer mis-
takes made and less cause for complaint
and criticism.
The only two questions that will in
fuence the public mind in respect to the
President so far as the war is concerned
are these: Is the war a successful one
and has the President striven to do the
best that could be done for the good of the
country? 1t will be admitted that the war
is successful and the belief Is undoubtedly
general that the President has been in
fluenced by the purest and the best of mo-
uves. He was opposed to the war, believ-
ing that the liberation of Cuba from Span
ish rule could be accomplished without
war. When Congress decided differently,
however, he accepted the situation and
sought TO make the war short and sue
cessfuI
One thing he mas accomplished which
a man less broad-minded and less liberal
NOutd nave SlSfldlly Idleu TO DO, Is TINS.
lie has buried In the grave of forgetful-
ness whatever of the civil war bitterness
there remained among the people. That of
itself entities him to the esteem of his fell
low citizens and a high place in the his
tory of the country He has endeavored TO
distribute the honors of the war evenly
throughout the whole country. In making
appointments he has been as kind to the
South as to the North.
However hard he might have tried to
give general satisfaction, and however
successful he might have been, in the
conduct of the war, he could not have
escaped the condemnation of some. During
the civil war Lincoln was bitterly assailed
in the North as Davis was in the South
Because the President has failed to earn
the approval of everybody-those who are
malicious and disappointed as well as those
who overestimate their Importance and
abilities-t doesn't follow that he hasn't
been a faithful, honest and successful pub
lie servant.