The times., 1899-10-17
give it to the Outlanders. and went to war
rather than be forced to accept English and
American residents as citizens
The Fight of the Absentces.

Under ordinary circumstances the retire
ment yesterday OF Brigadier General Shat
ter, U. s. A, from active service. on ac-
count of age, would leave that officer free
to devote himself to his old colleague,
Sampson. We consider it unfortunate that
his commission as major general OF yolun-
teers will interfere with such a movement,
and until further orders" confine him to
the labors OF command, and rough riding
around the Presidio in his landau.
This is to be deplored, because Sampson
really needs attention. When his Morgan
town speech was first published, The Times
regarded it with more or less suspicion. 1t
did not read like the utterances of we'll
disciplined military man in full possession
OF his senses, and we were a trifie afraid
of it. But Sampson himself has removed
all doubt as TO its authenticity by acknowl-
edging and repeating his attack on the
heavyweight OF the sister service
Sampson, in effect. insists that 1t was his
Captain Chadwick who fired the thirteen
inch letter that brought down the Spanish
flag from the citadel of Santiago AS we
have before remarked, 1t is evident that,
having failed to steal any of the glory of
the Santiago sea fight he now proposes to
see If he cannot get himself associated with
Wheeler's and Lawton's achievements on
the land end of that discussion, through
Shafter
In addition to this patriotic motive, the
man of Matanzas has an old grudge to
satisfy. He does not attempt to conceal
the fact. Shafter had taunted him with
being afraid to run into Santiago Harbor.
the mouth OF which was defended by a
few old guns, bought al auction, when the
personal effects of Ferdinand and Isabella
were disposed of after their much regretted
demise. 1t may be that the fat general
had also made opprobrious remarks about
SIMPSONS running away with the more
powerful half of the fleet when it was ex-
pected that Cervera would make dash
for liberty. In any event. the naval alb
sentee has been boiling with suppressed
rage at Shafter, ever since the latter held
up the Spanish vessels surrendered by
Toral and thereby blocked Sampson s
prize money designs on them.
Now he declares that Shafter is unable,
through lack of education, to understand
the results of a battle and that the latter
did not know enough to tell his Spanish
adversary that he ought to haul down his
flag and be good. 1t YVES not until Chad
wick. acting under orders from Sampson,
showed the party in the hammock how to
write demand for surrender, that any
thing of that kind was ever thought Of
According to the Matanzas mule logic, it
is. therefore, perfectly plain that but for
Chadwick. acting not for himself but for
the glory of Sampson. Toral would have
been cayorting around in Santiago to the
present day, and his fearless naval enemy
would still be flashing his searehlight on
MORO Castle and the hulks of Spanish
ships destroyed by Schley.
There seems to be an opening for really
enjoyable discussion on this delicate point,
between the two principals, and between
their departments. The public would not
be an uninterested spectator, and the
chances are that enough will transpire in
one way or another to excite the curiosity
of Congress. Congressional inyestiga-
ton into the matter, extending to Samp-
son. his pull, and the conspiracy in his
behalf against Rear Admiral Schley, would
be not alone instructive, but highly pop
ular.