The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-13
A Blot Upon the NAVY,

From time to time The SUM- as an act OF
justice to many men OF the Navy who have
been wronged, and from desire to keep
professional disrepute and dishonor from
this branch Of the Federal service, has pre-
sented the very simple and conclusive facts
as to the technical inef1iciency and personal
dishonesty of Rear Admiral SCHLEY. Upon
every occasion the various newspapers
espousing SCHLEY's peculiar cause, from
the Wecher of Naciremas mOuthpiece the
Baltimore American, to the stad and con-
scientious but blinded journal in Utica con-
Quoted by the Hon. F. PRENTIss BAILEY,
the Observer, have broken out with invec-
tive against the record and all who uphold
it, unrestraned because absolutely regard-
less OF the facts it recites.
Such an outbreak of passion is now &C.
tive, following upon certain circumstances
OF the Dewey celebration and SCHLEY's
designation for command unsatisfactory
to him. The Administration, the Navy
Department, Admiral SAMPSON and THE
Sun are all struck at savagely and insult
ingly in SCHLEY's behalf. The craze,
moreover is not limited to the froth Of
partisan newspapers or to the prejudice
Of individual critics whose judgment has
been perverted by inability or unwill-
ingness to deal honestly with the
record Even the Loyal Legion, which
surely owes some allegiance to the
good name and good health OF the United
States service, has turned to do honor to
SCHLEY, as though he were the peer Of any
officer who can boast his commission and
his name to be without a cloud, and as
though favored friend in uniform can
commit no fault which private friendship
| should not suppress and condone. We
| again invite this extraordinary mania to
consider the actual situation, and particu.
| larly the extraordinary attitude towards II
occupied by ScHLEY himself.
The official charges against SCHLEY are
| heavy. They show him to be guilty, as q
| fleet commander, OF incompetence, OF In.
subOrdinatiOn and Of conduct for which the
| Articles of War prescribe death as the pen.
| atty, and OF error in acting as the Captain
| OF ship, the Brooklyn, to which role he
was, as a matter Of fact, and in the view OF
| his superior officers, limited on the day OF
| Santiago. On the official record also Ia
the proof, unassailable, that SCHLEY spoke
falsely to the United States Senate when
defending himself against the Navy De-
| partment's structures, and that he lied tC
the public and misrepresented a fellow
officer when he garbled HoDasoN's cor
respondence with himself relative to the
Brooklyn's loop.
| All this Is not the mere rumor Of preju.
dice, or the irresponsible conclusion Of pass
| ing critiCiSm. II Ia on the books OF tbs
United States Navy, and in the public docu
ments open to the inspection Of all. 1t ap
pears with the authority OF the Commander
OF the Atlantic feet during the War
Admiral SAMPSON, and OF numerous
other officers of distinction. 1t is ovel
the signature OF the Hon. JOHN D. LONG
a member of the Cabinet, the accuracy
OF whose statement as to the naval trans
actions involved has been formally veri.
fled by Board OF Officers consisting o.
Capt. RoBLEY D. EVANS Of the Iowa, Capt
HENRY C. TAYLOR OF tho Indiana, Lieut.
JAMES H. SEARS, SCHLEY's own Flag Lieu
tenant on board the Brooklyn, and Ensign
HENRY H. WARD.
1t would be difficult to formulate more
crushing charges, or to present them will
greater weight. They are Of seriousness
and formality to exact from tho accused
the most strenuous endeavor to refut,
them with seriousness and formality eQua
10 the manner of presentation.
We will be still more explicit, in orde
that those still humbugged by the pre-
fences of Schleyism may see how fatty anC
! emphatically thsygare contradicted. aa'