The times., 1899-02-22

Sampson Among them was Commodore
Dewey and if Commodore Dewey had been
in the American waters Sampson. or
course. would have been jumped over him
as well as Schley and the rear admrals
and commodores This might have been
excusable if Sampson had had any record
to justify it. Napoleon, when he made
selection of a commander always made
the test in four words, What has he dOne?'
If that test had been applied 10 Sampson.
then how could he have been preferred TO
the other nineteen above him?
If ii was net because Sampson had 10
litical social pull. then it must have
been because his name Sampson. and
when | remember how he wasted time in
the peace blockade at Havana. | am re-
minded of the blind Sampson pulling down
the pillars of the temple. When re
member how he bombarded MatanZas, ana
killed mule, am reminded oil the Jaw
bone of an ass which made Sampson the
first famous.
But when ! remember that on the
morning CT the Sd of July this same blind
Sampson for some reason, saw ht to make
a trip down to Siboney, ten miles away,
and took with him the New York, one OF
the two fastest cruisers. and 10 thai eX-
tent weakened and crippled the guard in
front of Santiago Bay. and when l re-
member that he could have taken one OF
the dispatch boats and made that trip,
| am inclined to think that he wanted to
go down in style and glory, and. therefore,
my conclusion is that Sampson. instead OF
being honored, ought to be court-martlaied
for his negligence on that occasion. Ger
vera regarded it as negligence and took
that very hour as his opportunity to make
his escape.
When | remember that after Schley. as
commander has destroyed the whole Span
ish fleet, and had compelled the Colon to
lower her flag after race of fifty miles,
at l: 20 in the afternoon, and remember
that Sampson did not arrive until 2:23,
and when l remember that the speed of
the Brooklyn and the New York is over
twenty miles an hour, | think it cOnclu-
sive that Sampson had no more to do with
the destruction of that fleet than he did
with the destruction of the Spanish fleet
at Manila. The sinking of the Merrimac
was also a failure.
The Suppressed Letter.
Those who find it necessary TO trump
up some kind of defence for Sampson
saw fit to omit SIMPSONS letter of the goth
of May to Schley. and Sampson himself
saw fit On the Sd of July, in his telegram
from Siboney to the Secretary of the Navy
TO say, the fleet under my command offers
the nation as Fourth of July present the
destruction of the whole of Cervera' s
fleet. These two facts weighed in the bat
ances By those accustomed to consider cir
| cumstantia evidence, are among the most
damaging that could possibly be adduced.
| Witnesses in court are sworn to tell the
| truth, the whole truth, and nothing but
! the truth The fact that the letter of the
| 20th of May from Sampson to SChley had
| TO be suppressed. and the fact that Samp-
| son himself used the words the fleet
under my command instead OF the words
my fleet under the command of Schley.
complete the case. Courage and SINGER
| ity are not TO be found in either of these
acts, ard neither legislation nor Presiden-
tial favor will ever rob Admiral Schley
of the homer OF being the hero of San
| tiago''
Representative Berry of Kentucky said:
Schley has punctured this bag and let
out the wind. His defence shows clearly
| that the SampsoIites have not a leg left
to stand on. He makes q clear case OF
suppressed evidence and distorted facts
! He was the real hero of the fight at San
! tiago."