Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-10-03
coin DAY FoR sAMpsON.

All accounts agree that IN the great
New York performance of Saturday, Ad-
miral schley, although ne made no effort
in that direction. came very near taking
the play out Of the hands" of Dewey
The applause which greeted the gallant
Marylander was hardly less Yocferous
than that given the gallant Nermonter
md when We remember that the gl0rih-
cation Of Dewey was what the people
were there for. and part Of the official
programme. and that the honors paid to
Schley were a spontaneous incident of the
occasion. there Is no room TO question
that the hero Of Santiago stands very
close 10 the hero Of Manila hay in the
estimation of the American public.
Schley's progress, Ike Deweys progress
was a triumphal one from start TO finish
and one experience of the former was
even calculated 20 make so magnanimous
man as Dewey turn a little green
about the gills The Marylander became
the chief target Of attention from the
lady onlookers. and they did for him with
flowers what he did for Cerveras feet
with shot and shell. when the officer who
was technically in command Of the Amer
lean fleet was miles away. They bonn
barded him until he was overwhelmed
What Sampson thought of all this We
are not told. our conjecture is, how
ever. that If his thoughts were formu-
lated into words they would not do for
wall motto for a Sunday-school room
If the contrast between the demonstra-
tions he and Schley evoked was only
half as married as has been represented
the probability is that he wished him
self farther away from New York on
Saturday than he was from the fleet he
technically commanded on that eventul
July morning. when his immediate sub
ordinate. and the officers and men under
the latter. sent the Spanish ships to Davy
Joness locker. Saturday September
SOth. was cold day for Sampson-a day
on which he doubtless felt like throwing
sombre martial cloak over his resplen-
dent uniform, which SD outshone
schley's comparatively modest attire.
and hieing 20
'Some vast wilderness.
Some boundless contigulty OF shade"
Yes, Saturday was a cold day for samp-
son. and those who have any sympathy
with him are few and far between. 10
the littleness Sampson displayed in wiring
the news of the naval battle Of Santiago,
and 10 the subsequent disclosure and en-
phasizing of a worse trait in his charac-
ter, are due not only the rebuke TO him
involved in the Schley reception, but in
large measure the intense warmth OF that
reception. No man ever pursued more
short-sighted policy than the "Comman-
der-in- Chief" who was miles away when
the battle was fought. Had he had the
magnanimity and the fairness TO give
Schley proper credit. the latter. although
none the less entitled to the highest praise
for what he accomplished. would have
been less hero. There would have been
40 occasion for the American sense of
Justice 10 revolt as 1t did, and thrust upon
Schley the greatness it has thrust upon
him to the discredit of Sampson BY his
picayuneness IN ignoring Schley's claims
in the first instance. and the evidence he
has afforded later Of envy OF the Mary
lander. the would-be hero OF Santiago has
contributed more than any one else to-
ward stimulating public appreciation Of
the real hero of the engagement Sampson
was not IN. And the lesson of the whole
business as illustrated I'm the New York
Dewey land pageant Is that Sampson
would have been wise had he taken 20
heart the injunction:
Envie not greatnesse. for thou mokest
thereby
Thyself the worse, and so the distance
greater"
And. by the way. considering the man
ner IN which the administration has en-
deavored 10 exalt Sampson at the expense
OF Schley. II f. Just possible to construe
the sehley demonstration into a rebuke
10 Mr. Mckinley also.
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The firstof the races between the yacht