The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-11-07
Is WHEELER A FALLEN STAR.

The Messenger in common with all
southern people has greatly admired
the invincible g%allantry and unsatisfy-
ing love of battle of General Joe
Wheeler. He is indeed a marve in his
love of fighting and it's eXcitements.
He has been criticized for some time
with some severity by southern news
papers because of his anxiety to make
war upon the Filipinos, and his close
identification with the Mckinley plan
of conquest and expansion. He seems
to be blinded by his lust for BATTLE.
He is even suspected and charged
with leanings TO the rotten old
up Longstreet and some other south
rons who fought under the glorious
flag for the glorious cause Of the
young and puissant southern confed-
eracy. We are not ready yet TO credit
this Inflated and disreputable rumor.
Not willingly will the Messenger cred
it so much wrong, such a fall to 50 gall
LIANT and faithful a soldier in the time
':that tried mems souls" We will not
be swift to believe in General Wheel
er's contemplated apostacy from dem
ocratic faith and his south, but he is
supposed to keep very bad company.
Association with Mckinley will prove
highly deliterious to mortal and politi-
cal health.
~ SAlIC1IIC L lit III Ilo Ia oAiH
erings that as ordinary a moderate
a paper az the Baltimore Sun, recently
INDUCED in this pleasant strain: "The
General went to Cuba in midsummer
and, While Frustrated by heat and sick
ness insisted upon getting into the
thickest of the battle and having a
900 time where the Mauser bullets
were Whistling through the air and
shells were exploding IN all sides.
Probably if his gallant soldier had
he5n asked then to give his opinion,
be would have pronounced Santiago,
in time of war, the most delightful spO
on the globe, with a bracing and
healthy climate" He arrived in she
Philippines on 21st August, an9 within
a week gave out fully his impressions,
short-sighted and insufficient as they
must have been necessarily. He could
know but little in that time Of either
conditions, prospects or h health.
But in the glow Of gratitude because
little Mac had let him go where he
could sniff powder and fight patriots,
he wrote a letter to his republican BEN
efact which that little demagogue
is using to bolster his own bad course.
General 10 wrote:
AN idea seems to be prevalent in
the United States that White men can
not live here and that this is an un-
healthy country. This is a great mis-
take. There is also an impression that
to retain these islands woul be a bur-
den to our country. That these views
are errors shoul be Impressed upon
the American people. There is no
question as to the richness of the soil
and the abundance and ichness OF
gold, silver and copper mines. | be-
lieve when it is fully understood that
our supremacy is to be maintained,
there will be an influx of population
from the United States and other
countries.
He could know nothing of the climate
or the fertility of the soil, or of the
health. He fatty contradicted others
who had spent years in that remote
section 10000 miles or more distan;
from this land. But the worst thing
in it is his supposed absolute surren-
der to Mckinley as to expansion and
Imperialism, for he writes, when it is
fully understood that our supremacy
is to be maintained" That is very
bad for the brave Alabamian-a sad
letting down. So ridiculous is his let
ter to little Mckinley that the SUI
happily ridicules him. and says:
With the cracking of the rifles
about him and the roaring of the bis
guns, he would have discovered tina
the rainy season is one Of the mos
| Ild IIlIAS VI II ppIi
and that a country which is not under
water for several months in the year
is not worth the attention of an Amer.
lean real estate agent. With the blair:
of bugles and clashing of sabers ring
ing in his ears, General Wheeler woult
pronounce a land in which a man can,
not go a few hundred yeards withou
the use of a row boat or life-preserve,
a veritable Garden of Eden. In fact
if the General were suddenly thrown
into n of the boiling springs which
are found in the Philippines he woult
declare the temperature of the wa6eI
indescribably delicious, if he could Sc.
his way to 'scrimmage' through tn,
clouds of steam which enveloped him
1t is to be hoped thai the brave ex
confederate has not indeed fallen S,
far as is feared by many. 1t may b
only a passing infatuation. 1t is har,
TO believe that General Wheeler Il
willing to pursue a people to the deat Il
who. have every way as good a caas
to defend as the sou.h had when h.
so willingly gave himself for four year
| to it's defence. 1t would indeed lpe !
1 decporota DISCRIMINATION fr iudDn,an- Z,