The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-11-10
Ghe Wlessrnger.
AN OPEN ATTEMPT TO PLUCK
SCHLEY'S HONORS.

We can have but little respect for a
sailor like Rear Admiral Sampson.
The country knows how disgracefully
he has borne himself as to Rear Adj
nairal Sehley. He tried to steal the lat
ter's s~plendidly gained laurels. And
the sorrow and disgrace of the thing
lis that he and his lying tooters keep
up the effort to fitch from a gallant
fghter fame of a wretched pretender
that never fired a gun 1t is indeed
an Infamous game. Sampson plays
false. for as the Philadelphia Times
says that while not claiming openly
that he was in command Of the squad
ron, "he that impression to
the public without venturing TO assert
st. But while he has not claimed to
have been in the immediate command,
he has some friends more jealous than
wise, who have lately become embold-
ened TO the extent of declaring that he
Yves personally in command during the
action, when he was ait no time within
reach Of the longest range guns of h
enomy's vessels. This is most unjust
to Rear Admiral Sampson"
Tut this Sampson, like Saul, stands
by consenting. A Judge Sexton lately
declared in the presence of Sampson
in an address Of welcome he delivered
ait The Rear Admiral's old home, Pal
myra, that Admiral Sampson did par
tic pate in the battle as really and
truly as il he had been on the Texts or
the Oregon. Not only was he 'techni-
cally in command, having been within
signalling distance Of the fleet from the
very beginning Of the engagement, but
his were the orders that accomplished
the magnificent result"
That is purely a lie out OF the whole
doth. But Sampson did not open his
lips to contradict the falsehood or to
deny the honor so wrongfully offered
him. The Philadelphia Times says
with a. proper regard for decency, pro-
priety. honor and truth:
He should have stated the truth
and the exact truth He knows that
he never signalled an order to a single
vessel of his fleet during the engage
merit at Santiago when that vessel was
Cl5 dSCd VI dCIIOI i llC CIiCIlIy
There is not one vessel that has any
recorded order from him received be-
fore the fighting Of hat vessel was
ended. He never was within signaling.
distance of his fleet until after half the
Spanish squadron was destroyed, and
then only with the vessels which re-
manned behind to TAX care of the cap
tured vessels and prisoners, while the
Brooklyn, Oregon and Texas FASTENED
on to destroy the Viscaya and the
Colon. During that entire chase after
the Viscaya and the Colon, neither the
Brooklyn nor the Oregon nor the Texas
received an forder by signal from Rear
Admiral Sampson
No man of sensitive honor, with a
high view of knightly courtesy, and
proper reverence for truth would have
remained dumb under such a. bold, bad
attempt to cover him with honors so
utterly undeserved-to cover him with
iaurels that would wither under the
first breath of the ouch Of truth. The
Times adds
Sampson was most unjust to him
self by permitting q statement so en-
urely untrue and unjust to others. to
pass unnoticed and uncorrected. 1t
was the last opportunity he will proba-
bly, ever lave to gain the confidence of
the great mass of the American people
by being just to himself in dealing ex-
act justice to those who fought the
battle in his absence"
Sampson is made of poor stuff.
Shakespeare's description Of an empty
braggart fits Sampson we'll. We give
but one line-"He speaks plain, can
non, fire, and smoke, and bounce"
He tried indirectly by what he has
said and written (see his article in the
Century, ito snatch the nautical
palm and also to wrest from Schley
the Dalm of splendid victory.