The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-19
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THE INTELLIGENCER.
I JANUARY 10, 1890.
Eagnn's Court Martial,

SOllFG stissIatt.g
The President has takea The right
q course in the Easan episode in order
y Ing a court martial OF the offending
commissary general. To have Instituted
a court OF inquiry would have given too
: much scope to the matter, and would
have allowed Eagan to have introduced
evidence that would eventually have
K placed General Miles in the position OF a
X defendant. a court martial, on the
Z other hand, has u very simple task to
Z perform, namelg, to decide whether or
5 not General Easar was guiltv of con
7 duct unbecoming IN officer and a gem
z tleman. This clears the atmosphere OF
lSthe court Of any complications, and
\ brings the case to an issue on 'Its. mer-
q IT'S. -
There is no saving grace In Eagan's
y, expurgatlon Of the offensive terms he
j used in his testimony. As evidence 4.
!. may now be properly considered by the
misunderstanding commission. but Gen.
I eral Eagan cannot eliminate the offense
against discipline and the good fame OF
I the army contained in his original and
X vindictive statement. For this error
y he, will be tried and judged accordingly.
Eagan's offensc is far-reachIng In Its
I effect upon the country and the branch
of service he Is employed In. In speak,
Z ing Of This feature of the case the New
s; York Tribune, says: The nation is still
Z technically in n state of war. and even
when final peace is declared will still
Il be confronted with grave problems,
I; which require that our army shall be
h maintained the highest state OF
efficiency 1t, Is the duty even OF every
y civilian, much more OF every soldier. to
Z do nothing that can weaken the army,
y ruin the worlds opinion of It, lower its
own self respect or;destroy the conf
dence OF subordinatcs in the character
I OF their superlors. General Eagan has
helped to do all these things that he
was in honor bound not to do, no mat
y ter, what his provocation or under what
E load of unjust suspicion he iabored, and
& revision OF his testimony does not right
! the wrong. He himself apparently real
ICES this and expects court; martial,
for, while eliminating the Objectionable
4 language from his statement and apol-
+ ogizing to the commission for the dis
courtesy TO them involved in his abuse
8 OF their privileges. he does not express
regret for the utterarces themselves.
but rather explains and justifies them.
{ He takes back what he said to the ccm-
Z mission, but he wants 1t distinctly un-
I, derstood that he does not take back
what he said to the world He has no
Z apology to make to General Miles for
4 his abuse or 10 the army for his out
rageous violation Of It's regulations, or
4 to the President, his commander-ln-
chief, for the insuit of such conduct
In an office the President mtrusted to
him.
Army discipline must be maintained
and Aagrant scandals punished, or our
z whole military service will fall into dis
Z repute Moreover, the common talk that
q General Miles, the ranking general Of
the army, has not been In favor with
the authorities at the war department,
I. whether well or III founded, forbids any
failure to take note of an oifcnseiigaInst
= the army involving IN amazing insult
10 General Miles, Therefore there is
no reason to fear that INSTRUMENTATION
). and blacsguardism can be compounded
by eXpursatlon."