The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-17

II &Al@
| ton the supposition is that he cannot
deny it. My question is not answered
| yet. He has not denied the interview,
published in the New York Journal,
dated December 3, 1888. n having
refused 10 distinctly deny ii he should
be held TO the strictest accountability
for it. If he made these statements
as set forth therein, then he lied again
and il he made the said statement that
'pretense is the precise term to be used
Gas he said then referring to the 'ex-
periment') then he lied with as black
a heart as the man who blew up the
Maine possessed and he deserves to be
characterized and known to America
and Europe where his statements have
gone, as being the colossal, prodigious
liar of nineteenth century. / submit
to this committee and to the whole
country that this account Of an inter-
view with him in the New York Journal
going uncontradicted. undenied and
when the opportunity was given him
to deny it in terms, places upon him
the onus and responsibility for the
statement in that interview, which
statement I here and now denounce as
unmitigated falsehoOds, vile and slam
derous, so slanderous that it can be
only called filth. 1 submit to this COM
mittee and to the country at large
whether it is the characteristic of an
honorable man to permit such state
ments as are made in this alleged in
terview with General Miles in the New
York Journal dated December %, 1898.
to go uncontradicted if untrue, and
whether or not it is not the first duty
of a gentleman, an honest man, an
honorable man, to deny such base
f~alsehoods as are to be found in the arti-
Gle | refer to if they were not made by
him.
This interview was headed: miles
makes grave charges against the adj
ministration: chemicals used in beef
made the soldiers i'll; tons of bad meat
sent to troops in Porto Rico"
Referring to another published state
ment that General Miles had sent or
had found it necessary to SEND a Sc
rious reprimand to the Quartermaster
general, the commissary general and
the chief Of ordnance for conditions
that he found in Tampa" General
Egan said no such reprimand was sent
and yet the story was allowed to go
uncontradicted.
"This u~ncontradicted story of a rep
rimand to the heads Of three of the
most important departments of the
army" he continued, "aided as much
as anything in exciting the yellow jour
nal press, the knaves of so-called
journalism, to harass and vilify and
libel the conscientious, able, and hard
working officers on duty in Washing
ton"
General Eagan, referring to news
paper attacks, asserted that the Sec
rotary OF war had nothing whatsoever
to do with the furnishing of refriger-
ator meats or timed meats, nor had
he attempted to control the contracts,
awards or purchases, and in this con-
, nection in heated language he attack
"a 1~~ 0ry Vo-1r nnrc ND
their proprietors whom he said should
be indicted and tried for treason to
the United States during this war, as
giving aid, comfort and information to
the public enemy for the sole purposes
of gain.
Were I a man Of wealth Or MEANS"
he protested, II would a this sub
ject up myself. I would put journals
tic knaves, p%urloiners Of the secrets Of
the government, behind the bars where
they belong"
General Eagan made a vigorous at
tack on the inspector generals depart
ment in connection with this investi-
cation. Referring to Inspector General
breckenridge investigation, General
Eagan pointed out various reports of
officers that have been published n
quoted a telegram he received on In
larry LIST from Lieutenant Colonel A.
L. Smith, depot commissary at Hava-
ma, as follows:
"Commissary General, Washington:
Gould, inspector Seventh corps, Or
dered by Breckenridge to inspect and
report on all meat, and requests sam
pies. I will without further instruc-
lions, decline to recognize Brecken-
ridges authority, but Will personally
show all stores desired unofficially.
(Signed. SMITH"
Colonel Smith is an old experienced
officer" said General Eagan, land not
knowing there was anything like a
game. in progress, he stood upon the
regulations and from a strict military
| point of view, properly refused this
| improper course unless he had evidence
that it was authorized, as it should
have been, by the secretary Of war.
For. it can be readily seer that if this
| sort of ex parte examinations-is made
and ex-parte reports solicited nc mans
reputation is safe; every mans char
acter may be put in jeopardy; design
ing people might ruin Christ even, if
he were here today. But as I believed
this course not only improper and not
contemplated by the regulations, be-
1ieving further hat it was a trap to
produce just such a refusal as Colonel
Smith made, I replied to Colonel Smith
the same day, saying:
"'You will not stand on 1858 army
regulations, but you will allow meats
and every article of subsistence stores
to be inspected by Guild and, If nee
essary. to be inspected twenty times
a day. Inform Guild, inspector, of this
dispatch. Furnish copy of this dis
patch to every commissary in Cuba
for their guidance and compliance in
similar Eases
II had no right" General Eagan ex-
planned, ito send that dispatch, but
o it upon myself to send out this
authority, fearing a refusal would be
interpreted by the world at large that
the department was afraid of any and
every kind Of investigation. When ]
informed h secretary of war the fol-
lowing day and he understood and re-
allied that the inspector general,
doubtless at the instigation of the SEN
ior major general of the army, was
! inaugurating a system of inspection,
not contemplated by the regulations
nor authorized by proper authority, he
promptly informed me he would not
have approved by course. although he
thought perhaps I was right. This In
I C1a1%4 $685.