Arizona republican., 1899-02-23
SCHLEY AND SAMPSON.
The Latest Official Attack on the Hero
 of Santiago.


 compelled to silence because his San
 tiagO campaign was criticised by off,
 cial innuendo from ambush He is a
 chivalrous naval officer, incapable of even the semblance of insubordina- | tiOn, and he could make no answer to the malicious and subtle assaults
 which were filtered out to the public from time to time from official sources.
 At last Admiral Schley has his enc mics in the open, as Secretary Long has, after a delay of three weeks, an- swered the resolution Of the senate calling for the facts and the records in the possession of the department re- lating to Sampson and Schley. The naked facts as given in this answer Of the secretary are doubtless correctly presented, but the deductions made from them by the secretary will cer- tainly provoke earnest dispute alike in the senate and throughout the coun- try.
 Admiral Schley is now publicly ac- cused of disobedience Of orders at San tiago in ordering his feet tc Key West, and he now has the opportunity to give his answer to the public If he disObeyed the orders of the government when it was possible to obey them or if he by neglect of duty opened the way for the escape of Cervera's s fleet from Santiago harbOr, he deserves the cen sure of the government; and if he handled his vessel unwisely in the na- val action at Santiago, as he is now formally accused by the secretary he would not merit the universal homage paid him by the American people. These accusations are now made in open day, and the public will await with anxiety the answer of the naval officer who is charged with incompe- tency or neglect of duty only after he had fought one Of the most brilliant naval battles of the world.
 The position of Secretary Long in denying Admiral Schley full honors for the battle of Santiago because he disobeyed orders and made the escape of the Spanish fleet possible a month 1 before the battle is a direct accusation against both the pres dent and the sec retary for failing to perform their duty in the most important crisis of the war. If Admiral Schley was guilty of willful disobedience of orders or of failure to blockade the Spanish feet, he l should have been dismissed from his ! without a moments hesita- | ton; and the fact that he was not thus | at the most crucial period of | the Santiago campaign will be accepted | as conclusive evidence that the present 1 accusations against him are measur ably or wholly afterthoughts to serve a | most discreditable purpose.
 These accusations against Schley | were unheard of until Admiral Samp- son left Schley to fight the Spanish squadron with three of the most impOr- jant vessels of the fleet absent, and Schley had destroyed every Spanish vessel. The signal for this attempt to strip Schley of the laurels of his vic tory came from Admiral Sampson when he telegraphed the bcnbastic bulletin to the government that ''the fleet under my command had achieved the victory, without referring to his own absence or to his next officer in from start to finish; and Secretary LCng omiJs one most import ant fact from his official statement when he neglects to inform the senate that Admiral Sampson, when leaving his fleet on the morning of the battle, to disregard orders of com which was notice to all that CoDmodcre Schley was in and must be responsible in stead of himself
 The assumption of Secretary Long that the battle was fought in obedience to the orders of Admiral Samp9on is an affront to the intelligence of the Amer can people. Of course, Admiral Samp- son had given general orders that if he fleet of the enemy appeared to ad- vance and attack it; but how it should be attacked and how the fleet should oa directed in a battle depended wholly ln the movements of the enemy com ing into action, and specific orders could be given only by the commander who could see the position of each yes 5el of both fleets.
 The country well knows that Ad- niral Sampson had nothing whatever Q do with the actual battle at San -iago; that he transferred the com nand to Commodore Schley when he eft the feet; that he never was within signaling distance of a vessel actually engaged in the acton, while Admiral 5chley was nearest to the enemy when he Spanish vessels came out; was nearest to them at every stage of the battle, and was nearest to the ColCn md fired the lact shot of the battle