The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-15
PLOTTING AGAINST LEE.

The war with Spain has been fully as
prolific of disgraceful controversies be-
tween some of its active participants in
the army and navy of the United States
was the Civil war of 1S61-5. This fric-
ton developed before the last gun had
been fired at FL Caney and off Santiago
de Cuba. Since then internal dissensions
have increased daily. The result has
been a series of investigating commits
sions, courts of inquiry. courts-martial
and general military decentralization.
Throughout the earlier period of the
Civil war the great and magnanimous
soul of President Lincoln was intermit-
tently harassed by glaring incompetency
and the clashings of conflicting interests,
not only in his cabinet, but among his
generals. Cameron, Stanton, Scott Hal
leck, Mcclellan, Fremont, Hunter and
others were alternately quite prominent
as the causes of much pickering and
jealousy. At one time It became abso-
lutely necessary for President Lincoln to
assert his supremacy as communicating
chief OF the army and navy, much
against his inclination, let it be said, and
temporarily take military affairs into his
own hands. Not until Gen. Grant as
sumed command of the land forces and
demanded and received almost unlimited
control and freedom of action, did the
War Of the Rebellion advance along real
ly successful lines and order evolve from
condition of military chaos.
In the war with Spain trouble and in.
terna discord began to brew with the
inception of the Cuban and Porto Ricsn
campaigns. For some cause, hitherto I'M
explained, Gen. Nelson A Miles. COM
mander of the army, was practically TO-
nored and threatened with actual dis
HiisSill from the service by the war de-
partment The laundering advance of
Gen. Shafter, attended by series of mis-
understandings and scandals, will not
soon be forgotten, and has already pass-
ed INTO history. Then began the Miles
Smarter controversy. The destruction of
CerVera's fleet laid the foundation for the
Schley-Sampson trouble Then the Miles
EaSan affair was brought to a lame and
lhpotent conclusion by punishment of
Eagan which very few are inclined IN
regard as, in any sense, a punishment.
News comes from Chicago, incredible as
1t may appear, that the present beef in.
Vestigating commission will make n re-
port eensurtng Miles and upholding AL.
ser. Corbin, Eagan and the entire war
e department.
On top of all this comes a report from
Cuba that Gen. Fitzhugh Lee. owing to
the petty prosecutions of Gen. Brooke
Is on the eve of resigning his position
Cen. Lee occupies q subordinate offioa
when 1t Is well known that he IL mora
popular in Cuba and capable of affactire,
more good, under existing conditions.
'iidh any other man in the army. On
TINS account Gen. Brooke hates Lee most
cordially and, assisted by his sate,lite
Ludlow, is proceeding to make II very nm
Pheasant for the one man CT all the rast
who should have been made povorro.
general Of the island until s,,cb +;,,,.
C"od shouid be turned over to the en-
Dams Tor self-government Gen. Brooke
mas evidently, ''got it in" for Gen. Wood
VINO Tor some reason has incurred tho
1or;oer's dislike. 1t is unnecessary -
state that Secretary Alger sides with
Ten. Brooke. This being so, It is NOT mn
likely that both Lee and Wood NAV bA
forced out of Cuba. and. as Alger has
construed the law against granting con-
cessions and privileges to Cuban svndj-
Gates to mean that such concessions can
De granted 1t is not unlikely that Lee
and Wood will find their places tco hot
to hold them in the near future