The times., 1899-11-16

are entirely immune. II would seem to dis
passionate advocates Of peace. good order,
and equal justice everywhere that these
nine coiored people of New England
would better serve the cause of their race
by refraining from abuse of the American
President and confning their organized
efforts 10 the possibly more conmendable
purpose of wringing something better than
contemptuous toleration and meaningless
plattudes from their pious neighbors
Already Too Long.
a report. and it is much to be feared
baseless one that the Hon. John D. Long
is about to retire from the public sphere
OF uselessness. in which be has proven
more useless than any person in long
and generally respectable line of prede
cessors. reminds us that If such happy
thing really were to occur it would add
a great native genius to the noble though
now decimated army of complete letter
writer's
The epistolsry style OF Long is rather
archaic, and sometimes trife obscure,
but it makes up in point Of emotional ex-
preston for point and technique, and that
is its chief beauty. One reason why Mr..
Mckinley might be able to spare this emf
nent photographer from his board is that
he could still enjoy the benefit of his cor
respondence from distance, and perhaps
appreciate it the more on that account In
present circumstances. Longs ability to
write letters and then to read them aloud
TO the intended victim is a blessing which
may be regarded as considerably in dis
guise
But. once far away from the madding
crowd, and sweetly resting under the
chestnut trees of his native Higham. how
sweetly he could pipe of the bloozy days
when he and his dearest Mr.. Mckinley were
wont TO weep and wall together-not that
they ever dld-over the awful crime OF
Commodore Schley in making a curve that
saved the Brooklyn from being rammed,
and hence saved Schley from going to the
bottom, thing which would have been
relief to the overcharged feelings and
interests Of Long and Sampson and Crown
inshield.
We have interesting specimens of the in
cisive and backbiung character of the Ad-
ministrations own complete Mr TOOts In
his letter Of instruction to the President,
telling that gentleman what he should say
TO angry citizens who were complaining Of
the navy ring. persecution of worthy Of
icer for the benefit of one unworthy, Long
observes: You viii remember that you
were much troubled and grieyed when you
received the news of his retreating ma
neuyre, which was the only one on the
part OF the Navy during the war;" What
great hand Long would be TO coach ma
teTial witness in a capital case where the
witness was totally without knowledge Of
the facts! The admonition was very much
to the purpose but it must have stumped
Mr.. Mckinley 10 recall his grief, and also
to overlook Longs strange forgetfulness
OF SIMPSONS rapid rearward dash for the
horizon at time he had every reason to
expect that Ceryera would make a break
from Santiago Harbor.
And just by way Of parenthesis. it may
be remarked that the American public
has been perhaps reckIessly kind to Samp-
son in the matter Of that astonishing pro-
ceeding. He knew, or it was his business
to know, that serious risk was incurred
in withdra wing the swift and powerful New
York from the feet, when he steamed
away with it. It is history that Cervera
considered the feet so much weakened by
the retreat OF Sampson that he felt his
chance had come, and but for the skill
aud prowess of Commodore Schley. it
would have been taken successfully. All
Sampson contributed 10 The victory. he gave
by making it the more glorious for the
victor, whom he had partially crippled by
largely reducing his effective force against
the enemy. But these are not matters of
the sort Long IS in the habit OF instruct
ing the President that he ought to remem-
Der his grief about. They have been bitter
sources OF woe TO Long. Crowninshield,
and their retreating favorite but we do
not believe they have painfully reddened
the executive eve at any stage of The
Navigation Bureau conspiracy
To return 10 our subject II Long only
would get out much could be forgiven.
His Is not character to excite wrath in
anybody. In his case mirth and wonder
are apt 10 expand into wearied irritation
and a desire to scratch him of; but all
that would be allayed by his removal.
Then IT would be easy for Mr.. Mckinley
TO put Sampson and Crowninshield out Of
sight They are making trouble for him
out Of all proportion to their Importance.
They are birds OF a feather, and the Com
mander-in-C -Chief-not the bogus one with
the bumboat commission-should flock
them together and send them to help Long
shed reminiscent tears in his native Massa-
chusetts village