The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-03-09
SAMPSON AND SCHLEY.
That Fatal Santiago Dispatch and the
Popular Disgust it Produced.
Washington Post }

Those who bcwail the Sampson
Schlev controversv-and the Post is
chief among them-must not forget
the Sampson dispatch Of July 3, last,
which by universal acknowledgment
had more to do with the popular dis
gust than any other feature of the
episode.
1t is true that SIMPSONS original
promotion gave the initial impetus to
the iIl-feeling, The action of the
Navy Department in lifting him over
the heads Of Schley, Watson, Howell,
and othOrs was offensive enough. 1t
amounted simply to an exhibition OF
favoritism so fragrant as to nauseate
the entire corps. At that time Samp-
son had to his credit no achievement
in sea service. He had never COM
manded squadron or a fleet, and
while we NAV admit for the sake Of
argument that his record in the Blu
rcau of Ordnance was excellent, we
see in that fact-supposing it to be a
fact-nO reason for assuming that he
deserved the extraordinary favor he
received. More than half a dozen
officers were his seniors. The list OF
Commodores was full. BY every rule
of Justice and propriety the depart
ment should have taken an admiral
from that list-not gone back to the
captains for some one to elevate to
| the flag rank and thereby insulted,
or, at least. snubbed, gentlemen who
had done their duty faithfully and
been charged with no delinquency.
The act was demoralizing. 1t re-
! icctcd the claims Of loyal service. 1t
repudated the rights of rank and
precedence And all this without
| the justification Of imminent emer-
gency OF demonstrated worth.
| But there is something in Samp-
sons Santiago dispatch Of July 3
which is calculated to exhaust the
endurance of the most amiable. 1t
should be read again:
'SIBoNEY, July 3.-The fleet under my
command offers the nation as Fourth
| Of July present the destruction OF the
whole Of Ccrvera' = feet. Not one escaped.
| They attempted to escape at $50 this
morning. At 2 the last ship, the Cristo-
| bal Colon had run ashore sixty miles
| cOlOrs.
"The Maria Teresa, Oquendo, and Wis.,
caya were forced ashore, burned and
blown up within twenty miles of Santa
| go. The Furor and PlutOn were destroy
ed within four miles OF the port. Loss,
| one killed and two wounded.
'Enemy's loss probably several hun
dred from gunpowder explosions and
drowning. About 300 prisoners, in
Guiding Admiral Cervera. The man
killed was George II. Ellis, chief yeOman
| OF the Brooklyn. SAMPSON."
The fleet under my command Of
fers the nation as a Fourth of July
present the destruction of the whole
of Ccrvera's fleet"
The fleet under ..his' command!
We have often thought how easily
Admiral Sampson, had he been a man
of good feeling chivalrous instincts,
or even common tact, might have
| averted all this sinister and abomina-
bic scandal by Il few words of whole
souled generosity in connection with
that dispatch. Looking back at the
incident we can see where the whole
trouble was precipitated by this in
sensate lack of magnanimity. 1t
! would have cost Admiral Sampson
nothing to state the facts. Everybody
knew that he was ten miles distant
when it began and that he did not
reach the scene until long after it was
all over. Yet the whole country
would have applauded him-even
overlooked the blunder he made in
taking the New York away at such a
time-had he only been generous and
frank and modest. 1t was such a
simple thing to do. 1t was so OBJ
viously the proper thing to do. Put
ting it upon the lowest grounds it
would have paid SO we'll. 1t seems
to us that Sampson must be devoid
of some important attribute of man.
hood when we think of what a poor
and shabby thing that dispatch really
was.
We conscientiously believe that if
Sampson had so framed his announce
ment of the battle as to appeal to the
country's sense of justice and good
breeding, the American people would
have forgotten the absurdity and the
offensive favoritism involved in his
promotion and considered only the
chivalrous and high-minded tone OF
his proclamation. They would have
forgiven the Navy Department in
their admiration of SIMPSONS gener-
osity. But the dispatch only serves
to emphasize the original blunder.
In its very terms and temper the pub
lie read the story anew. 1t was the
unmistakable product of narrow
and mean vanity-the inspiration OF
Il little soul.