The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-12-17
Spirit of the Press.
AS THE COUNTRY SEES 1T
Washington Post.

| Washington Post.
| 1t is safe to assume that very small
| proportion of the people will trouble
| themselves to read, much less to exam
Zine carefully. the full text of the report
| in the case of Admiral Schley. There is
! only one member of the court who is
known to the American people. and to
whom the country at large will give its
| full. spontaneous confidence. Admiral
Dewey has told us that Schley did his
| duty i'll all important respects, and that
| he was. de facto, the commander of our
| feet in the battle off Santiago. That will
| satisfy ninety-nine men out of every hun
! bred. Admiral Dewey is commander
| Linaself--a winner CT battles, man of
swift ana strenuous action-he should be
a good Judge in such matters. His opin-
ion will 20 far with honest and fair
minded men,
As to the hostile report of Admirals
Ramsay and Benham, we can only repeat
what he said yesterday. morning-they
have evidently reached their conclusions
only by ignoring and discreditilg every
witness who testified in Schley's behalf
and accepting without demur the testi-
mopy of the departments witnesses. For
example, in pronouncing upon the now
famous loop, they say that by COM
mencing the engagement on July Swith
the port battery and turning the Brook
lyn around with port helm. Commodore
Schley caused her to lose distance and
position with the Spanish vessels, espe-
cially with the Viscaya and Colon" But
Capt Clark. of the Oregon, deposes to the
effect that when he emerged from the
,,,,oIyo clouds apyalopinU tho rest Of the
fleet he found the Brooklyn fighting all
four of the Spanish cruisers single hand
ed. The loop had then been executed.
and Schley, whatever his purpose may
have been. was engaged with the Span
iards at close quarters. Ramsay ana Ben
ham. who were not there, assert that
Schley ''lost distance and position by
the loop. Capt. Clark, an eyewitness,
declares that the Brooklyn was in the
middle of the fight. Moreover, the official
reports show that the Brooklyn was
struck by the enemy's shells more than
twic as many times as were all the rest
of the vessels put together, and that the
only loss of life on our side occurred on
the Brooklyn. and within few feet OF
Commodore Schley. Does any sane per-
son harbor doubt as to which of these
stories the country will believe? Is IT
conceivable that the verdict of Admiral
Ramsay and Benham will prevail as
against the sworn statements d Capt.
Clark. who was present and speaks
whereof he knows? We still insist that
Schley should institute a civil suit so as
to bring into court, to unmask, ana 10
expose the department cabal through
whose detestable Vaccinations this in
famous persecution has been exploited
MEANWHILE however, It is our hrm oplh-
ian that the whole country will accept
Dewey's estimate of Scnley, without CIV
inc a second thought to those two doubt
less worthy gentlemen-Benham and
oamsav-of whom they have never really
heard
Inst word more: We Rave found,
where we expected it, quite the meanest
and most ungentlemanly utterance that
las been provoked by the whole aohor-
rent episode-found it in the New folh
Sun:
.The curious opinion expressed
nv Admiral Dewey seems to sho"
that he still yearns to plunge into the
sea of notifies Another instance OF
The triumph of hope over experience
For three years past it has been mat
Ter of common report that some navy VI
fcer was furnishing the ideas or the III
erature or BOTH in the crusade asaihS'
schley and the apotheosis or oahpson'
Cb,d,yick and so forth. Perhaps, II the
rorort he true. Admiral Dewey may know
the name of that prince Oh oiacAsu"io''