The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-10-30
CLARK AND SCHLEY.

One must feel that the testimony of
Captain Clark and Admiral Schey, on
the subjects of the inquiry now in pro-
gress at Washington, should be conclu-
slve OF the whole matter in dispute if, in
| deed, their evidence was needed to bring
an impartial mind to the conclusion that
the later course of the navy department
towards Admiral Schley has been a piece
of monstrous and outrageous injustice
The government had not made out its
case by its own witnesses. 1t had signal
ly failed to sustain the slightest of the
abominable charges or destinations made
by the navy department, directly or
through its favorites or satellites The
course of the inquiry has been an i'm
parchment of all concerned officially in
the direct management of the West Indi-
an campaign.
The navy departments on the defen-
sive. No matter what the three members
OF the court of inquiry may declare, the
American people will never go back" on
the officer whom their government sent
to sea, on Il nilsson of greatest imDOr-
lance, to find and confront the perls of
conflict single handed, with the formula
BILE Spanish division, in command of a
Flying squadron" that could not fly.
without coal enough for a short coastng
cruise, without knowledge as to the ar
engagements made for information from
friendly sources on a hostile coast, who
first definitely located Cervera's fleet and
held 1T ENDURANCE till help arrived, en-
gagged, alone, in the battle of July 3, the
main force of the Spaniards, outran all
his comrades in the pursuit and attack till
joined in his grim solitude by the Oregon
and its gallant captain, when the two
kindred and cooperating spirits, the gem
fuses OF the unwonted storm of iron and
exploding projectives, brought the chase
ana the battle to its glorious elimination.
The rare, comradery of Clark and
Schley in their pursuit of the fleeing quar-
tette of Spanish terrors, as shown by the
evidence of Captain Clark and of Admiral
Schley, is about the only relieving feature
of the inquiry. The signals of gallant
courtesy and good cheer these knights of
the sea sent each other over the waters
throguh the din and smoke of that great
combat, were echoes from the time of
chivalry, and these generous interchanges
mad their lifting complement on the deck
OF the New York after the battle, as set
forth by the following colloquy, in the ex-
animation of Captain Clark by Mr.. Ray
ner:
did you see the commodore on the day
OF the battle of July 3?
Yes, sir"
"will you kindly state where and when
you saw him?n
After the New York came up. after the
surrender of the Colon"
Was any conversation held between YOU
and the commodore on board the New
York;"
"A Spanish battleship was reported bv
Captain Eaton of the Resolute. She had
arrived off Santiago, and think he said
ne had been pursued by her. The admiral
dId not seem TO be impressed by that.
lie seemed incredulous, but | remarked
that it must be Camara's fleet; that they |
mad arrived there to form junction with |
Ceveras fleet, but they had arrived too /
late. The admiral did not assent Finally I
ne SAID; Wen, Clark, you will have to go !
after that ship and believing as did that |
there was really IA Spanish vessel there, | ,
said; Admiral in war we ought to over
power the enemy if possible why could
not the Brooklyn go along? He turned |
and said: Certainly, Schley; You go also
then felt that had perhaps assumed too
much IN speaking too an admiral and sug-
costing that commodore also accompany
me. turned to the commodore and said
Commodore, we have knocked out sew
eral vessels this morning; we can another
can't wer He said Certainly, we can
Come on
He then started over the side and
started after him for my boat on the