The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-15

SnellS for by examining the
hulls or the Spanish vessels. and alto
gether o a highly conspicuous. not
to say leading. part in the entire trans
action"
We lament that Lemly was really
born in North Carolina. The old state
has suffered much in the past. but this
last fact is ~lugubrious il not crushing.
But what a magnificent cripple" the
Brooklyn proved itself TO be.
The attempt to make the American
people believe that Schley is a coward
will fail completely. Facts are more
convincing that false accusations. or
opinions unsustained by events. schley
fought, won. covered himself with glo-
~. and the only man killed in the
American fleet was a yeoman standing
at his side. A certain Commander T.
NJ. Potts engaged in the business OF
defamation, n gave it as his personal
opinion. mind you, tina Schley was
"skeered" because he was excited. ner-
vous and got behind an iron shield
Until Wednesday last the navy depart
ment has been unable TO bring our any
testimony to this effect, except that OF
one yong officer, who testified that
when he delivered some dispatches to
Admiral Schley he walked up and
down the cabin" and on another occa-
sion, when another officer saw him, he
was sitting down. But it struck Potts.
and Potts unbosomed himself. The re-
port before Us states that Admiral
George Dewey, president of the court.
was evidently Initiated, as he had pre-
viously announced several times that
the court did not care for opinions from
junior officers criticizing the seniors"
This horn-blower Potts after try
ing to disgrace Schley by charging he
skulked and hid himself n so on.
finally said that his bearing "was
that of a man who was suffering under
extreme mental excitement, who a
a d~isagreeable duty to perform. per-
formed it reluctantly and tried TO get
through with it as soon as he could"
other witnesses have told quite an
other story. When Commander Hg-
ginson, now admiral of the ship Massa-
chusetts was asked to describe Admiral
Schley's n during the engagement
Captain Higginson said: Il hardly
know how to answer hat question,
except to say that his manner was that
of a commander-in-chief."
AS Captain Higginson was in the
coming tower during the %reconnois-
Commander Potts statement may be
construed to make on Admiral Schley
will apply equally to his immediate
senior officer, Captain Higginson.
The Baltimore Suns report says OF
the Potts charge: 1.-The conduct of Ad-
mira1 Schley in battle during the civil
war, as we'll as in the battle of Santa
go, utterly refutes such puny attempts
to prove that he acted like a coward
on May 31st, when the danger Of injury
from the enemy's shots was Slight"
So day by day the dirty work Of try
ing to undermine g fine, fair character
and to make him Infamous goes OIL
The conspirators are many, and it is
very probable that Secretary Long is at
the bottom of the attack. If Schley is
incompetent and a coward who won the
great fight. what must it be with Samp-
son who was ten or twelve miles away.
did not fire a shot or do any damage
to the Spaniards? Is he competent, is
he brave? When did he show either:
Cervera and h other Spanish officers
have given all credit to the gallant and
victorious Schley. THE vipers" are
evidently 'kpawing a file"