The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-09-03

an unfortunate affair. We believe there
was plenty Of glory for all concerned.
The, fact that a junior man was placed
in command above his seniors is respon-
sible for the whole business. Sampson
was a captain and the seventeenth
ranking officer Of the nav No one
ever thought OF him as the successor
OF Admiral Sicard, and I don't believe
he ever thought Of IL himself, but he
was familiar to the people at Washing
ton and they decided to place him in
command.
"Of course the officers who outranked
him did not like 1t"
1t was an outrage and offence and
the complete failure OF the tyIo in war
was a good thing for the country.
There was never so much attributed
to one man for SO little performance as
sixteen better men. a just man
must despise the %iniquIty. AS Prince
Hal said of Falstaf's eating account:
But one-half pennys worth Of bread
to this intolerable deal OF sack" SO it
is with the praise Of syCopbants %
Sampson as compared with what he
did.
When one not in the navy or in IN
way converted with ii, is assured that
naval men give Sampson the credit for
the victory Of Santiago. 1t is enough
to make him lose all confidence IN naval
men. Suppose the battle of Trafalgar
were given to some British captain
who did not fire a gun in that greatest
of all naval conflicts, and who was ten
or twenty miles away, would the Brit
ish people now tolerate the injustice
in robbing Lord Nelson? If hat were
done all British naval battles would
have to be rewritten.
1t is stated as a fact hat at Atlantic
City recently a vote vas taken as to
who was really the hero at Santiago?
The result was so for Sampson, and
S.147 for Schley. That represents the
people at large we may not doubt.
The bearing Of Rear Admiral Schley
spect, magnanimous. noble. He has
never stood at the footlights saying to
gaping thousands or millions, Behold
me. / am the hero of Santiago. 1 did
it, and but for me no victory would
have been won." That is not the bear
ing of a highly meritorious and gener-
Gus hero. Read this from the Balti-
more Suns editorial of the 26th:
ION the contrary. Admiral Schley has
borne himself with a modesty which is
as unusual as it is admirable. 1t vas
Schley who signaled Sampson when
the battle was won that there was
srlArx- aY,Nrrr1 f4r oil Il u-nE Cahlnr-
who, in his official report TO Sampson,
wrote with extraordinary masnanimity:
L congratulate you most sincerely on
this great victory to the squadron I'M
der your command, and I am glad that
/ had the opportunity to contribute in
the least to a victory that seems big
enough for us ALL The spirit displayed
by Admiral Schley should have met
with a prompt and hearty response from
the Admiral commanding the fleet. In
fortunately for the reputation of the
navy from the day the battle of SAN
tiago was fought to the present time
Admiral Schley has been the target for
defamation and d~isparagment. In the
name and for the vindication of the
principle of seniority the officer
whose ship was in the thlCkest Of the
battle, the man who led the way to
the most brilliant victory in the annals
of the navy, has been shamefully and
persistently m~aligned."
If ample. free, true. justice is not
done the American people should speak
in a manner not to be misunderstood.
Wrong is wrong and should be righted.
To put the brand upon the really great
est and most modest naval hero of his
native land is too i~gnominious and in
famous and cowardly TO be borne by a
just and appreciative people. May it
turn out for Sampson:
He digged a pit
He digged it deep.
He digged it for his brother;
But to punish his sin.
He did fall in,
The pit he digged for totner.'