The sun., 1901-07-24
schley, Maclsy and the Facts.

Whatever Mr. MAcIAY's rank a his
torian. are his statements concerning
Admiral SCHl.sY excusablel
ITO rnR EDITOR or THs suN-sr: A. reader
u THB Sun BEG 10 comment on your editorial Of .
Nv aAys since In which you wrots Of MAcLAY's
snsignnent Of Admiral ScHLEy. commencing and
even exceeding his statements. MAcLAy does not
lssssvs 70 b quoted as the greatest living Ameri.
"a hisusan bscause Of hls few volumes the Navy.
bus even Il h we're. are his violent statements the
ness sxessabiei They are but his PERSONAL visvs.
~ sAassd BY many authorities and lmplisdly contra
Gg(pd N lot, by the Administrator. who not only
hss not given scMLBy any ground for asking court
Of inquiry but have promoted him even ahead OF his
Supposed superior ss Santiago.
sb bst TIE Government the hnAi arbitsr In such
matters and should not their distinguished approval
sssabiish ones profe ssionai standingt
"Ths majority cannot forget. when reading Of
scHtsy's covardlce. inefnelency and general un
trusxorthinsas that he selected 10 al position
Of great trust In spite Of personal unpopuiaty. that
his ship received nre than any at Santiago.
that b. occupied the bridge during the engagement
and led the Oregon a the way In chasing the Colon
and that the face OF bitter attacks he has been
oc1caIly commended and promoted. WIN you favor
many who sGrce with thess views By an answer 70
shsmf RANDOLPH MANNERS.
NEW YoEK. July -
We reply to Mr.. MANNERS that no one
can read the ofYlcial records Of tho Navy
without concluding that Mr.. MAcIAr's
criticisms are more than justified. Wo
know Of no authority who can con-
trovert those records.
Mr. MANNERS thinks that Mr.. MAcLAY
b -impliedly contradicted IN toto by the
Administration" and that II has not given
6cHLEY any ground for asking for court
Of inquiry" but has promoted him even
ahead Of his supposed superior at Santiago
A. q matter Of fact nslther SAMPSON nor
eczLnY has been promoted. Tho Admins
trat.nn pnopnaAd tn pre.~ets them both.
6ANPsoN in . greater degree than SCHLxY;
but the Senate failed to approve.
II IL true that the Government. holding
to its nrst impulse. has proposed with one
hand to reward SCHLEY instead Of court
martialling him. and with the other has
cot down, evon intelhgently and point
edly. damning facts. which make Of the
situation as it stands a scandal scarcely
less repulsive than would have been
the federation Of Capt OBERLIN H. CAR
Ten. He embezzled. SCHLKY. apart
from his military transgressions as an
officer. has virtually lied. an offence that
befouh tho American Nays good name.
But deplorable as the Governments action
d, It does not alter the quality Of SoHrEY.
or the relation Of such an oficer to the
naval service
Mr.. MANNERS is wrong however. In say
Ing that 1t has given ScHLBY no ground
for demanding a court Of inquiry. We
venture to say that there 10 not another
officer In the United States Navy-and we
would not presume to accuse any other
navy Of containing one-who, after the
report Of the Secretary Of the Navy Of Nov
Is, 1893. or Secretary LoNo's letter to
the Senate OF Feb. 8, 1890, or Secretary
LoNos letter to the Senate Of March
Of the Navy from Capt. CHADWICK.
countersigned by Lieut.. HoDosoN. would
not have demanded instantly court Of
inquiry. In those documents. besides the
evidence OF incompetence as a oom-
mander. Is the suggestion Of cowardice
and the conclusive proof Of fraud. That
scHLEY wears his uniform to-day is the
greater misfortune. therefore. but evil
IDENTIFY he would rather wear 1t with the
smirch Of dishonor on it than run the
risk Of formal investigation Mr..
MAcIAY's history practically gives ScHLEY
the lie by rejecting the story he caused
to be put out in the name Of HoDosoN
about the reasons for the Brooklyn's loop.
ScHLxY's en- tire prominence in con-
Dection with Santiago Is due to his being
on board the Brooklyn while SAMPSON
had accidentally moved out OF gunfre
But every Captain at Santiago know
and felt that SAMPSON was his Comman-
der. and has never failed to recognize
him rs such. The number OF times the
Brooklyn was hit and her keeping ahead Of
the Oregon in chasing the Colon do not
touch a single one Of the issues raised re-
gnrding ScHLEY.