The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-08-30
Why the People are for Schley


mark able conflict between public
and official opinion on the merits
of what is known as the .'Samp-
son Schley controversy" On the
authority OF an officer of the Navy
Department it is alleged that
while the people are almost sol.
idly for Schley, officers of the
navy are almost unanimously OPP
posed to him. Recently a poll
was taken at Atlantic City on
the question '|Who was the hero
of Santiago" One hundred and
fifty persons accorded that honor
to Admiral Sampson, while S,147
declared Admiral Schley entitled
to that distinction. That the
feeling in army and navy circles, "
observes the Posts correspondent,
"should he so generally the other
way shows how different a notion
of responsibility the regular Of
ficerS of the service cherish from
that held by the crowd at large
According to an army officer who
undertakes to explain this point
"seniority is the key to the the
DRY of responsibility" For in
stance, after Funston had cap
tured Aguinaldo General Mac
Arthur would have had a perfect
right to cable to Washington
The troops under my command
have captured Aguinaldo, and |
send him as a WaShington's Birth.
day present to the nation Mac
Arthur was in command; he was
responsible for everything that
went on there, just as you remem-
Der William Henry Harrison'S
famous dispatch. We have met
the enemy and they are ours re.
terring particularly to Perry's
victory on Lake Erie.
Officially as army men we all say
that Sampson had a perfect right
to claim the victory of Santiago
as his own. and that seems to be
the issue as his own.
This sort ofreaSoning, although
1t may be technically sound from
the standpoint Of the Amy and
Navy Department. is not con
vincing. General Macarthur did
not attempt to appropriate tC
himself any of the glory which
may have attached to FunSton's
capture of the Filipino chieftain.
On the contrary, the General
gave to the Kansas soldier full
credit for his achievement. He
did not, under the cloak of "sen-
lority," claim the honor of an ex.
plot for which his subordinate
was responsible. Evidently Gen.
eral Macarthur is not warrior
who is willing to acquire fame
through the achievements OF
other men. AS for the battle OF
Lake Erie, nobody ever connects
the name of General William
Henry Harrison with that famous
victory. 1t was Perry'S triumph,
and as long as the annals Of the
navy are preserved men will be
proud of the gallant sailors vic
tory over the British squadron
a victory which at a critical time
established American naval su.
premacy on Lake Erie. 1t was
Perry who sent to Harrison that
famous dispatch" We have met
the enemy and they are ours
two ships, two briggs, one sloop
and one schooner" 1t was Perry
who won this fight after nearly
every officer aud sailor on his
flagship, the Lawrence, had been
disabled and his ship had been
so battered by the enemy's fleet
that the American commander
had to transfer his flag to another
vessel. General Harrison never
claimed that brilliant victory as
his own. He was not the kind of
a man to appropriate another's
laurels-even if he had been
privileged to do so by "seniority."
He was no more entitled to the
glory of Perry's victory over the
British in Lake Erie than General
Miles was entitled to take to him.
self the credit for Dewey's tri.
umph over the Spanish fleet at
Manila.
Why are the people for Schley,
as the naval of1ic quoted by the
Post says they are, and as every
body who has sounded public
opinion long ago discovered! 1t
is not because he has made any
pretentions to be the 'hero of
Santiago" or that he has claimed
all the credit for the victory in a
fight which has been aptly de
scribed as a "Captain's fight"
On the contrary, Admiral Schley
has borne himself with a modesty
which is as unusual as it is adj.
mirable. 1t was Schley who sig
nailed Sampson when the battle
was won that there was ''glory
enough for us ALL" 1t wa
Schley, who in his official re-.