The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-12-27

made accusations against him, which
the Court of Inquiry failed to con-
firm, namely, that he was guilty of
conduct seriously rejecting upon his
courage. In disposing ofthe findings
of the Court in the Schley case the
President acted with view to end
ing all further discussion ofquestions
by officers of the Navy Department
and to prevent the rcopening of the
case in any shape.
Secretary Long signed the majority
report of the Court of Inquiry which
thus confirms it. His approval dis
missed the petition of counsel for Adj
miral Sampson in regard to the de-
partments receiving Admiral Dewey's
views as to who was in command at
the battle Of Santiago.
The exact text of the important
parts of the Secretary's ruling is as
follows:
"And after careful consideration
the findings of fact and the opinion
of the full Court are approved, as to
the points on which the presiding
member admiral Dewey differs
from the opinion Of the majority OF
the Court, the opinion of the MAORI
ty is approved.
Gas to the further expression ofhis
views by the same member with re-
gard to the questions of command
On the morning of July 3rd, 1898,
and of the title to credit for the en-.
suing victory, the conduct of the
Court in making no finding and
rendering no opinion on these ques-
tionsis approved; indeed it could with
propriety take no other course, evil
dence on these questions during the
enquiry having been excluded by the
Court. The Department approves
the recommendation of the Court
that no further proceedings be had
in the premises.
The matter is treated in an editorial
in the Baltimore Sun in the light with
which We think the whole country
views the recent developments, which
criticises the ridiculous manner in
which the officials who never "smelt
powder" have set themselves up as
censors over some of the bravest men
that our country ever produced. 1t
says in part:
"The officer of the most exalted rank
i'll the navy and the officer ofhighest
rank in the army have fallen upon
evil days and incurred the displeasure
of their bureau chiefs. Admiral
Dewey, an innocent, unsophisticated
sailor, rashly expressed the opinion
as president of the Naval Court of In
quiry that the officer in command at
Santiago was the man on the spot
when the battle was raging, and not
the absentee at Siboney, who was
far beyond the range of the biggest
guns in the Spanish fleet. That
seasoned veteran ofmany wars, Hon.
John D. Long; Secretary ofthe Navy,
who knows more about sea fighting
than a dozen victors at Manila bay,
has "rebuked" the admiral of the
navy in his best Bostonian style,
Dewey, it appears, is ignorant of the
properties. 1t was wholly irrele-
want for him to say that a man could
not be in two places at the same time
and therefore as Sampson was at
Siboney he could not possibly be at
Santiago. People not in the service
of the United State Navy may enter
tain such absurd notions, but the
admiral of the navy must subscribe
without murmur to Navy Depart
ment logic. So Dewey is "rebuked"
in Mr. Longs cultured style. Really,
this is more terrible than fighting
Spaniards.
While Mr. Long was expressing his
dissent from the views of the admiral
of the navy, Secretary of War Root
was roasting" Lieutenant-General
Miles in the most approved fashion.
The acknowledgement of the army
was adjudged guilty by Secretary
Root "of violation of the Articles of
War and the rules of official pro-
priety." General Miles, it appears,
approval of Admiral
Dewey's opinion, and intimated that
it reflected the sentiment of the coun-
try. "you had no business in the
controversy" writes Mr.. Root to the
General in his severest and most i'm
pressive style. "You had no right,
holding the office which you did, to
express any opinion You are
Justly liable to censure, which 1 now
express" So tt .eneral ofthe army
is ruthlessly brusn,.d aside and made
to know his place by his official su-
perior. According to the stern and
nfexible etiquette Of the War De-
pertinent, Acknowledgements, like
the little boys in model households,
must be seen and not heard. Ifl
General Miles has any opinions on
subjects of national interest he must
not dare to utter them aloud or in
he presence of anyone except HIM
self. The Articles of War for bid him
% take anyone into his confidence.
So Miles is reprimanded and must
hide his head in shame.
Even the pigmy in this celebrated