The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-13
THE NAVAL COURT OF INQUIRY.

THE NAVAL COURT OF INQUIRY.
The naval court Of inquiry which con-
vened at Washington yesterday will figure
cOnspicuously in future American history
not only on account of the issues involved,
but Of the professional standing Of the
main parties to the controversy and the
personnel of the court. 1t is the first time,
and 1t is to be hoped 1t may be the last.
that court consisting Of the admiral of
the navy and two rear admirals has been
ordered to investigate and decide con-
troversy involving the professional reputa-
ton of two other admirals. and to some
tent the honor of the navy. The latter
statement is true only In the sense that
any controversy concerning the apportion-
ment of credit for so brilliant a naval ex-
plot as the destruction of the Spanish feet
at Santiago-an exploit that caused the
world to ring with praises of the American
navy for second time within two months
does to some extent mar the brilliancy of
the victory and the traditional honor of
the navy itself. 1t is almost as IL a con-
troversy had arisen relative to the dis
tribution of prize money among the vic
tors, a point. by the way. which nobody
thought of raising. and which was decided
strictly lines of official precedence. 1t is
due. however, to both Admirals Sampson
and Schley to say there is no reason to be-
lieve that either of them is responsible for
the controversy which has been waged
in their names They are both men of
honor and too thoroughly imbued with the
traditions Of the navy to raise or foment
a controversy even remotely affecting its
honor. They have both been the victims
OF unwise and superserviceable friends, and
Admiral Schley more recently of an out
rageous personal attack by a so-called
historian who was evidently more DESTROYS
Of creating a sensation than he was of
stating the exact truth or doing impartial
justice. The original controversy had near
~ died out, and would have done so COM
pletely had it not been revived by the un-
called for and brutal attack of Maclay
on Admiral Schley. compelling him either
to demand a court of inquiry or to go into
history with a stigma which no man of
honor could afford to rest under.
From the beginning of the controversy
the Journal has believed that both Samp-
son and Schley did their entire duty as they
saw it at the time. and that both are equal
ly entitled TO the admiration and thanks
of their countrymen for the part they bore
I'm one OF the most brilliant naval cam
paigns OF history. 1t has thought. further,
that in accordance with legal and naval
ethics the first reward in the way of pro-
motion was due to Admiral Sampson, who
was the ranking officer. the COMMANDMENTS
chief of all our ships in West Indian waters
during the war, the planner of the San
tiago campaign and the supervisor of all
its details. The next highest reward was
due TO Schley. who undoubtedly led in the
battle off Santiago. in which, owing TO an
accident. Admiral Sampson was not active
ly engaged. This was the view taken by
the Navy Department and also by the
Court of Claims at Washington, which. IN
distributing the total prize money of 1885,
200, awarded 1856 TO Sampson and about
s3,W0 to Schley. This was not because
Schley had not done his duty as thoroughly
as Sampson. but because the latter was the
rise above the atmosphere of personal
pique and partisanship that characterized
the action of Congress and will decide the
questions submitted to it i'm strict accord
ance with naval law, ethics and precedents
The Journal believes it will find that both
officers did their entire duty. and that if a
mistake was made by either at any stage
OF the campaign it was a mistake of judg-
ment pardOnable under the circumstances
1t is not believed the court will discover
any ground for consuming either officer
much less that it will discover any evidence
10 sustain the outrageous charges made
by Maclay. The finding of the court ought
TO put an end to a controversy that has
been demoralizing to the discipline of the
navy.