The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-11-19
BRILLIANT PRERoHATIoN.

OF inquiry, closed his side OF the
case in three hours argument,
using the following beautiful
language in closing his able
argument
Il have now briefly presented
this case as it appears to me in
its general outline. Such trial
as this has never to my knowl-
edge taken place in the history
of the world. 1t seemed to my
mind that this case had hardly
opened with the testimony of
Captain Higginson when it com
menced to totter, and from day
to day its visionary fabric dis
solved from view. When Cap
tain Cook, their last witness, was
put on the stand. the entire
structure collapsed and it was
when the witnesses from our own
ships and the gallant captain and
crew of the Oregon and Admiral
Schley had narrated their un-
vanished tale that the whole
tenement, with all of its compart-
ments, from its foundation to its
turret, has disintegrated and lies
here like a mass of blackened
ruins.
lit has taken three years to
reveal the truth. There is not a
single word that has fallen from
the tongue of a single witness,
friend or foe, that casts the
shadow of a reflection upon the
honored name of the hero of
Santiago. He has never claimed
the glory of that day. No word
to this effect has ever gone forth
from him to the American people.
The valiant Cook, the heroic
Clark, the lamented Philip. the
intrepid and undaunted Vain
wright. and all the other cap
tains, and every man at every
gun and every soul on board of
every ship, are equal participants
with Admiral Schley in the hon
or wrought upon that immortal
day.
1--WE cannot strike down his
figure standing upon the bridge
of the Brooklyn. There he
stands, his ship almost alone and
receiving the entire fire until the
Oregon, as if on wings of light
ming, sped on to the thickness of
the mortal carnage.
f" God bless the Oregon ? was
the cheer that rang from deck to
deck, and on they went, twin
brothers in the chase, until the
lee gun was fired from the Girls
tobal Colon and the despotic col
ors of Spain were swept from
the face of her ancient possess
ions.
i" We'll done; congratulate you
on the victory was the streamer
that was bent from the halyard
of the Brooklyn, and from that
day to this no man has ever heard
from Admiral Schley the slight
est whisper or intimation that he
usurped the glory of that imper-
ishable hour.
1.-The thunders of the Brooklyn
as she trembled on the waves
have been discordant music to
the ears of envious foes. but
they have pierced with a ringing
melody the ears of his country
men and struck responsive
chord at the tireside of every
American home. And what is
more than all which has been
revealed in this case, as match
less as is his courage an d as un-
sullied as is his honor. in his
beautiful character and the gen.
erous spirit that aniInates his
soul and the forgiving heart that
beats within his bosom.
"Yes, we cannot strike him
down. Erect he stands as the
McGregor when he stepped on
his native heath and his eye was
on the peak Ben Lomond. His
country does not want to strike
him down nor cast blur on the
pure escutcheon of his honored
name.
For three long years he has
suffered, and now. thank God.
the hour of his vindication has
come. With composure, with
resignation, with supreme and
unfaltering fortitude. he awaits
the judgment of this illustrious
tribunal, and when that deliver
ance comes, he can, from the
high and exalted position that he
occupies, look down upon his
traducers and maligners and
with exultant pride, exclaim: 1
care not for the venomonous
gossip of clubs and drawing
rooms and cliques and cabals and
the poisoned shafts of envy and
malice. I await, under the guild
apco of Divina Providanep the