The courier., 1902-03-01


earned il, but il is inconceivable that
the President, the Secretary of War,
the admirals, and the former President
Mckinley were members of this cabal.
President Mckinley in consultation
with the Secretary of War, appointed
Admiral Sampson commander-in-chi
of the Atlantic squadron. The Presi-
dent expected to live, to complete his
term of office and to retire with the
consciousness of possessing the affec-
ton, gratitude, and respect of seventy
five million Americans. Moreover and
above all, President Mckinley had an
exacting conscience. He was generous
to his fellow man. When the police
were mauling the man who had shot
him and while his own life blood was
squirting from the wound President Nc
Kinley said, Don't let them hurt him.
Is it likely then that he would join
with others to do an injustice to a
man with the naval record and the
personal lovableness of Schley?
Notwithstanding his generosity the
President appointed Admiral Sampson
to the command of the squadron that
he hoped would capture Admiral Ger
vera's fleet because he thought him the
best man for the place. In such a
supreme decision at such moment, no
American can believe that the Presi-
dent was actuated by any other mo-
tives than those wholly based on the
welfare of the American cause.
"A war cloud was gathering from
overseas, and soon its shadow might
shroud the nation. 1t was for us n ma
tiOnal question of right and wrong.
and if the storm must break, it were
well to be prepared. The brunt would
bear first upon the weakest arm of the
service-our untried navy. The Presi-
dent called his counsellors about him
and there were long deliberations. If
war must come the ships must be put
in order and the commander in chief
appointed. The President read slowly
down the list of naval officers Finally
his finger stopped. There is the man.
he said, He should be the commander
in-chief of our provisional battle
squadron The name was far down
the list. 1t was ranked by a score but
the President said: 'Ill make him a
point" The war cloud was not coming
out of Spain. The President was not
William Mckinley, the head of a re-
publican administration, jumping
Sampson over the heads of some of
his senior captains for partisanship, or
favOritism or what else. The president
was Grover Cleveland The time was
1894. and he was jumping Sampson not
only over the heads of "A few captains,
but of nearly all of the captains. Cleve-
land then had never seen Sampson"
Condensed from The Sun of February
50
The war was averted, but when war
was actually declared against Spain
another administration was ruling this
country. But the republican President
selected the same man that the demo-
cratic President had designated as his
choice.
Sampson has never been a popular
man. He is an aristOcrat although of
very humble birth. He is pharasaical
and oratOrical where Schley is modest
and democratic. But the virtues and
faults alluded to have nothing to do
with the case. The President tried to
select the greatest naval commander
in the service and the verdict of pos
terity will doubtless ratify his judg-
ment. The weight of contemporary
judgment if not of popular judgment
is against Schley. The commanders of
all the other ships, the Secretary of