The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-07
R OF SUBSCRIPTION.
sCHLEY's MODEsTY-A STRONG
POINT ADDED.

Rear Admiral Schley has been great
sy honored in the south and most de-
seTvedly. Everywhere he has gone a
grand ovation has awaited him. His
modesty and good humor have been
most conspicuous. So well has he borne
himself always, in battle. before battle
and after battle. he has been unstinted-
Iy admired and commended. All dur
ing his most extraordinary ordeal of
CtloQuy. SANDER persecution n prose
cutIon through which he a passed
nj: bearing was manly, digniied. Sc
rene. most becoming and -erked
When he lately visited Chicago his re-
Ception was most enthusiastic and ap-
<IOpriate. So well did he conduct him
self that a leading daily. the Record
Herald made 1t the theme of an edi-
forial. 1t was very cordial and approx
ing and began in this wise:
1T takes a man with admirable self
control or with a positive genius for
tGciturnity to face such a Commandment
nc has welcomed Admiral Schley to
Chicago without making an ass of him.
self. That he has stood the ordeal
$500 49, AAo ~ PNN 1890 AONN "a
his lips is the best proof that he pos
sesses a level head. Nothing that h
ever did throughout his long n hon
oraDle career in the navy SO rebounds
10 Admiral Schley's CT edit as his bear
inS in the midst OF the vociferous
eUiogies OF the admiring l~andlubbers of
Chicago"
The rear admiral has been often
mentioned in connection with high po-
litIcal office. This modest. meritorious
man has said decisively that nder nc
circumstances will he accept political
office or be a seeker after it. AT Chi
csgo the Record-Heraid bears witness
that this great hero throughout the
varied utterances of the day" when
he was called OF to acknowledge the
warmth Of his reception. spoke no word
expressed no sentiment that was cal
culated to monopolize to himself an
Undue share in the spectacular d~estruc-l
ton OF the maritime Dower of Spain att
Santiago"
1t is a very great pity, shame andI
disgrace to the navy that such a truel
manly modest hero was ever warredl
UPON by jealous incornpetents and in
geniouS liars to destroy one of the fair
est n highest Of American Names
We are glad to see Colonel Bryan inl
his paper writing so aIpreciatively andI
plainly about this most lamentable all
fair. this outrage upon a noble man.,
as modest as he is great. We copy:
"It is indeed a very great pity thatI
there should be any controversy over
n matter wherein the world has g1venl
credit where credit belongs. 1t is in
deed a pity that there should be anyl
: controversy that seeks to discredit al
brave, honorable ana modest sea-
fighter. who successfully led the Amer
lean forces in one of the greatest, if mott
the greatest. v battles in the his
tory of the world. 1t IS indeed a veryl
great pity that the politicians and thel
6ureaucrats having the favor of thisl
administration should insist upon dis-i
crediting and abusing a man who has
served his country so faithfully as Win
field Scott Schley has served the Unit
ed States of America"
Let US mention here one phase of this
dirty inquiry business that has not
been dwelt upon as it deserves to be. I'M
April 1899. it is a fact. that the con-
duct of then Commodore Schley "wasI
finally and legally determined" bv the
navy department itself Yet over two
years later. as a writer in the February
number of the New York monthly, 'Thel
Forum" states. this settlement IN 1899.
Was ignored. and this very depart
r1ent. partisan, menia and mean. for
mulated a reverse indictment against
him. in which eight distinct phases of
ms conduct during the war with Spain
embracing the whole range of alleged
shortcomings specified by h secretary
CT the nav in his letter OF FebruaryI
G. 1899. to the president OF the senate
are characterized as Established mat.
ters." Was the action of the deoart-
nIent in transmitting uch a grant oil
authority to the court of inquiry legal?"I
The author goes into an argument inl
which we do not attempt to follow
Bu at the start he raises a point that
should shock the blatherskite Long and
make his indorsers crawl into a holeI
and remain there. He saws:
The determination by the examin-I
ing board in April. 1893. of any n of
the eight distinct phases of COMMODORE
Schley's conduct. as defined in the pre-
cSpt as established matters" in a de-
cislon adverse to him would have ne
cessitated his arraignment before al
court-martial and then. had they beer
-supstantiated. the verdict could easily
have been for his dismissal from the
service. In one instance, an adverse
determination would have meant the
infiiction of the death penalty"
But that was not attempted. So fal
from the declarations of that examin-
ing board being established matters
as it proclaimed in 1901 when it began
SIS war. it is clear as daylight that this
Sas an after thought, pure and sim
.,le. mt grew out of malignity and
Eillainy. The writer quoted from says
ina it is clearly proved that they
we're not only not established matters
but were deemed by a board of COM
petent jurisdiction to have no exis-
tence. since IL they had existed Conn.,
nodore Schley's promotion to higher