The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-02-20

skill and courage. The court could have
considered beth those questions, hut as
matter of fact 1t unanimously excluded ey'
idence offered upon them and through IT'S
president announced its refusal TO hear Ad-
mlral Sampson's side AT all and, in view
Of such exclusion. the majority Of the court
acted with entire propnety In not express
inc amy opinion on these points The mat
ter has, however. been raised by the
president Of the court. Moreover, 1t is the
point upon which Admiral Schley IN bis
apreaI laws most stress and which he eS-
pcrlally asks M to consider. have,
therefore. carefully investigated this mat
ter also and dave Informed myself upon it
from the best sources OF Information at my
command.
The appeal 81 Admiral schley to me IS not
as to this. The chief point he raises is
really nm appeal from the decision Of the
court OF inquiry. Five sixths Of the appeal
is devoted to this question of command and
credit; that is, "a matter which the court
OF inquiry did not consider. IL is In et-
feet an appeal from the action Of President
Mckinley three years ago when he sent In
ina recommendations for the various ofhc-
ers connected with the Santiago squadron,
hasmg these recommendations upon his cs'
innate of tho credit to which the officers
were respectively entitled.
| WHAT HAVE TO DECIDE rHERE'
! FORE. IS WHETHER OR NOT
! PRESIDENT M'KlNLEY DID INJUSTICE
IN THE MATTER.
This necessarily Involves a comparison OF
the actions Of 4hc different commanders on
Gagged. The exhaustive official reports 81
tho action leave little to he brought ou'
auoyy. hut the question Of Admiral Sanp
! sons right 10 he considered in chief com
mand. which was determined In his favoI
lax President Mckinley and later by the
! coprt Of claims. has never hitherto beer
officially raised. | deemed ii best TO secnr'
statemerts OF the commanders of the hv'
shins lotbcr than the Brooklyn and NeN
York the hacshins Of the two admiral9
which were actively engaged In the hght
Admiral Philip Is dead, | quote extract
rom ME magazine article on the light
,,r,tten Immediately after II occurred, clos
Linz with an extract from his letter to IN
secretary of the navy of February p. 1888
III was the blockade that made the bat
flo nossible, THE battle was n direct con
sentence Of the blockade, and upon III
method and effectiveness of the blockad
very lhIkf4A NNiNHH'''+N
the battle. 60.
"Under the orders Of Admiral sampso
,be blockade was conducted with succe'
exenpllned by the result. When the spar
. ism admiral at last made his dash 10 r
cane we were ready-ready with our me-
Win our guns and with our engines
1T was only a few minutes after we ma
seen tho leader Of the advancing 'quaut'
maj II became apparent that ceryera'S pa
! was to run his ships In column westward
su effort to escape Before he h9d iaif
found himself outside the MORO the ehtl
| tlockadlne squadron indiana orego
Iowa. Brooklyn and Texas-was pumpil
sben into him at such a rate as virtual
| 10 decide the issue Of the battle In the III
few moments All our ships had closen
simultaneously Then occurred the lhc'ue
= which caused me for a moment more slai
than anything Ceryers did that DAY ~
denly NhiH Of breeze and iull IN
a,ing HIRED the pail AID there bearing
ward Ms ard across ~ bows and Ff'
clouds Of black smoke pflrlng from her u
nsiA. was the BFeekl5 al she hexed