Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-08-14
AN INSULT TO THE NATION.


officers to the list Of retired.
We have no tears to shed over Gen.
Miles at any time or any place. wei
look upon his treatment of Mr.. Jeffer-
son Davis when in Fortress Monroe as
a prisoner, as unjustifiable and cruel.
But Gen. Miles has been a good SOL
der, he has braved death many times,
and has won honor and distinction
which cannot now be taken away.
When q commander in chief of our
army is retired it is customary, and
decency requires that he should be
passed from his position of activity to
the position of inactivity with at least
those polite forms which have been
customary, and which official gentility
have always dictated, and not be kick
ed like dog from doorstep into the
street.
This the country demands univer-
sally, this was demanded in Gen. Miles
case by many circumstances beyond
those considerations of courtesy to a
man who has a long and honorable
record, and who has by.h conduct on
the field of battle and In the camp won
the position he holds at the head OF the
army of the United States. Gen Miles
was fighter, he has seen war, he has
been where death was all about him,
and mems souls were tried. He Is of
the real and not the tin soldier variety,
he has stood amidst carnage beside
which San Juan Hill was as pop
cracker to the roar of an earthuuake.
Gen. Miles, however, was retired the
other day from his exalted position
without word of commentator from
the President in the official order
which retired him. Why was this
Was it because he had blackened bis
military career by the commission OF
some crime3 No. Was it because Gen
Miles had failed in any military duty
assigned him or should for military
misconduct be otherwise disgraced
Not at all. Why then was he booted
from his position as cOmmander-in
chief much as we have said dog il
kicked from dOUrstep2 Because b.
chose to differ with the administrator
on certain questions of policy and be
cause be condemned some of the con
duct of the Spanish-American wal
This was his crime, and this is why
brave soldier has been selected as th
object of political vengeance. and par
tisan malignity. Who is there who ha
not condemned the conduct of tn
Spanish war? No one. unless he be
blind partisan. Seeing the graft
that has grown in the +. y. Depart
ment under the last two adminlstra
tions, who is there who does not be
!, lieve that the War and Navy DE-
partments have likewise been honey
combed with fraud and corruption
!. though possibly better concealed?
The action Of the President in thi
case is without excuse or apology, an
1--we believe without parallel. 1t is a
insult to the great army of Volunteer
!. who fought in the civil war, and bu
!. for whom the present geography of til
United States would be vastly chang
ed. They will feel that the insul
!, offered Gen. Miles Is an insult t
them, and that such treatment woul
never have been accorded a Yves
:, Pointer.
The whole affair is q national dis
grace and emphasizes what we hav
always said of Mr.. Roosevelt that h
imagines himself the nation, that b
thinks he is supreme, and that no mai
ter how neritorius the person if b
has incurred kingly displeasure b
must suffer the penalty of officis
disgrace.
i We have. as we say. no tears to she
for Gen. Miles. Our tears are for GU
country. We weep because we have a
our head man who has no sense G
decency either when dealing with of
cial matters, or when selecting assoc
ates about his table. The natio
should put on sack cloth and ashes
for surely we are to be pitied.