sues of the day and bade fair to play a prominent part in the forthcoming presidential election. During the progress of the war party lines were eliminated, and Democrats and Republicans joined in promoting the success of American arms. As soon as peace was declared, however, the lines of cleavage reasserted themselves, and again the party of Jefferson declared for a return to old and safer policies; the Republicans maintaining, in opposition, the principle that America could not avoid her destiny and that her duty was to carry her ideals of liberty to far-off seas, even to the mother nations of the world.

The close of the war and the return of those who had so signally distinguished themselves was the signal for an outbreak of enthusiasm almost beyond comprehension. Every city or community that had sent a hero to the front gave him a home-coming welcome that at times narrowly escaped hysteria. The extravagance of the admiring throng, so unrestrained, led to situations involving the object of their adulation that at times were little short of ridiculous, and, perhaps, to those without the saving grace of humor became a source of bitterness when the popular reaction set in.

The climax to this season of national exultation was the celebration in honor of the return of Admiral Dewey, held at New York, September 28, 1899. It was a revival of the ancient Roman triumph on a scale and

201

with a theater that transcended even Rome. In every situation in which Admiral Dewey found himself he had acted with such skill, tact and bravery that he became to the American people in a sense the symbol of the American spirit in its new mission in world affairs. Honors in the fullest measure had already come to him, Congress having appointed him rearadmiral immediately after the victory at Manila, and on March 2, 1899, the highest naval honor in the gift of the country was awarded him by an act of Congress reviving the dormant rank of admiral of the navy and appointing him to the same. He was the third to attain this recognition, Farragut and Porter being the other two. This unusual official testimonial of national gratitude was, however, excelled by the ovations made him by the people of the United States. His return to America was the signal for a series of fêtes that extended from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The most magnificent of these was the celebration at New York City, May 29-30. During these days the victorious admiral was the guest of the city, the lavishness of whose display amazed the world. There were two monster parades; the first on the water, with the beautiful Hudson river as the setting, the other through the streets of the city. A magnificent triumphal arch was erected at Madison Square, through which the thousands of marchers passed. Later, as a further testimonial of the nation's respect, he was presented with a residence in

Washington, the money for its purchase being raised by popular subscription.

The welcome accorded Admiral Dewey was extended in a degree almost as enthusiastic to Schley, Sampson, Miles, Roosevelt, Hobson, Wheeler, and many others who had served their country with such signal results. In the midst, however, of these strains of national congratulation, notes occurred here and there that were not so sweet to the ears of

a

American people. It was known during the progress of the Santiago campaign that there was friction, perhaps abuses, in the administrative bureaus of the war department, resulting in faulty transport service and inferior commissary supplies. These reports were, in sense, corroborated by the returning soldiers. The scandal, however, was brought to an acute stage by the accusations of Major-General Miles, who maintained that the Beef Trust had provided the army with meat that was not only unpalatable, but positively injurious, owing to the chemicals with which it was treated. The term embalmed beef" became a commonplace with the public, and so strong finally became the popular feeling that President McKinley was impelled to designate a commission (December, 1899) to inquire into the conduct of the war. The testimony presented justified many of the accusations, but powerful agencies were at work to hush up the affair and the result was a non-committal report by

the commission.* An unfortunate side-issue of the agitation was the controversy between General Miles and Commissary-General Eagan, in which the latter so lost his sense of personal dignity as to write a scurrilous letter to General Miles which led to his suspension from the army. Of another type, yet equally distressing, was the quarrel between the adherents of Admirals Sampson and Schley, which for a while divided the entire nation into two factions and eventually forced the latter to call for a naval court of inquiry. Admirals Dewey, Ramsay and Benham were detailed to perform the unpleasant task of passing upon questions involving the honor and courage of a brother officer of equal rank. The decision rendered December 13, 1900, was unfavorable, although the court declined to pass on Schley's alleged disobedience of orders on the ground that the action of the administration in failing to discipline him at the time, and, in addition, of raising him to the rank of rear-admiral, had condoned any offense that may have been committed. They, however, reported that Schley, according to the facts presented, had failed to keep a close blockade, had not endeavored to determine the location of the Spanish fleet with sufficient energy, had not proceeded to Santiago with dispatch, that he had lost distance in the battle by the "loop" maneuver, and that his whole conduct during the cam

*See Commission on the Conduct of the War, Report and Hearings.

paign had been marked by vacillation, dilatoriness, and lack of enterprise. The force of this arraignment, however, was softened by the statement that his conduct in the battle was selfpossessed, and that he encouraged in his own person his subordinate officers and men. Admiral Dewey dissented from the findings of the other members of the court, and stated in closing that "Commodore Schley was the senior officer of our squadron off Santiago when the Spanish squadron attempted to escape. He was in absolute command and is entitled to the credit due to such commanding officer for the glorious victory which resulted in the total destruction of the Spanish ships." Secretary Long, on December 21, approved of the decision of the majority members of the Court of Inquiry, censuring, at the same time, Admiral Dewey for giving an opinion as to the person in command of the fleet. At the same date, General Miles was disciplined by the Secretary of War for expressing views with respect to the Schley verdict.

While these events were taking place in the United States, the attention of the public was called again to the Orient, this time by the report that there was a well-organized and powerful movement on foot in China. to exterminate all foreigners. people of China for years had been showing evidences of restlessness due to the constant territorial aggressions of the European powers. This had been gradually growing in intensity

The

203

until it burst forth in an uprising during the month of May, 1900. The exact nature of this upheaval is difficult to determine, but the most active agency in fomenting the disorders. was a secret patriotic society, the I-Ho-Tuon, or the "Boxers," as they have been styled. This was organized as a law and order league, and the number of its members is estimated to have been ten millions, comprehending people of all classes from royalty to the coolie. It is but a step from the love of one's country to the hatred of the foreigner, and the Boxers soon took it, and as the result reports came of persecutions and barbarities, to which, however, little heed was paid paid until until the world was awakened by the report that the members of the foreign legations were at the mercy of a bloodthirsty mob, and that outrages were occurring in all portions of China. What was at first conceived to be nothing more than sporadic outbreaks of the mob spirit was soon revealed as a far-reaching pan-Chinese movement. The popular fury seemed to be directed primarily against the missionaries, but the movement was political as well as religious, as was evidenced by the fact that Prince Tuan, the uncle of the reigning emperor, was the head of the secret order, and the fact that the imperial guards took an active part in the atrocities at Peking. In fact, to the minds of the Boxers the expansion of Christian missions, Christian commerce, and Christian territory, were all one and the same thing