The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1882-07-18
The Bombardment of Alexandria.

The BOmbardment of Alexandria.
The bombardment of Alexandria be
gan this morning All but the British
vessels had left the har5or, their bands
lplaving national airs, their colors hying
at the mast. Arabi's terms of peace had
been offered and rejected He refused
to surrender the for.s and braved the
conse quences.
Thus the Egyptian campaign begins.
Alexandria has known strange vicssi-
tuies, but none more strange than this
since Amru. the lieutenant of Omar,
captured her and wrote to his master /:
|"I have taken the great city OF the
West" She has seen great sights
Through her ports has passed the com
merce Of India and Arabia. Leaders OF
Greek thought have conversed in her
gardens. Antony ami Cleopatra have
loved in her palaces. Her libraries, mu
seums, monuments, have been the mar
vel of the world. And to-day she lies
at tbe mercv of rabble, ruled by an
Egyptian adventurer, dominated by
British guns.
From the artilerist's point of view
the nombardment will be of the highest
Importance. 1t will do much to show
that the naval battles of the future will
be those, not Of feet against feet, hut
Of ships against land defences The
duel of the Huascar and the Chilean
liron-clads in the South American war
will probably be one OF the last ever
fought in the open sea. A new style OF
maritime war has came IN with the use
of steam and OF protecting armor =
rorpedoes and steam rams have replac-
ed the old system OF exchanging can
nonades. Copenhagen and Algiers, Acre
and Sebastopol saw the last of the
wooden walls Of England. To-day the
time has come for such vessels as those
which are leading the bombardment of
Alexandria--their aggregate displace-
ment amounting to 52754 tons, their
ornament comprising four 80.ton guns,
ten 25-ton, twenty-six 18 ton. twelve II
ton, FIVE 6i-ton guns, and their crews
including 3,l39 officers and men.
Although, then, there can be no doubt
of the result the British commanders
act too cautiously There is no worse
mistake in war than that of despising
the enemy. Beers and Zn'us, Afghans
and Ashantees have all taught Great
Britain this lesson History has taught
it to her too. Was not the nation
thrown into CONSERVATION when it learn
ed that Van Trcmp had hoisted broom
at his masthead and swept its feet from
The Channelf Was not King Charles
III chasing blue.bottle flies at Whitehall
when the sound of De Ruyter's cannon
was heard in the Thames7 The sover
eigns of the seas had an Infinite con
tempt for the French until Tourville beat
,h,m off Beschy Head aud Rookie was
defeated off St. Vincent Naval engage
ments are proverbiallv uncertain, and as
for land engagements the splendid re-
cord Of British victories is tarnished by
the memory Of AImanza, whore the Earl
of Galway lost eighteen thousand men !:
Of Fontenoy and the successes Of Mar
shal SAKE; of the American campaign !;
OF the brilliant triumphs OF Napoleon
At the beginning of the century Great
Britain was defeated in single year bv
Turks at antinople and Spaniards
at Buenos Ayres.
I But at present there is no prospect
that Arab will he able to make serious
resistance. He can only hope TO harass
the invaders as the French were harassed
| In Tunis. Two famous generals, July
and August, are fighting on his side
Fever and famine may help him more
than personal prowess. His one chance
is to rally the Mussulman population to
his standard or to offer dogged resis-
tance until the jealousies OF the Powers
shall SCI Europe in blsze.-N Y. Her.
aid, llth inst