The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1897-01-09
f4e BATTLE o. T4t n,le..
Its Effect and Its Influence Were
Far-Reachins.

OF thirteen French ships Oh the line
all but two We're taken or destroyed.
The fleet was annihiIated. Victory"
said Nelson justly, SIS certainly not a
name strong enough for such a scene as
1 have passed" In completeness OF inn
mediate results upon the field. no fleet
action has ever equaled the battle OF the
Nile. Upon the fortunes of the partic-
ular enterprise which elected it-Bona-
parties oriental expedition-the effect
was absolutely decisive, 1t became i'm
possible. and was by experience dem
onstrated to be impossible. to afford to
the evolutionary force the renewal of
mon and supplies upon which depended
no only the prosecution of h under
taking, but Ven the maintenance of the
position already achieved.
The influence OF the battle of the Nile
was more far reaching still; the conti-
nent of Europe became c%onvuissd from
end to end as soon as the news was re-
ceived. Elated by Bonaparte's career
In Italy, and by the submission of Au-
stria to terms of peace, the French gov
eminent a entered upon a course of
arrogant aggression toward other conn
trles-of which the u~nprovoked Egyp-
tian expedition was only one example
that had aroused the wrath of all q
lions. Even the United States was
forced from its attitude of benevolent
neutrality, which had depended upon
the tradition of the war of independence
and the adoption by France OF repub-
lican institutions.
The general resentment in Europe
was, however, curbed by experience of
the might of the French revolutionary
movement and OF the French armies
when welded by a man like Bonaparte,
there was wanting the demonstra-
ton OF some power capable of imposing
an absolute check upon their future
progress. The battle OF the Nile gave
such a demonstration. AS Nelson said,
1t was more than a victory; it was a
catastrophe. The French fleet was an
nihilated. the Mediterranean passed
into the absolute possession of Great
Britain. the flower of the French army
and III ~lnvincible Bonaparte were II
off hopelessiy from France. Turkey,
previously .overawed by the fleet, de-
elared war In q month. Austria. Russia
ana Naples had already drawn together
IN coalition. They We're emboldened. as
the errnanence of the conditions due to
the battle became evident, to pursue
their military enterprises upon a scale
which brought the republic to this brink
OF ruin, from which it was saved only
| by the unexpected and fortuitous re-
turn of Eonaparte, and his accession to
supreme power, a year later. Before
the year 1898 expired a combined Rus
sian ana Turkish fleet entered the Med
iterranean from the Black sea, and UNI
dertook to wrest h Ionian islands
from France. In India the movements
against the British domination which
| a Been fomented by French negotia-
tons. and which Bonaparte expected to
foster, fell still born when the disaster
became known there. Nelson, aware of
the Importance OF the news to British
interests. had at once despatched a spe-
cial messenger overland to Bombay.
The general satisfaction, not to say
exultation, was shown by the honors
and rewards showered from all sides
czar, the kings OF Sardinia and of the
two Sicilies. sent messages of congratu-
lation and rich presents, the car ac-
companying his with an autograph let
ter. On the part Of his own country, the
two houses of parliament voted their
The East india company by a gift of
10000 acknowledged the security
gained for the Indian possessions. OH
CT individual corporations took appro-
PIRATE notice of the great event; in
stances so far apart as the cities OF
London Palermo and the island of
Zante showing how wide spread was
the sense OF relief.
In titular rank Nelson was raised to
the lowest grade of the pssrage as
h@iot Nis'l vi LIZ MR. 81 tiulSililll
comment was made in SONG quarters
upon the in~adequacy of this advance
ment to the brilliancy and Importance
Of the service done. The ministry jussi-
fed its action upon the technical
ground. that though no superior was
within 1000 miles of Aboukir. Nelson,
was nevertheless a subordinate flag Of
ficer, n a commander in chief.
Not least gratifying to him, with his
sensitive appreciation of friendship and
susceptibility to flattery, must have
been the numerous letters OF congratu-
lation he received from friends in and
out of the service, Ind especially from
men whose eminence and professional
standing made their praise a sound cri-
terion for the ain after judgment of
mankind. Besides many other officers
of character n reputation the three
great Admirals, Lords Howe, Hood and
st Vincent. the leaders of the navy in
rank and distinguished service. wrote
to him n h strong st ems cf almira.
ton. The latter two did not hesitate to
style the battle the greatest achieve
manl that history could produce, while
Howe's language. more measured, was
Sc only because. like himself, IL was
o precise in characterizing the spe-
cial merits of the action. and was there.
fore acknowledged by Nelson with par
, ticular expressions of pleasure.