The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-09

WASHINGTON, May g. 1S98.-The Pres
ident today sent the following message
to Congress-
TO the Congress of the United States
en- the 24th of April directed the Sec-
letary of the Navy to telegraph orders to
stases Navy, commanding the Asiatic
Squadron then lying in the port of Hong
Kong, to proceed forthwith to the Phil
ippine Islands, there to commence opera
fions and engage the assembled Spanish
fleet.
Promptly obeyfng that order the United
States squadron consisting of the flag
ship Olympia, Baltimore. Raleigh, Boston,
Concord and Petrel with the revenue cut
ter MCCULLOUGH as an auxiliary despatch
boat entered the harbor of Manila at
davbreak on the lst of May and immed-
lately engaged the entire Spanish fleet
of eleven ships. which were under the
protection of the fire Of the land forts
After a stubborn fight. in which the
enemy suffered great loss, these vessels
were destroyed or completely disabled and
the water battery at Cavite silenced. or
our brave officers and men not one was
lost and only eight injured and those
slightly. All of our ships escaped any
serious damage.
BY the 4th of May Commodore Dewey
had taken possession of the naval sta
tion at Cavite, destroying theh fortifica-
tions there and at the entrance of the
waters of the bay are under his COM
plete control. He has established hos
pitfalls within the American lines, where
two hundred and Atty Of the d Spanish s3ck
The magnitude of this victory can
hardly be measured by the ordinary
standards of naval warfare. Outweighing
any material advantage is the moral eff
feet of this initial success. At this un-
surpassed achievement the great heart
of our nation throbs, not with boasting
gratitude that this triumph has come in
q just cause and that by the grace OF
God an effective step has thus been taken
toward the attainment of the wished-for
peace. To those whose skill courage and
devotion have won the fight, to the gal
lant commander and the brave officers
and men who aided him, our country owes
on incalculable debt.
Feeling as our people feel and speaking
in their name, 1 at once sent message
to Commodore Dewey thanking him and
his officers and men for their splendid
achievement and overwhelming victory,
and Informing him that l had appointed
him an Acting Rear Admiral
recommend that following our ma
tIonal precedents and expressing the fer
vent gratitude of every patriotic heart
the thanks Of Congress be given acting
Rear Admiral George Dewey of the Unit
ed States Navy for highly distinguished
conduct in conflict with the enemy, and
to the officers and men under his COM
ton of the enenly's fleet and the capture
ot the enemy's forefhca ton in the Bay of
WILLIAM M'KINLEY,
Executive Mansion, May 9, 1898.
Senator Hale and Representative Bou-
tefle, Chairmen respectively of the SEN
ate and House Committees ON Naval AZ
fairs were called to the White House
during the cabinet session to consider the
resolution of thanks recommended in the
Presidents message. They spent but a
few minutes and the two chairmen sub
Sequently met at the Capitol and decided
or the form Of legislation for making
Commodore Dewey Rear Admiral, to be
Introduced simultaneously. lmmediate
passage in both houses will be moved
promptly after the receipt of the mes
sage. The congressional resolution is as
follows =:
Resolved BY the Senate and House
OF Representa- tives Of the q. S. A
IN Congress assembled. that in pursu-
ance of the recommendation OF the
President made in accordance with
the provisions of section i108, of the
revised statutes the thanks of Con-
gress and of the American people are
hereby rendered to Commodore George
Dewey, q. s. N. commandment chief
Of the Asiatic station, for highly dis
tinguished conduct in conflict with the
enemy. as displayed by him in the
destruction Of the Spanish fleet and
batteries In the. harDor ct Manila,
Section 2Tllat the thanks Of Con-
gress and American people are here
by extended through Commodore
Dewey to the officers and men under
skill exhibited by them on THAT oc-
Section s-Be It further resolved;
States state be requested g cause this
resolution to be communicates 70 COM
Yllodore Dewey and through him to the
officers and men under his command
AZ unusually large crowd WAS r. tne'