The gold leaf., 1898-05-12
(NOrfolk Virginian and Pilot. }

AS long as 1t was a contest of talk
and brag, Spain was hard to beat.
and when 1t came to sheer lying, her
Admirals and Generals, as well as
their subalterns, were invincible SO
soon, however, as the strife came to
close quarters and downright
strokes, we knocked the wind out of
them in short order and their lies
failed for lack of breath. At the
Manilas, away across the Pacific.
where naval engagement has been
expected for several day. the grand
fight came on Sunday, Nav lst, and
the American victory was speedy.
complete and crushing-the Spanish
fleet being utterly defeated, if not
wholly destroyed or captured with
out the loss of an American ship Its
magnificent warships and cruisers
were burned. sunk or captured, or
scattered, flying in badly damaged
condition, with great loss of life.
We suppose that, if, under this fatal
blow. the islands have not surrender
ed, they will soon be forced to do so.
and then our fleet can seek other
Spanish fleets and islands, if any
think it worth while to meet foe so
terrible and irresistible.
This is crowning testimony that
we are prepared for war, and that
our ships are in brave and competent
hands, ready for any emergency,
with a superiority in all details to
Spanish naval equipment and skill
hat hn LOT tioh IN,
serious conflict. The defeat at Manila
is SO tremendous that the Spaniards
were the first to proclaim it to the
world.
1t vindicates our navy, our
national greatness and power, and
our cause. 1t elevates us prodigious-
ly in the estimation of the whole
world, and inspires every patriotic
American which surer, prouder
and grander sense and conception of
his country. Doubt and self-deprecia
ton perish from among us forever,
and our equal manhood shares in
the assurance and glory now won for
our national equality with the greater
powers Of the earth, on land and sea.
But the first result is likely to be
overtures for peace, il not from
Spain directly, from some Of the
great powers in her behalf. Indeed,
if the victory at Manila he so vast
in it's accomplishments and results,
as we gather from the meager, yet
significant particulars received so
early, from SO great a distance, even
England, backed by our pro-Spanish
press and dissentients, if not Sc
ditionists, may now be expected to
urge that war has already done
enough, and that now peace should
be speedily restored on a satisfactory
and honorable basis. But Spain has
by no means received enough, either
by way of punishment or humilia-
| ton; and at this stage OF a struggle,
made magnanimous by our speedy and
easy triumph, and appeased by Spain's
| disasters, we are in danger OF being
too generous, too easy, too ready to
retire on our laurels without further
venture in the fortunes of war.
This is too early to pause, now
that we have just entered on the
high road of success. We must pur
sue it with unrelaxed vigor, energy
and dispatch until we have complete
| ly destroyed Spanish power every
where, and taught her to assume a
| virtue, if she have it not-virtue Of
| humanity, and a decent respect for
the opinions Of mankind, especially
on this side the ocean.
No. Let Manila be the beginning
of the end. But let it not be the
end. 1t is the initial step, to be
followed up as rapidly as may be
with similar or greater ones, till that
point is reached where Spanish
| bigotry, self-conceit, and vain-glory,
shall collapse like the tensely out
spread tail Of panicstricken peacock
is folded in sudden and complete
humality.
The Spanards admit that their Ma
Mia fleet is annihilated,- ,-claiming
however, that three gunboats were
sunk by order of Admiral Montejo to
keep them from being captured.
Sunk or captured, they are lost to
Spain all the same, and through the
same American victory. SO great
loss at such moment to SO i'm
povished nation as Spain, is indeed
crushing, if not ruinous; and yet she
speaks of it as a mere incentive to
greater provisions and exertions
She has no means to repair this loss,
and the prospect is, that in any
further encounter with our forces. or
sea or land, she will only experience
further defeat, loss and shame. Hur-
rah for Commodore Dewey, his
officers and men. They have done
nobly for their country, as all oul