The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-07-23
coD,,,opoRE wATsoN's EXPEDI'
TION.

Few expeditions OF cl'hei
,oodern times have been more aoNeI''9
,hs, commodore Watsons Noy"eo
c., hut few have realized less upo"
,hs capltal invested than that sen S"i'e
- Il has been case of all tax anu
- ,,arformance. until the public has be-
gun 10 question whether any eNpeui''0''
aver WAS intended 1t Is our own 'I'"-
son that the watson expedition Is DON"
tda transaction. and that the perform
ance is actually going to come on III
~nite of all delays. When we nave hau
1, few moro announcements that II IS of
whom II IS not Off we shall wake up
some fine morning and hear the reveroer-
ations OF Watson's guns upon the span
Ssh coast metephorically Of course) DC
cause there Is not much real similarity
between newspaper sQuib and thir-
teen inch rifles bang.
In some quarters there is a disposition
10 question the wisdom Of the watson
expedition. one section OF the oouote'S
rests its difficulties upon the stubborn
nature Of Spanish character. and the
other sections fear what Europe VIII 40
10 ms If we lay the profane hand upon
the sacred European edihce. The hrst
section tells US that in the beginning OF
This country. Napoleon overan all Spain
with his armies but was never able TO
conquer the Spaniards. That the more
he overran and oppressed them the more
formidably Spanish pride and obstinacy
rose against him and that the French
forces were finally compelled 70 evacuate
spain. leaving her people as unconquer-
cd as they were when the invasion was
first made. The second section tells us
that Europe will stand a good dead so
long as we shoot Spaniards upon this
side Of the Atlantic and confine our prac-
tice with big guns TO the old MORO CAS-
ties that Spain seems TO have put up
wherever she could find a sand hill TO
build one on. But that Europe will get
fighting mad If we carry the thing, too
far. and that II Watson sails into the
Mediterranean Sea and let's off his big
guns when the European ear. refined to
an almost nicely, is compelled 10 listen
20 the din. then no man can say what
Europe will do when put 20 this sort OF
test and that Europe is something TO
be on your guard against II Europe once
actually does arouse herself
For ourselves we want 90 see Watson
or some other good man. so to the Span
Ssh coast with some OF our best war
ships. and, II the Spaniards are foolish
enough TO keep up this war, we want to
see our ships give those Spaniards who
dwell near the sea coast a few practical
lessons in actual war. There IS no sort
OF analogy between Napoleon's case and
ours Napoleon invaded Spain with n
cruel. rapacious soldiery that camped
upon the Spaniards in their homes, rob-
bed. beat and murdered them at will and
DID everything that a cruel conqueror
could do 10 ALLEVIATE the feelings OF the
people inhabting the conquered terri
tory We are doing nothing Of this kind
10 the Spaniards. Our two countries
differed upon point In international poll
ties. they went 10 war about IL, our side
has signally triumphed and the Spanish
side has signally failed IN the contest
and reason calls upon the Spaniards now
20 abandon the contest and accept the
result OF the wager OF battle. II they
will not do so II Is our duty 20 make
them feel some Of the dreadful conse-
ouences Of actual war that we may dis
cipline their minds and hearts and incline
them thereby 70 reason and common
sense. Napoleons outrases and oppres-
eions and our wholesome discipline are
wholly different in nature and would in
evtably have a different tendency even
win a population as ignorant and as
foolish as the Spsnlsrds are
As Cor the European bueaboo, we place
that iS tho same old junk shop 20 which
% send all other bugaboos. We are
q open war with spain and under the
laws OF nations we have a right 10 in
wade her territory. lombard her cities
ana inffict upon her any other Of the
injuries contemplated by civilized war;
fare that may be necessary 20 coercing
her into yielding her view Of our course
Of quarrel and accepting our view OF 1t.
Our right. under the laws Of nations.
therefore. to 90 what we contemplate
doing upon the Spanish coast. is perfect
% hot