Daily camera., 1898-07-06
WORD FROM THE CONCORD.
william Babcock Receives Letter from
His Son Howard vt Manila.


william Babcock Receives Letter from
His Son Howard vt Manila.
Mondays mail brought long looked
for letter from Howard Babcock con-
cerning the famous battle of Manila on
the 1st of May. Howard's letter was
directed 10 his parents, Mr.. and Mis-.
William Babcock and contains much of
interest concerning the distant Philip
pines. He says that the Americans are
complete masters of the situation and
fear no intervention from Germany or
other powers. Were not the Americans
perfectly able totake care ofthemselves,
he says, the pres snce OF the British and
Japanese fleets and their continued
friendly Offices would insure from any
German interference. The represent.
atives of the two friendly powers have
shown every courtesy to Dewey's fleet.
conveying despatch boats and even car
rying dispatches themselves.
He incloses in his letter an official re-
port of the Concord's participation in
the battle, the details of which are now
already familiar. Included among the
papers are three proclamations that fell
into the Americans hands, one OF which
is reproduced as follows:
EXTRAORDINARY PROCLAMATION BY
THE GOVERNOR GENERAL OF
THE PHILIPPINES.
ds:-Betwee the United States
of North America and Spain, hostilties
have broken out.
The moment has arrived to prove to
the world that we possess the spirit to
conquer those who, pretending to be 10y.
al friends, take advantage of our mis-.
fortunes and abuse our hospitality, using
means which civilized nations count un.
worthy and disreputable.
The North American people. constitut.
ed of all the social excresences, have ex'
hausted our patience and provoked wal
with their perfdious Vaccinations, with
their acts OF treachery, with their out
RACES against the law of nations and In
ternational conventions.
The struggle will be short and decisive
The God of Victories will give us one
as brilliant and complete as the righteous
ness of our cause demands. Spain, who
counts on the sympathies of all the ma
tons, will emerge triumphantly from thl:
new test, humiliating and blasting the
adventures from those states that, with
out cohesion and without history, offel
to humanity only infamous traditions and
the ungrateful spectacle of chambers in
which appear united insolence and
defamation, cowardice and cynicism.
A squadron manned by foreigners
possessing neither instruction nor dis
cipline. is preparing to come to this
archipelago with the ruhianly intention
OF robbing US of all that means life, honor
and liberty. Pretending to be inspired
by courage of which they are incap.
able, the North American seamen under.
take as an enterprise capable of realiza.
ton the substitution of Professionalism for
the Catholic religion you profess, to treat
you as tribes refractory to civilization, to
take possession Of your riches as if they
were unacquainted with the rights of
property, and to kidnap those person
whom they consider useful to man their
ships or to be exploited in agricultural or
industrial labor.
Vain designs! Ridiculous boastings.
Your indominitable bravery will suf-
fice to Illustrate the attempt to carry
them into realization. You will not al.
low the faith you profess to be made a
mock Of, impious hands to be placed on
the temple of the true God, the images
you adore to be thrown down by un-
belief. The aggressors shall not pro
fame the tombs of your fathers, they shall
not crafty their lustful passions at the
expense of your wives and daughters
honor, or appropriate the property that
your industry has accumulated as pro
vision for your old age. No, they shall
not perpetrate any crimes inspired by
their wickedness and covetousness, be
cause your valor and patriotism will suf-
fee to punish and abase the people that,
claiming to be civilized and cultivated,
have exterminated the natives of North
America instead of bringing to them the
life Of civilization and progress.
Philippines, prepare for the struggle
and. united under the glorious Spanish
flag which is ever covered with laurels.
let us fight with the conviction that vic
tory will crown our efforts, and to the
calls of our enemy let US oppose with
the decision of the Christian and the
patriot the cry of "Viva Espana."
Your General,
BASILIE AUGUSTIN DAvILA.
Manila AnYil 81 Ixo2