The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1898-11-03
THE MODERN CHIVALRY.
Honor and Virtue VIII Now BE
Safe in the Spanish
Colonies.

Capt. Frank Wildes, Of the American
cruiser Boston, who bore dastin-
guished part in Commodore Dewey's
splendid victory at Manila, has writ
ten a letter to one of his friends In
Portland, Me-, describing picturesque
incident that followed the Spanish de-
feat. 1t will be remembered that be-
fore the arrival of the invading fleet
the Spanish captain general OF the
Philippines issued addresses to the peo-
pie denouncing the American sailors
as pigs and monsters, who, II they sue
ceeded in entering the city, would'4n-
dulge in wild carnival of violence and
crime against life and property. The
more ignorant classes of the inhab-
itants were made 10 believe these
frightful stories, and even some OF the
intelligent residents were seriously
alarmed lest the dreadful Americans
should subject them to indignity and
suffering. Capt. Wildes tells the story
Of Spanish lady of great refinement
and beauty, who had heardithese terri
BILE reports, who went TO the British
consul and asked whether he really be-
heved that the hated Yankees were as
they had been pictured in the captain
generals proclamation. The consul
simply replied:
MADAM, honor and virtue are safer
in Manila to-day than they have been
for 800 years"
That truthful assurance contains
hint of one of the most important and
far-reaching results which the present
war is destined to accomplish. Social
conditions in, Spsin's colonial terri
tory have long been notoriously cor
rupt and vicious. The unprincipled
officials whom the Spanish government
has kept, In control Of her island pos
sessions have debauched both society
and politics. Many Of them have grown
rich by leyying blackmail ON vice and
crime, and other influence has been
constantly used to stife the morals
and conscience of the people. In an
atmosphere thus polluted life and
honor are held at their lowest valua-
tion. The law, administered by COR
rupt officers, has offered no redress for
the wrongs of their helpless victims,
and in some OF the cities of these
Spanish colonies, Havana, for example,
women and young girls have been de-
based TO the lowest depths OF fdegrada-
/ ton. & !. a ~ ~
Under Providence the present war
will abolish these revolving conditions
and open the way for social prder and
progress. In every one of the colonies
/ which the clash of arms wfests from
the dominion of Spain the status Of
woman, socially, Intellectually and
morally, will undergo an immediate
and steady improvement. She win ac-
quire a larger liberty, a higher respect
and purer influence than she has ever
enjoyed under the degrading misrule
of Spanish monarchism, aid her ulti-
mate advance to the honoied position
now cheerfully assigned ID her Anglo
American sisters will be tie crowning
achievement of the nineteenth century
chivalry.
Beneath the extraordinFy and help
full interest which the women of Amer
lea have thus far taken in he struggle
with Spain there isa profound convic-
tion that this is a holy waifor the res
cue of womanhood and childhood from
the clutches of their desbilers- The
blood of Weyler's innocht victims
cries from the Cuban soil ff vengeance
and vindicntion. The speters- of the
helpless mothers and babe whom that
relentless monster put TO leath,by the
exquisite torture of statation still
haunt. the horizon of ou latter day
civilization, and they VII not down
until the merciless powe of Spain is
forever destroyed in the Hands which
she has shown herself unit to govern.
To this heroic task in belalf OF virtue
and honor the sons and daughters OF
the great republic have dficsted their
hands and fortunes. Til god of bat
Ties will affirm the righteousness OF
their cause, and they mf confidently
appeal from kings TO tiie for the ap-
proyal of their deeds.-l Y. Mail and