The Irish standard., 1898-04-02

y
English wars with Holland, France and
Spain. Holland in 1850 held the place
as carrier for the world now held by Eng
land, and for half century disputed
with England the control of the sea.
Their naval battles are innumcrable. In
1867 Di Ruyter ascendcd tho Thames,
and the smoke Of English ships fired by
the Dutch fleet was seen in London. For
over two weeks he held the mouth Of
that river. But the English finally won
and the mastery of the sea has been
almost continually held by the English
for the last 800 years The French and
English power, and a bare enumeration
OF this naval battles England has fought
with these powers would fill Il volume.
Luck favored first one side and then the
other. but the general result has been
that the French and Spanish emerged
from their wars with their fleets sunk
Or III British hands. Ono of the most
notable fights was the indecisive engage
result of which was that Admiral Byng
was tried and shot for not fighting with
enough spirit. A more important en-
gagemcnt was that fought In tho West
Indies i'll 1852 between De Grasso and
Rodney. in which Dc Grassc was cap
tnrcd. with most of his ships. Much In
tercst attaches to the battle of tho Nile,
in l19S. in which the French fleet was
annihilatcd by a British fleet under Lord
Nelson. with the important result that
Napolcon's communications with France
were destroyed. The French army in
Egypt was thus placed In IL difficult po-
sltion. and ultimately lost. More inter
csling still was the naval campaign,
continued over Il year. which resulted
in the defeat OF Napoleon's plan for the
invasion of England and in tho dcsiruc-
tlon or the French feet under Nillcncuvc
at Trafalgar by u British fleet under
Nelson Napnlcnn's scheme was to unite
three French fleets built and assembled
at Ionlon, l'rrSt and Rurhcfurl In the
west Indies, and to bring them thus
united secretly to the English channel
TO cover the crossing OF an army of in
VaSion which he held In readiness II
was expected thnt the English would I've
puzzled by the movement to tho West
Indies and would got their ships SO
scattered In distant parts of the world
that there would be no force left In the
channel strong enongt to resist tho
French fleet or prevent the invasion
But the plan misrarricl Tho vessels
In llrcst could not break the English
! hlnrkadr. Those from runlon and
ltochcfur escaped and wont to the West
Indies, Tut Nelson sailed after them and
returned In time to thwur their move
nlcnt upon tho channel. The result
was that Napoleon gave up the projected
invasion and hurried his army away to
ulm and AuslcrltZ. Nelson attacked
tn" combined French and Spanish fleets
at Trafalgar In 1905, since which time no
European power has successfully with
stood tho British sea power. The rall
or ScbnStopOl illustrates It's fur-rrachlnp
effects. by means of her fleet England
| ana her allies were nblc to plant mon
and guns at the point of action faster
than Russia could convey them over
land. The first principle of strategy
TO get there first with tho most men,
was thus ronfurmcd to. and Russians
enormous resources Wrrn ,,r n, ,,r,,t;
| cal use to her. Tho Introduction of
steam power does not alter the prnci-
pies OF strategy. It, only makes naval
officers the more independent of wind
and tides. In the conflict now thrcoi
| cned between Spain nnh The UniIcl
| States, IT. Will be Il contest in which th,
| AnGio-Saxon Will not be pittcd against
| AnHln-S;Xon, but against n race that, is
| u mixture of the basque, Ibnriun, Rom
| an, Moorish Celtic and Tentonic-a
composite mixture Of nations both blncl,
ana white, and has pcrpctmutcd tho most
1glloblo traits Of its anccstOrs-~a nation
that possesses all the fcrncioug instincts
or the lbcrlan, the barbarity Of the Goth
so strikingly depicted in Gen. Weyler
tho trchcherous suavity of the Roman.
tho adventurous spirit Of tho Visigoth,
and the fiery indonlitube and naughty
spirit Of the Moor. This combination
has produced tho modern Spaniard who
! may best be described as IL bundle Of
bgotry cruelty, vlndictivcncss, treacl-
cry and poverty. Against him will hc
Dittcd people that possess not u single
trait that goes to make up the Spanish
character. I4ko the character of Don
Caesar do Bnznn, in the play of the
Tagged Chcvnlicr," the modern Don Is
preparing to wrap his rags about his
emac,ated form and challenge the great
est nation the world ever saw-a nation
that knows not dcfeat, either upon land
or sca-to dnel. And the ocean is 10
be the scene of the conflict.
Daniel M Ryan, hustlng Young
teacher OF Pierce county, Wis, who an
pcarcd before the new board OF civil
service examiners at tho Minneapons
postofce Wednesday, March 1G. to he
examined for civil service position,
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