The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-15
WILMINGTON. n. C.
FRIDAY, JULY Is, 1898.
AMERICANS REJOICING AND Salts
FLED.

1t is certainly very agreeable to
American feelings to read the high
praise in British papers as well as the
French majors very AUDITORY words
in behalf of our soldiers at the frOnt
in Cuba The Frenchman is really
quite enthusiastic when he declares
that the little army that fought 50
grandly and desperately at Santiago
has no equal in all the world. He talks
impressively and Understandings and
shows the most marked difference be
tween the regular fighting of Euro
pean armies in solid ranks n the
necessarily independent fighting Of
the American army before Santiago.
We are much inclined to believe that
the fighting on the End Of July has
never been surpassed in modern war
fare. In the great war there was
much magnificent fighting, and a vast
killing. Sometimes Is, 1000 to Il, 900 men
on either side would be killed and
wounded. Often the ragged, atten-
uated lives of the cOnfederates would
engage three times their numbers and
would not be whipped either. Some
times whole ~brigades were about
swept out of existence as Meagher's
Irish brigade at Fredericksburg, which
strange to say, was fighting against
men striving to throw off expressions
and obtain their independence.
The London Mail, viewing the very
extraordinary victories achieved with
such unsurpassed valor by army and
navy, says that eff the war has shown
nothing else it has shown the amazing
efficiency of the American navy 1t is
grand and glorious work 50 far as
VaIor and ~pertinacity and dash and
impulse go. Europe stands amazed at
the success and spirited warfare of
the Americans. 1t is time to be proud
of both of the great arms of our ser
vice. The behavior of the troops, the
tremendous vigor and alertness Of our
navy are we'll calculated to arouse
great enthusiasm and make Us all re-
ioice in our invincible fighters.
At Manila one of the greatest of
sea fights occurred, resulting not only
in the complete discontinue of the
spanish fleet, but in it's humiliation.
Not a vestige of a fleet remained
when the brave and great sea captain,
Dewey, was done with his pounding.
At Santiago the ablest and most chiV-
alrous of Spanish ava officers had
under him the strongest of his COun-
try's fleets. Now they are all lying
III -avyrr hos
shown itself fully entitled to ride the
waves alongside the greatest of sea
powers-our mother Britain. The re-
suits far place America in naval
fighting with the very foremost of the
globe.
In the army the Is, 900 men in Cuba
have exhibited such uncomfortable
will and such determined go that sol
diers of other nations read and Won
der and admire. While our loss at
Santiago was mournfully heavy the
victories of our ships were secured
without any loss whatever save one
man ~killed-events without any paral-
lei in a worlds long history of sea
fights. The Chicago Inter-Ocean thus
sums up the results we'll and as fol-
lows:
Then regulars and volunteers en-
tered into the work before them with
such zeal, energy, and courage. with
such prowess and holiness, with sch
spirit and endurance, that all QueS-
lions as to the fighting power of the
army were answered. The record of
the two days battle was in itself the
deciding factor in war. Spain and all
Europe knew that the army had the
will and the power to conquer; that,
counting neither danger nor cost, 1t
was a mighty force in accomplishing
the work of conquering Spain.
Looking at the tremendous drama of
war that moved like a hurricane along
the Cuban coast, European experts
and Strategists will see on n side
splendid war vessels in command of
courageous officers, manned by excited.
desperate, and ha~lf-drunken men; on
the other great battleships springing
from rest to action with coOl-headed
men in command and at the guns;
and they will note that the victory
was surely with the vessels whose
fighting power was in the men and
discipline as well as guns. The de-
cisive blow in the war was struck
when the army and navy demonstra-
ted the tremendous, disciplined fight
ing power of the American nation"
HONORS FOR SCHLEY