Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1898-09-10
The Capitol and other Public
Buildings Burned by Adj
miraI COckburn.
Value of Property Destroyed at
Washington Aggregated
$2,OOO,OOO.
EMULATION OF THE LONDON TIMES
From the Irish World.

lilSA NOllus
The only case of vandalism on record
in the history of the world is to be found
in England's doings in America, and in
the columns of England's chief news
paper, the London Times, it stands as a
loudly applauded splendid achieve
ment."
The Encyclopaedia Britannica, an Eng
lsh publication, acquits the Vandals of
the methods long associated with their
name, in the following language: There
does not seem to be in the story of the
capture of Rome by the Vandals any
justification of the charge of the destruc-
ton of public buildings which is implied
in the word vandalism.
This same publication boils down the
whole history of the Cockburn barbarism
to one sentenace, as follows:
SIN 1914, during the second war with
Great Britain it Washington was cap
tured by the British troops, and the Cap
itol, together with most of the other
public buildings, was burned"
Perhaps the writer was ashamed to go
into particulars, yet even in the little
he writes there is disgrace enough.
Our war of 1912 was subsequently a
continuation of the fight for American in
dependence When the first British SOL
dier quilted the soil of America in 1888
the freedom of the new nation was an
accomplished fact, but it was not yet in
the full sense an Independent nation. Ben
jamin Franklin, when a fellow country
man remarked that the war for independ-
ence was successfully closed, replied:
"Say, rather, that the war of the revolu-
ton. The war for independence is yet to
be fought" Franklin knew that England
had not given up hope forever OF re-
establishing her power here.
It was with grudging that George III.
and the Parliament of England recog-
nized the fact that they had been beaten.
Though compelled to acknowledge defeat
and Americas rank as a nation, they
still insisted on claiming, "Once Brit
ish subject, always a British subject. !"
On the strength of this doctrine proc
lamation was issued by the British Gov
eminent giving authority to the comman-
ders of British war vessels to press into
the service "British-born" citizens wher-
ever found.
I'm the course Of fifteen years, says
Losing, thousands of native Americans
had thus been made to serve a master
(England) whom they detested. The
United States Government frequently re-
monstrated against these outrages and
demanded their discontinuance, but with
out effect. No arguments, no remon-
strances, no appeals to justice could in
duce the British Government to relin-
quish so great an advantage, and SO
fragrant and frequent were these outrages
towards the close of 1905 that in the me-
MORALS presented to Congress on the sub
ject of British depredations upon Ameri-
can commerce the impressment of seamen
was prominent topic"
The burning of Washington was not
the only act of vandalism performed by
England. In February, 1918, an English
squadron appeared in the Delaware Bay
which destroyed many vessels. On the
10th Lewiston was bombarded because
the inhabitants refused to supply the
enemy with fresh provisions. "It was, F"
says Spencer, Sin the Chesapeake
principally that this discreditable species
of warfare was carried on by the British
ships. Cockburn was in command and
he rendered his name and character
notorious on account of the numerous
piratical incursions in which he INDUCED,
the houses he robbed, the families he
plundered, the wanton destruction of
property he authorized and the shameful
insults and injuries he inflicted upon
defenseless women and children"
Frenchtown, Md, was attacked and
plundered on April 29. On this occasion
Cockburn burned and plundered the
village to the amount of $1,000, besides
some ships that were in the harbor.
Havre de Grace was the marauding
knights next object of visitation. On
May the English ships assailed the
tOWu ny IOCkclSi WHICH oCl TIC uOuoCo vi
fire, followed by destructive bombshells,
and while the panic and fire were raging
the enemy landed. Finally the English
burned and plundered the town and
sunk many vessels. The "civilizers'
next sailed up the Sassafras river, burn
ing and plunderirg. Havre de Grace
was $780, 900 poorer when they left than
when they came. Georgetown and
Frederickstown few days later received
visits from Admiral Cockburn and were
deprived Of considerable property.
"rhese exploits" says Spencer. "were
worthy of pirates and savages."
To continue, Cockburn's vandalism
would only be a repetition of the forego-
ing. In Spencer's history there is one
passage that is well worth quoting. II is
as follows: Great Britain was angry and
almost furious Spencer has reference to
the victories of the brave Irish-American
Gen. Croghan at Port Stephenson, Perry
on Lake Erie and that of Benjamin Har-
rison at Thames), and the war hence
forth promised to be one Of savage iuroads
and ruthless destruction No truer