The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-14
OLE @essen9er.
OUR WAR KALEIDOsCopE MOVING.

There is news and news every day.
Here is a glance at some last views OF
the Kaleidoscope shake-up. Ceveras
great ships are bottled up at Santiago
and the report is he is now fighting
Tor peace" Getting into a supposed
safe harbor where he would not have to
fight and could not he molested by the
Americans is a rather curious demon
stration-a very singular way to fight
for peace" General Shafter Is probably
now on Cuban soil and soon 1900
American soldiers will be ready to en-
gage the enemy. AS far as it Is known
the Spanish force to oppose him is not
more than 81, 900, composed Of 5000 reg
ulars, 5000 volunteers, and 10000 raw
"newies." They are we'll armed with
Mauser rifles which will give them q
great advantage and they have aDun-
dant ammunition. The military move
ment is now beginning and Will be
pressed with vigor and dash, we take
At. The navy will actively Cooperate.
Stirring times are just ahead no DOUBT.
In the mean time at home Spain is
In a bad fix. The government is CEN
sured by the opposition, money and
confidence are very scarce, and grow
ing less, the news from the Philippines
rs Of a stunning and almost paralyzing
effect. Aguinaldo, the insurgent chief.
mas made it desperately hot for the
ySpaniards and Manila, and has swept
kheir armies out of his way. He is
even talking Of establishing a protecto-
rate, he to be dictator, having a repub-
Iican assembly. 1t really looks as if
he may wipe out the Spanish army be-
fore General Merritt and his American
troops arrive. The work done by the
insurgents has been swift, bold, des-
perately aggressive and successful.
Admiral Dewey speaks we'll of Aguin-
aldo, as a soldier.
The American fleet has don effec-
tive work in bombarding and knocking
Notifications to pieces at Santiago
Caisuera. Many S~paniards have been
killed and wounded with but little in
Jury to American men or ships. All
4his is surely very disastrous to spanish
success and augurs evil for their trl-
umph in the end.
Other notes of interest are that the
Spanish fleet 80 much 'boasted OF is still
at Cadiz afraid to venture far from
nome. To send it out might be to
them f~oolhardy. 1t is aid all the Spar
fards can muster is one Fbattle-ship, one
armored, and two unarmOred cruisers
and three de~stroyers. If good fighters
they would come out of hiding and seek
their enemy.
More ships loaded with men and mu-
nitions nave sailed from San Francisco,
and others will soon follow. Other YES
sells will he pressed into service as
troop-ships for General Merritt.
he best money expended in the war
thus far in the way of ships was the
purchase of the Merrimac. 1t IS a
whole fleet in itself in the way of block
aiding, and comes cheap. Admiral
Simpsons official announcement of the
first bombardment of Santiago was
quite in the spirit of other famous re-
ports, and in sententious brevity. The
great Julius Caesar reported-"Veni,
svTdi, vici."| came, l saw, I conquered.
Some American we think it was, re-
ported-"I have met the enemy and
they are ours" Sir Henry Havelock
reported when in the Indian mutiny in
the fifties, he relieved his suffering and
.b~eleaquered countrymen-T lave Luck
noW"-the name of he city. Samp-
son cabled:
"Bombarded forts at Santiago, 1880
to 10 a. m. today, June 6. Silenced
quickly without injury Of any kind,
though within 1000 yards"
1t is said that one reason the Span
ssh government keeps it's fleet at Cadiz
2lorne.