The times., 1898-08-19
THE HISTORIC FIGURE.
Dewey Has aIadesthe American Re-
public "a World Force.

public IA World Force.
There is one men who comes out of this
war without need OF explanations or ex-
cuses. The press of the country Is unani-
nous in praise of Admiral Dewey and
already the suggestion is made that the
highest rank of the navy should be re-
vived in his favor This. from the New
York Commercial Advertiser shows the
tone of public sentiment
"One large historic shape overshadows
like Colossus the petty episodes. COM
monplace figures. tragic blunders and
comic-opera campaigns which caused
brutally candid British journal to call
this 'wretched little war and fleralds
to posterity the mighty results to How
from Its easy conquests and bloodless
battles The largest results Of history
have had their springs in events SO small
az to be almost invisible in the perspect-
i've. Frontiersmen and couriers du bois
grappled in the American forests and pro-
voked the European CONFUSION which
made this continent English instead of
French, and laid the foundation of the
world giant of a republic, now shooting
up to mature stature Civil service clerks
organized native forces and fought petty
battles in India, and the British empire
OF the East sprung out of the rich social
soil they scratched with pens turned into
swords A quiet American commodore,
sent after feeble Spanish fleet, had the
material of Wolfe and Give in him-the
stuff that changes the course of history
and breaks the shell in which growing
nations have been gathering force for
new period of expansion. AS Robert Give
laid the cornerstone of the British empire
at Plassy; as James Wolfe made the
American nation possible at quebec, SO
George Dewey and no other, laid the
foundation in Manila Bay of that Greater
America with which the world will have
10 reckon hereafter In European chancel-
leries and Asiatic battlefelds of war or
trade His is the one heroic figure OF the
war: the one name whose shadow VIII
grow in the Frightening illumination OF
his deeds till it shall obscure all others
of his generation.
Dewey has made the republic a world
force ins cad of a continental power,
rulirq a few more of the Islands that
fringe its shores No one ordered him
IN do IT, No one expected him 10 do IL.
Perhaps he did not know what he was
doing Men who do great deeds seem TO
be driven unconsc:ously by an inner inn
pulse Dewey has operated like force or
nature. influenced as little by hostile re-
sis;auce as by superior powers. AT the
beginning Of the war he took Manila Bay
without orders. and the Government had
10 send troops to fake the city. though
It could not at onee make up it's mind
to keep it, At the end of the war, when
the Government has decided to take Ma
Mia, but cant make up its mind about
the rest CT the Philippines. Dewey seems
to have dissipated doubts again by taking
the whole group. The capture of Manila
in the nick of time was a pretty military
operation and sinpiifies the work of the
peace commission. but ii is a trivial
performance compared with the lightning
stroke of daring initiative which followed
it, Knowing that hopeful peace negotia-
tions were in progress and that probably
orders to suspend tostilities were on the
way, Dewey finished with Manila in time
TO scatter MS ships beyond the reach of
recall, with orders to raise the American
flag over every Spanish port in the ISL
ands. Nothing can catch Dewey nap
ping, not even a treaty OF peace. Prob
ably he has done the work of the peace
commission for Il, leaving the Govern
ment nothing to do but TO ratify and
formaliZe his action. He has been the
one great determining force of the war
He has caused those results which will be
most vital and lasting. He has made the
United States an Asiatic power. He is
one of the heroic figures of history"