The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-05-12
THANK DEWEY
Presidents Recommendations to
Congress Were Promptly Car
ried Into Effect.
The Message Recites the Great
Work Done by the Admiral
at Manila.
Magnitude of the Victory Hardly
to BE Measured by Ordinary
Naval Standards.
Bill Also Passed by Both Houses,
Providing For an Additional
Admiral.

WASHINGTON, May lO.-At noon the
president sent message to congress
recommending that the thanks OF the
nation be extended to Admiral Dewey
and his men for the splendid victory at
Manila. Both house and senate i'm.
mediately passed resolutions carrying
into effect the recommendations of the
message. A bill was also passed Great
ing an additional rear admiralship, to
which Dewey will be appointed.
The Presidents Message.
The following is the message to con.
gress, recommending that Commodore
Dewey receive the thanks of the ma
ton:
TO the congress of the United States:
On the Oath of April, directed the
secretary of the navy to telegraph
orders to Commodore George Dewey Of
the United States navy, commanding
the Asiatic squadron, then lying in the
port Of Hong Kong, to proceed forth.
with to the Philippine islands there to
commence operations and engage the
Spanish fleet.
Promptly obeying that order the
United States squadron, consisting OF
the flagship Olympia, Baltimore, Raj
eigh, Boston, Concord and Petrol, with
the revenue cutter McCulloch as
as an auxiliary dispatch boat, entered
the harpor of Manila at day break on
the 1st of May and Immediately en-.
gagged the entire Spanish fleet of II
ships which were under the protection
of the fire of the land forts. After a
stubborn fight, in which the enemy
suffered great loss, these vessels were
destroyed or completely disabled, and
the water battery at Cavite silenced.
| Of our brave officers and men not one
was lost, and only eight injured, and
those slightly.
All our ships escaped serious damage.
By the 4th OF May Commodore Dewey
had taken possession of the naval sta
ton at Cavite, destroying the fortified.
lions there and at the entrance Of the
bay and patroling their garrisons. The
waters of the bay are under his COM
plete control. He has established hos.
pitfalls within the American lines where
$50 of the Spanish sick and wounded
are assisted and protected.
The magnitude Of this victory can
hardly be measured by the ordinary
standards of naval warfare. Out.
weighing any material advantage is the
moral effect of this initial success AT
this unsurpassed achievement, the great
heart of our nation throbs, not with
boasting, or with greed of conquest, but
with deep gratitude that this triumph
has come in a just cause, and that by
the grace of God an effective step has
thus been taken toward the attainment
of the wished for peace. To those
whose skill, courage and devotion have
won the fight, to the gallant comman.
der and the brave officers and men who
aided him, our country owes an meal.
culable debt.
Feeling as our people feel, and speak
ing in their name, I at once sent a
message to Commodore Dewey thank.
ing him and his officers and men for
their splendid achievement and over.
whelming victory, and informing him
that had appointed him an acting
rear admiral.
now recommend that, following our
national presidents and expressing the
fervent gratitude OF every patriotic
heart, the thanks of congress be given
Acting Rear Admiral George Dewey,
of the United States navy for highly
distinguished conduct in conflict with
the enemy, and to the officers and men
under his command, for their gallantry
in the destruction of the enemy's for.
tifications in the bay of Manila.
WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
Executive Mansion, May 9, 1898.