The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1898-07-29
t'ln the Light House by the Sea-"
Editor Democrat-Star.


WRITTEN DURING A GALE.J
My Dear Captain-1 take advantage
OF the presence here of MI. st. George
Gibbon, who has kindly rendered his
services to deliver this, to say to you
that IL you have any feeling Of sympa-
thy for the warnings Of an unfortu-
nate prisoner-n0t Of war-the kindly
gods be thanked, but Of fate and cir
cumstances, youswill hasten to make
up a bundle of Fate papers (if you have
them to snare and forward them to
me in r OF Mr.. Alleys sloop "Myra,"
which, in I'll probability, will be out
here within the next few days.
Cribbcd, cabined and confined as /
am upon this bright little, tight
little island somewhat smaller than
the one at present in controversy-it
Is only the echoes of the m0mentous
events OF the great outer world, which
come drifting to mt as drifted to Mad
rid the inexorable story Of SPANS
coming doom when the FIRST American
gun belched forth It's prophetic warn
ing in far.ofr Manila's bay on that
lovely May morning, when one by one
SPANS squadron went down beneath
the blue sun-kissed waves under the
guns of the immortal Dewey's ships ;
that lst day Of May, 1898, which, be-
cause Of the lesson it teaches OF Amer
ica's riehtful place among the proud
nations Of the earth, must and shall
find its fitting place side by side with
July 4, l776.
Other events since then have been
pregnant of meaning for ourselves and
for the world at large ; other acts Of
heroism have been performed and
have thrilled the great heart of Amer
lea to its utmost center with patriotic
pride in the daring deeds, the man
hood and the earnest purpose Of those
gallant sea and land defenders OF that
flag, beneath whose protecting folds
they were born and whose every star
and stripe they love and revere rs the
emblem Of their pride and honor as a
natiOn-their freedom as individuals.
l have heard rumOrs Of the fall and
surrender Of Santiago de Cuba ; how
Gen. Toral, despite his boast that he
would never yield the city to the en-
trance Of the hated enemy so long as
one Spanish soldier remained alive to
man and guard its ramparts, was at
last forced to furl the proud banner of
Castillo, and with it lay down the
arms Of his army at the feet Of his
conquerors All this and more | have
learned from the reports of those who
baye visited the island but, because
OF my isolation (my boat has been for
some days hauled out on the beach
undergoing fepairs) l have been de-
prived of the pleasure Of reading the
stirring news for myself, and, conse-
quently denied the satisfaction of
sharing the natural feeling Of pride
which at that time, swept the length
and breath Of the country yer the
glorious event. Yes, it must have
created a world of patriotic cnthusi-
asm in the hearts OF all true Ameri-
cans when il was learned thai Spntia-
go, the second chief city of Cu5a, had
submitted to the proves Of the Amer
lean arms (; that above which for the
first ting within it's history las in the
histUyp f the whole island IA history
whose pages are stained with a bitter
story OF wrong and cruelty committed
by that nation, which despite its
boosted civilization and christianity,
is in disposition, motives and acts
but one step removed above the Amer
lean savage of two centuries ago) the
stars and stripes now wave.
When we recall to mind the years,
the unknown unhappy years, OF brutal
ity and persecution-the lack OF hu-
man mercy itsclf-against which the
unfortunate down trodden Cubans lad
to contend, should we. wonder, at the
deep undyins hatred tkex feel against
their cruel oppressors, add the craving
which is theirs for the God-given boon
Of freedom. Did not the same spirit,
the same craving, animate the hearts
of IL forcfsthers in 1776? Hence,
why should we seek to deny to that
unhappy people the samegift, which
makes US to-day the mighty nation
that wsare. p
THE mills Of the gods grind slowly,
yet they grind exceeding fine" And
to-day Spain is paying bitterly for her
cruel acts OF the past.
Please send me some papers--the
gale is breaking and SO Is my wrist,
from fatigue Yours,
r. ANDREA DIMITRY.
July "A, 1898.
Miami, Florida. is a pest hole. Many
- 80, ..ll..AG At. vui.-