The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-10
For the destruction of the Spanish
Fleet and Batteries I'm the HarbOr
of Manila ON May L.
ENABLING BILL ALSO PASSED
PROVIDING FOR THE COMMoDORE'S
PROMOTION TO AN ADMIRALsHIP.
Resolution Adopted by Senate Au-
thOrizing Presentation of Sword
and Medals-ReIief Preparations.
pecial to the indianapolis Journal.

| Special to tie indianapolis Journal.
! WASHINGTON, May 9.-Republics are not
ungrateful; they know how to honor their
heroes and do it promptly. On May Com
| modore Dewey annihilated the Spanish fleet
| in Manila bay. On May the United States
| government received the first official ad-
vices of the great victory. The same day
a congratulatory dispatch was sent to
Dewey with the information that the Presi-
dent would make him rear admiral Yes
| terday the President transmitted a message
| to Congress recitng the events at Manila
and asking that vote Of thanks be ten
| dered Dewey and his men. Both houses
adopted resolution at once. The Presi-
| dents message follows:
| ITO the Congress of the United States:
ION the 24th of April 1 directed the Sec
| retary 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 forthwith to the Philip
pine islands, there to commence operations
Promptly obeying that order, the United
| States squadron, consisting Of the flagship
| Olympia, Baltimore, Raleigh, Boston, Con-
| cord and Petrol, with the revenue cutter
| McCulloch as an auxiliary dispatch boat,
| entered the harbor of Manila at daybreak
| on the 1st of May and Immediately engaged
| the entire Spanish fleet of eleven 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 disab-
| led 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 of our ships escaped any Sc
rious damage.
by the 4th Of May Commodore Dewey
| had taken possession of the naval station at
| Cavite, destroying the Notifications there
and at the entrance of the bay and parol-
| ing their garrisons The waters of the bay
are under his complete control He has es-
! tablshed hospitals within the American
| lines, where $50 of the Spanish sick and
| wounded are assisted and protected.
1.-THE magnitude of this victory can hardly
be measured by the ordinary standards of
naval warfare. Outweighing 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 with greed of conquest
| but with deep gratitude that this triumph
| has come in just cause and that by the
| grace of God an effective step has thus
| been taken toward the attainment of the
| wished-for peace.
| ITO those whose skill, courage and devo-
| tion have won the fight, to the gallant COM
/ mander and the brave officers and men
| who aided him, our country owes an incal-
| culable debt. Feeling as our people feel
and speaking in their name, I at once sent
a message to Commodore Dewey, thank
ing him and his officers and men for his
| splendid achievement and overwhelming
victory and informed him that I had ap-
| pointed him an admiral
| now recommend that, following our
national precedents and expressing the fer
vent gratitude of every patriotic heart. the
| thanks OF Congress be given Acting Rear
Admiral George Dewey, of the United
States navy, for highly distinguished con-
ouct in conflict with the enemy. and to
| the officers and men under his command
Tor their gallantry in the destruction of the
| enemy neet and the capture of the en-
ehy Iortlncatlons in the bay of Manila.
| WILLIAM MKINLEY,
Executive Mansion, May g."
Immediately after the message had been
received the following joint resolution was
| Introduced in the Senate and House and
| adopted unanimously:
| JOINT resolution rendering the thanks 10
congress TO Commodore George Dewey
| T. >. N, and to the officers and men Of
the squadron under his command
| Resolved, by the Senate and House of
| Representatives of the United States in
| congress assembled, that in pursuance of
the recommendation CT the President. made
In accordance with the provisions of Section
| l5OS of the Revised Statutes, the thanks of
| congress and of the American people are
hereoy rendered to Commodore George
| Dewey, Y. >. N, commander-in-chiefo of the
Asiatic squadron, for highly distinguished
cohuuct IN conflict with the enemy as dis
| played by him in the destruction OF tha
spanish fleet and batteries in the harbor
of Manila, Philippine islands, May 1, 1898
Section 2 That the thanks of Congress-
and of the American people are hereby ex-
tended through Commodore Dewey to the
officers and men under his command for the
! gallantry and skill exhibited by them on
| that occasion.
Sec 3. Be it further resolved. That
the President of the United States be re-
quested to cause this resolution to be COM
municated to Commodore Dewey and
through him TO the officers and men under
! his command"
Following the adoption of the resolution
| both houses passed a bill raising the num-
! Der of admirals from six to seven to pro-
| vide for Commodore Deweys promotion.
! The bin fouows
/ "That, the number of rear aomirals in the
United Stats navy now allowed by law be,