Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-07-07
The End Near.

spain DUCK Is DTOkcu. Like lHe
crushed snake she may wriggle hei
tail until sunset, but the end is near al
hand. Tenacious as she is, she can
hold out no longer.
The events of the past week have
dissipated whatever hope Spain had
that by continuing the unequal strug-
gle she might be able to secure some
advantage that would enable her to
satisfy her peoples sense OF honor and
at the same time possibly admit of her
securing better terms of peace. In
stead. she finds herself reduced to pitt
full extremities, practically at our
mercy.
1t was evident at the outset that the
war would devolve largely on the
navies OF the two nations. They could
get ut each other in no other way than
by crossing the sea. Whichever navy
proved its superiority, that nation
would gain vantage that could not
possibly be overcome on land. Our
fleets took the offensive at once. Cuba
was beleaguered and blockaded.
Practically all access to her coasts was
denied the enemy from the start. Her
troops in Cuba were shut off from
their source of supplies and reinforce
ment. This has been of inestimable
advantage to our arms, especially ms
it has given us time to raise and equip
an army in our own time. Then away
off in the Philippines the war had hard
w begun before bold Dewey utterly
destroyed the Spanish power in the
Pacific, not only freeing our coast from
danger of attack, but opening the way
for the conquest of Il great Spanish
colony.
At length, Spain sent her strongest
fleet across the Atlantic to succor Cuba
and if possible to raise the blockade
of the island. Instead of accomplish
ing this. Cervera's squadron lodged
about as if to escape the wrath to
come and finally ran into Santiago
harbor. Our squadrons were hot on
the trail, however, and quickly appear
ed off the harbor entrance in such force
that the Spaniard dared not come forth.
.rhe defenses and natural strength of
the harbor were such that our own
fleet could do little but wait outside
while land force was hurried forward
to cooperate. In the meantime came
the brilliant, soul stirring attempt by
Hobson to block the harbor entrance
so as to prevent Cervera's escape,
which, though not fully accomplished,
showed what our sailors were capable
of.
As soon as the land force arrived, il
was hurried forward with a speed
that astonished the enemy and in a
bloody two-days' battle the Americans
gained such an advantage that the fall
of Santiago was certainty. In des-
peration, Cervera made dash out of
the harbor with his ships, hopeful that
some of them might escape. Vain
hope. Once more the terrible Yankee
fleet showed its prowess and the
Spaniards were totally overthrown,
not a single vessel escaping. At this
writing the capture of Santiago is
only a question of hours.
What is there left for Spain? True,
she still holds Havana and has many
thousand soldiers, in Cuba. She has
not quite loosed her hold at Manila.
But her power is crumbling in every
direction. Her navy is almost des-
troyed, while ours is stronger than
ever. She is thrown on the defensive
in war in which her only hope lay in
sweeping our navy off the sea. Our
guns will soon be laundering at Cadiz.
1t is inconceivable that Spain win not
quickly sue for peace before the last
vestige of her nationality is swept
AWAY.