Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1898-11-16

THE MODERN cHIvALRY.
Honor and Virtue VIII Now he
Safe In the Spanish
Colonies.

Capt. Frank Wildes, OF the American
cruiser Boston. who bore distin'
guished part in Commodore pewey's
splendid victory at Manila. has writ.
ten a letter TO one OF his friends in
Portland, Me-, describing picturesque
incident that followed the Spanish de.
feat. 1t will be remembered that be.
fore the arrival of the invading fleet
the Spanish captain general Of the
Philippines issued addresses o the peo
pie denouncing the American sailors
as pigs and monsters, who. IL they sue
ceeded In entering the city, wouldliu'
dulge in wild carnival ofviolence and
crime against life and property. The
more ignorant classes of the inhab'
itants were made 10 believe these
frightful stories, and even some OF the
intelligent residents were seriously
alarmed lest the dreadful Americans
should subject them TO indignity and
suffering. Capt. Wildes tells the story
of a Spanish lady Of great refinement
and beauty, who had heardthese terri
BILE reports, who went to the British
consul and asked whether he really be.
lieved that the hated Yankees were as
they had been pictured In the captain
generals proclamation. The consul
simply replied:
MADAM, honor and virtue are safer
in Manila to-day than they have been
for 300 years"
That truthful assurance contains q
hint of one Of the most important and
far-reaching results which the present
war is destined to accomplish. Social
conditions in SPANS colonial terri
tory have long been VIGOROUSLY cor
rirpt and vicious The unprinciplec
officials whom the Spanish government
has kept in control of her island pos
sessions have debauched both society
and politics. Many of them have grown
rich by levying blackmail on vice ant
crime, and other influence has beer
constantly used to stihe the morals
and conscience OF the people. Ia al
atmosphere thus polluted life an,
honor are held at their lowest valun
ton. The law, administered by cor
rupt officers, has offered no redress fol
the wrongs of their helpless victims
and in some of the cities of thes
Spanish colonies, Havana, for example
women and young girls have been de
based to the lowest depths of degrade
ton.
Under Providence, the present wa
will abolish these revolving condition
and open the way for social order an
progress. in every one Of the colonie
which the clash of arms wrests fror
the dominion of Spain the status O
woman, socially, intellectually an
morally, win undergo an immediat
and steady improvement. She will az
quire larger liberty, higher respec
and purer influence than she has eve
enjoyed under the degrading misrul
of Spanish monarchism, and her ult
mate advance TO the honored positio
now cheeTfully assigned to her Angle
American sisters will be the crownin
achievement of the nineteenth centur
chivalry.
Beneath the extraordinary and hell
full interest which the women of Amer
lea have thus far taken in the struggl
with Spain there is profound conyi'
ton that this Is holy war for the rel
cue Of womanhood and childhood froI
the clutches of their despoilers. Th
blood of Weyler's innocent victim
cries from the Cuban soil for vengeanc
and vindication. The specters of III
helpless mothers and babes whom tina
relentless monster put to death by III
exquisite torture of starvation sti
haunt the horizon OF our latter da
civilization, and they will not dow
until the merciless power Of Spain
forever destroyed in the islands whic
she has shown herself unfit 10 COVER
To this heroic task In behalf of virtt
and honor the sons and daughters
the great republic have dedicated the
hands and fortunes. The god of ba
Ties will affirm the righteousness
their cause, and they may confident
appeal from kings to time for the a
proval Of their deeds.-N. Y. Mail an
Express.
A LIFE FULL OF RISKS.