The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-10-13

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men Of land and sea the old admiral
was carr1ed amid hundreds OF thou-
sands OF uncovered heads On Broad
way and laid on his pillow 81 due. IN
beautiful Wo0dlawn Sept 30 amid the
pomp OF our autumnal forests.
But just as much am I stirred at the
scene ON waxship's deck before San
tlago last summer, when h victory
gained for our American flag over
spanish oppression the captain took
OF his hat and all the sailors md sol
dpers did n same and silently they
o1ered thanks to Almighty God for
what had been accomplished. and
when ON another ship the soldiers and
sailors We're cheering as a Spanish
vessel sank and it's officers and crew
were struggling IN waters and the
captain OF u warship cried out:
Don't cheer: The poor fellows are
drowning" Prayers ON deck! Prayers
in the ~forecasrle, Prayers In the cabin!
Prayers IN the hammocksi Prayers on
the lookout ar midnight. The bauties
OF THAT war opened with prayer, were
pushed on with prayer and closed with
prayer. and today the American nation
recalls them with prayer.
A NATIONS GREETING.
We hail with thanks the new genera
ton Of naval heroes, those OF the rear
1893. We are TOO near their marvellous
deeds to fully appreciate them. A cen
fury from now poetry and sculpture
and painting and history viii do then
better justice than we a do them
now. A defeat ait Manila would have
been an infinite disaster. Foreign ma
lions not overload of our American
Institutions would have joined the 9TH
er side, n the war SO many months
| past would have been raging stfll, ana
| perhaps a hundred Thousand graves
would have opened to take down our
slain soldiers and sailors. Ut took this
| country three years to get over the
disaster at Bun Run at the opening OF
the civil war. How many years 1t
| would nave required to recover from a
| defeat at Manila in THE opening OF the
| Spanish war / cannOt say. God avert
| ed the calamity by giving triumph to
u navy under Admiral Dewey, whose
| coming up through the NaTrows OF
| New York harbor day before yesterday
| was greeted by THE nation whose well
| coming cheers willndt cease to re-
sound until tomorrow, and nex day
| in the capital of the nation tine Jewell
| ed sword voted by congress shall be
| presented amid blooming cannonade
'and embannered hosts, and our au-
tumnEal nights shaM become a conffa-
grafton of splendor, but the tramp OF
| these professions and the flash of that
sword and the huZZa of that greeting
M the roar of those gums and the il
lumiration OF those nights win be seen
and heard ais long as a page OF Ameri-
cen h~istory remains inviolate.
Fsrecially let the country boys of
Ii -" join in these greeting II the
re- ed heroes of Manila. 1t is their
wClt The chief character in all the
scene S the once country lad, George
D. Wey. Let the Vermontnrs come
Gown and find him older, but ;he same
modest, unassuming, almost bashful
PERSON that they went to school With
an6 will, whom they sportel on the
playground. The honors CT all the
wo:i.i cannot spoil him. =. few wees
Z ct 8 banquet in En- gland some of
the titled noblemen were a1rcnted Se-
cause cur American minister pienipo-
Tertiary associated the na,ne of Dewey
with that of Lord Nelson. AS we'll
might We be affronted because the
name of Nelson is associated with tina:
of Our most renowned admiral. The
one mama in all the coming ages viii
stand as high as h Other. so this
day, sy mpathizing with all the fes.
t~iv1t,es and celebrations of the pas
week and with all the festivities ana
celebra lions to come this week, let u.
anew thank God and those heroes OF
the Emetlcan navy Who have don
such great things for iii beloved land
Come aboard the old ship Zion, we sail
ors and soldiers. whether still in TIL;
active service or honora5ly discharged
and at home having resumed citizen
ship. Ard We men Of the .n.st. YOU
last battle on the seas fought, TAX,
from III" in Gods name salutatIOn an,
good cheer. For the few remainin,
fights With sin and death and hell max,
ready. Strip your vessel for the fray
Harg the sheet chains over the side
Send down the t~opgallant masts. T:ar
ricade the wheel. Rig in the fyin,
ji5 boom. Steer straight for the slim
ing shore and hear the shout Of tn
great Commander of earth and heavel
as He cries from the shrouds, ITO hin
that overcometh will I give to eat O
the tree of life which is in the midst o
the paradise of God" Hosanna! Ho
sanna!