The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-01
DEwEY'S PRECEDENCE.


An explanation has been asked FOL
the preference given Admiral Dewey
over other naval heroes, whether it is
because he took a more active personal
part, exposed himself to greater dan.
gers, fought a more decisive battle OF
won a more complete victory than die
the hero of Santiago"
There are several reasons why prece-
dence has been given to Admiral
Dewey. 1t isn't because he took an
active part in the battle of Manila, per-
sonally, for he says he was seasick
when the engagement began. 1t isn't
because he was exposed to bodily
harm, for the long range guns of his
fleet enabled him TO hold the enemy al
arms length while he hammered them.
1t isn't because the battle which made
him famous was more decisive than the
battle of Santiago, for it was not; so
far as the Cuban war was concerned,
the Spanish fleet at Manila might have
stayed there. And no victory could be
more complete than that of the Amer
lean fleet off Santiago.
But the dash, the suddenness, the
brilliancy, the completeness of Dewey's
work in Manila bay astonished the en-
tire world. 1t was so dramatic in its
execution, so overwhelming in its unex-
pectedness, so marvellous in its distri-
button of losses, that the gallant COM
mander was lifted on a tidal wave of
spontaneous applause high upon the
rock of lasting fame. The American
people were so relieved when the naval
scarecrow of the enemy was exposed,
so proud of the sensation that triumph
produced in Europe, so gratified to
learn that their ironclad navy. which
had never been tested and concerning
which they had stihed approximations
with difficulty, was all that was
claimed for it, that with one accord
they rose and proclaimed Dewey to be
king Of the high seas.
Upon the pedestal where an appre-
ciative people had placed him there
was room for no one else. So when
Cervera dashed through the mouth of
Santiago bay that fateful Sunday
morning it made no difference how
close the contending fleets were in the
duel of artillery which ensued, or how
the shots ratified around the head of
the officer in command, or how MANY
times the flagship was struck, or how
many hostile vessels We're DESTROYED. or
how completely the-foe was vanauished
the browning ceremony was over and
Dewey occupied the throne of popular
Nor fr-oc
claim the glory he had won.
Moreover, Dewey has grown In the
public eye ever since the day of his
memorable fight. 1t is not alone as q
Fighter that he is known and honored
The people have been watching him
for more than a year. They have seen
him in the capacity of an administra-
Tor whose authority in the Philippines
was superseded to our cost. AS a diplo-
mat he prevented international com
plications in which unfriendly and
ofiicious foreigners seemed determines
10 involve this government. As cour-
ageous officer and seaman he resented
intermeddling and showed that no fleet
or force was big enough to intimidate
him. And when he cut the cable. when
he severed all connection with the
strategy board, when he took precau-
lions against advice from Washington.
Dewey struck the American fancy as
the man Of the hours After a little
suspense the message came. simple and
direct as a classic. 1t told the news OF
his achievement in language that ranks
with Caesars dispatch from Pontus and