The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-29
Why Dewey's Victory Was Momentous.

1t is an unerrng popular instinct which
ranks DEwEY's victory at Cavite among
the great sea fights Of the world.
moments reflection will prove that the
Importance OF a naval engagement Is to be
graduated, not only by the skill and gal
lantry displayed by officers and crews and
by the relative proportion Of losses on the
part OF the combatants, but also. and
chiefly, by it's permanent effect upon the
fortunes OF the nations represented.
Why is 1t that the name OF NELSON
outshines the names Of other renowned
English AdmiraIs like BLAKE. RODNEY and
JERvIs, and why s it that the defeat OF the
Spanish Armada the Battle OF the Nile and
the Battle OF Trafalgar loom largest in the
eye OF the historian? The rout OF the
Spanish Armada in the British Channel
delivered the relatively feeble England OF
ELIZABETH from a carefully prepared in
vasion on the part Of a veteran army,
unequalled at the time in Europe, and COM
manded by ALEXANDER OF Parma, the
ablest General OF his day. The Battle ofthe
Nile left the French army in Egypt Isolated
and cut Off from all hope OF reenforcements,
and thus extinguished BoNAPARTE's hope
OF constructing an empire in the
Orient and of marching overland to drive
the English out OF India. The Battle of
Trafalgar parayzed, II it did not annhi-
late, the combined naval forces of France
and Spain, at a crisis when the Emperor
NAPOLEON relied on them to render posi-
! bic the invasion of England, which from
his Boulogne headquarters he had organ
lied on a vast scale.
That is why these three battles constitute
| impcrishable seamarks In the history OF
| the countries concerned, and possess d e.
| cisive character which does not belong to
the victories OF BLAKE, RODNEY and JERvIs.
although no one would dispute their claim
| to rank among naval heroes. Unquestion-
ably, BLAKE beat the Dutch, then reputed
| the best sailors in the world, and made the
| English flag supreme in the narrow seas.
| The triumph, however was fugitive not per-
manent for, within a generation, the Hol-
landcrs swept the British Channel with a
broom at tho masthead penetrated the
| Thames itself, and burned English war
ships in the Midway. Justly celebrated is
the victory which RODNEY gained of
Dominica in 1882; it saved Jamaica and
ruined the French naval prestige. Immense,
too, was the spoil which, in the previous
year. he had conveyed to England.
But, In 1881, his country needed him.
| not in the Caribbean, but in the Chesa-
peakc, to avert the surrender Of CORN.
WALLIS; and RoDNEY's misplaced and mis-
timed success, splendid as it was, had no
effect upon the American War for indie.
pendence. Again, it was glorious victory
| which JERvIs won Off Cape st. Vincent and
which gave him the earldom of that name
yet as the event was to prove, 1t offered
only a temporary check to that Tesuscita-
ton of the French and Spanish navles
which NAPOLEON had at heart.
The naval history OF the United States Is
replete with proofs OF daring and efficiency
from the exploits OF the Bonhomme Rich.
ard in British waters to the humiliation OF
CERvERA's squadron off Santiago. There
are, however, two achievements which
stand forth beyond all the rest because Of
their epoch-making and decisive bearing on
the destiny OF the Republic.
The first of these, as we scarcely need
point out, was FARRAoUTs capture Of
New Orleans, feat which split the
Confederacy In twain, deprived it Of
It's largest maritime city, gave the North
control over the mouth OF the longest
North American waterway, and, even
tually, shut Off the enemies Of the
y Union from the immense resources OF the
u trans Mississippi region. Amazing. indeed
were the efforts subsequently made by the
confederates.I and there were moments