The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-03-08

on the succeeding Sunday, Santiago
formally surrendered and the Stars
Stripes were raised over MORO Castle
and the Governors palace.
Manila, Santiago Bay and Santiago
undoubtedly the three decisive events
of the Spanish-American war-all
fought on a Sunday, and with the
Americans always aggressive and vic
torious 1t seems that the United
Stats must be the exception, always
Indispensable, according TO Kipling,
toprove the rule.
Aud recently have transpired two
important events which go to show
that Bloody Sunday" is fraught with
success to American arms These are
the crushing defeat administered 10
the Filipinos at Manila and the Oecu-
patton OF IIoilo by General Miller.
True, Aguinaldo's rash followers met
their just deserts for venturiug to as
sault our troops on "a Sunday, but by
the same token Miller should have
been repulsed at IloilO. On the con-
trary, he gained an easy victory. Truly
as hinted before, logic has no place in
this proposition. It is doubtful if it
can survive the blows dealt to il dur
ing our late unpleasan tness.
The history Of the United States
teens with events which grossly viO-
late the principle of rigid Sunday OBJ
servanee, looking at the logical side of
the question. OF the decisive battles
which were, at least in part, fought on
Sunday may be mentioned Saratoga,
where Burgoyne, with trained army
of British regulars, was compelled to
yield to American militia. Who can
reckon the reviving effect Of this vic
tory upon the sinking fortunes Of the
great rebellion? Washington did not
think Sunday night bad time to lead
his ragged, half frozen army across the
Delaware. Coming down to the Mex
lean war, we find that the battle of
Resaca de la Palma was fought on
Sunday, and year later, also on a
Sabbath, our troops carried hitherto
impregnable Chapultepee Castle by
assault aud ended the wal in our favor.
During the civil war innumerable
conflicts took place on Sunday. Twas
on the Lords Day that the little won
der Monitor attacked and repulsed the
powerful Merrimac and thereby revo-
lutionized naval warfare. Pittsburg
Landing, which brought Grant into
prominence; Petersburg. Spottsylva-
mia, Chattanooga and Lookout Noun
tain were ali fought on Sunday. 1t
seems to have been rather a fsvOrite
day with Grant. Stonewall Jackson,
the second Napoleon" was famed for
his ultra-religious views, yet he did
not hesitate to fight on Sunday. He
reaped his greatest military success and
met hero's death in the dusk of one
Sunday afternoon at Chancellorsville.
Perhaps some people will contend that
had he deferred his brilliant flank move
ment until Monday he might have
been spared, but military men will
hardly subscribe to this view. Chick
amauga was fought on Sunday, and
the aggressOrs won. One bright Sum-
day morning the Kearsarge challenged
the famous Alabama to combat off the
coast of France and sank her.
Probably Burnside met deserved re-
buke when he assaulted Lee and Jack
son at Fredericksburg on Sunday, for
history records his crushing defeat
And that ever memorable Sunday at
Appomattox, when gray-haired and
heart-broken Lee yielded the remnants
of ais army to his generous opponent
practically brought the civil war to
close.
Out of total of some twenty-three
hundred engagements fought in all the
wars Of the United States, over three
hundred occurred on Sunday. QIite a
fair proportion, considering that it
only gets around once in seven days.
And this is how history answers the
pulpit and has indelibly marked
Bloody Sunday" as a fatefll dag in
the progress Of the great republic.
The San Jose Scale.