Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-10-05
THE ADMIRAL.



greetings extended to Admiral Dewep,
ignoring for the moment the obvinns
eagerness of Tammany to make monar
and of the Republicans to make rar,r
capital, out of the celebration; smiiins
at all these things as unimportapt d.,
tails, what are the reasons WHY fnIl
and their kind should be glad that H.
'heart of people beats with ons
desire" and should take their part. in
their own way, in acclaiming the man
who suddenly made a splendid names
First in order of time must ba
reckoned, of course, his great servce
as man called by professional duty d
do stern piece of work. Such ali.
surdly oxtrayagant things have been
said Of the battle of Manila Bay, such
foolish comparisons made between i F.
and the really great naval battles Of
history, that one is tempted, in sheer
reaction TO forget how brilliant it wa,
in conception, and with what calculated
and judicious recklessness it WAS
fought. 1t is this aspect of Deweys
exploit which stamps him as great
commander, who would have been a,
cool and at the same time daring, "a |
calm in nicely weighing force against
force and swiftly striking home with
all his might, il his antagonist bad
bern as otmidable rs he was, in fact
feeble. If he showed contempt for
SPANISH watchfulness and readiness. Il |
was only q justified contempt based on
knowledge, like Drake's, when he
boldly sailed into Cadiz harbor and
spent an audacious day Smuggling the
King of Spain's beard" Dewey at
Manila was simply the incarnate ira.
dition of Anglo-Saxon seanianship, re.
newing In his own person the prin.
cipies of Nelson and Farragut that
1.-THE boldest measures are the safest,n
and that something must be left to
chance. F"
Even yet we may not be able to seq
clearly how much his sharp and crush.
ing blow at Manila did to shorten tho
war. In sense he could say, as Jeryis
did at st. Vincent, when he flung his
| 10 ships against the q Of the Spaniards,
| that victory was essential" for bis
country at that moment. 1t was essen.
tia to hearten his countrymen by a
display, at the very beginning Of the
| war OF the historic dash and bravery Of
y
the sea power of Spain was hollow
| shell. No ono can estimate the value
Of his demonstration Mt Manila in
nerving Sampson and his men, during
| the long and lonely vigils OF the
| blockade off Santiago. They had but
| to think Of Dewey's feat to be certain
that when their own supreme hour
came they would find their foe able toll
do little but die bravely. Thus the
naval battle at Manila. by both break.
ing the spirit of Spain and showing
this country the true measure OF its
enemy at sea, deserves grateful com.
memoration as perhaps the most power,
full single event tending to bring the
Spanish war to speedy close.
But if Dewey was successful in
battle, he was even more consmcuonsy
successful in the trying weeks which
followed. Confronted with the most
4 difficult problems, he met them all
with prompt courage and decision, and
| nobody has ever been able to lay his
finger on one mistake. Your Ad
miral, F" said Capt. Chichester Of
the British man.of-war Immortalite.
accomplished by tact, firmness, and
good Judgment in Manila Bay what
many naval men would have thought
possible only by war. He is great
man" Greatest OF ali, we think, in tho
large humanity he exhibited. In him
was fulfilled Nelson's prayer, as re.
corded in the last entry in his diary
before going into battle Mt Trafalgar:
May humanity af "r victory be the
/ predominant feature in the British
tloet.n Dewey made himself, during
the weeks when he was in supreme
control, as much beloved as his deadly
gunnery on that May morning had
made him feared. The Spaniards came
to trust him as friend. The Filipinos
worshipped him. His own men, down
to the grimest stoker, idolized him
Such high qualities as, by their daily
display in him, wrought this profound
impression on friend and foe alike, are
the Admiral's surest title to grenI'
ness; and his admiring countryme1
arc left 10 bitter reflections on tho
official blindness which refused to
avail of his well-won prestige and
demonstrated capacity in order to Jet
his pentlenes5 and tact 10 what the
laundering sword has SO far failed
TO do.
IL is, indeed, the revelation OF
Admiral Dewey's character after the
battle which has most endeared him
to his counirymen Ii is not only tha
lighting man we welcome, it is the
diplomatist, the statesman with large
OUTLOOK, the kindly gentleman, the
frank and fearless American. - had
their huzzas before,'' said Nelson
when leaving England just before
Trafalgar; now | have their hearts
so do We give our cheers to the man
who fought so well, but our heartfelt
thanks we reserve for the nun who
showed himself still greater, aftel
| victory, in the qualities which mos'
adorn our poor humanity, whether IL
war or peace. Long live your line
old English Admiral yours, | mean
tho U. S. A. one at Samoa, wrote
Robert Louis Stevenson in 1880, wheT
the news of the cool heroism OF oul
sailors in the face of death at Api'
reached him. IL wept tears and loved
myself and mankind when ! read o.
him. And there was Gordon, too; anS
Ihere are others, beyond question
This is the real tribute to Dewey
that he fought like a paladin wheE
lighting was his duty, but that after
wards he was great in gentleness; con,
oiliated Spaniards and drew to himself
the devotion of Filipinos; was con
siderate as he was vigilant, as kind a.
he was firm; and blazed high as al
example of what the American nava
service is at its best.
TRIED TO DIE NJ FIRE.