The times., 1899-05-31

FScharer, the historian Of the Confed-
crate navy, refers to this effectual block
ade in his well-written work and says:
The blockade from the Chesapeake
Bay to the mouth of the Rio Grande shut
the Confederacy out from the world. de-
prived it of supplies. weakened its military
and naval strength. and compelled exhaus-
tion by compelling the consumption of
everything grown or raised in the coun-
try
The battle between the Monitor and the
Merrimac was the pivotal point. This bat
tie decided as between American and Euro
pean thought The Merrimac was con-
structed upon the European plan of IRON
clads. except the sloping sides, and the
Monitor was purely an American invention.
So 1t was test of ideas, and this test was
to decide whether Europe or America
should control this Western Continent
From this point of view the first battle of
the iron monsters in Hampton Roads be-
comes pregnant with new interest and en-
larged Importance.
The Decisive Battle.
In my opinion this battle settled the
fate of the rebellion. The war might be
prolonged, thousands of lives might be
sacrificed, and billions of treasure expend-
ed, yet from that hour the doom of the re-
bellion was sealed The Monitor was the
monarch of the waters. The question of
foreign interference was settled, and all
else was only question of time.
Compare the operations of England
and France at Sebastapol with the results
OF the first year of the Civil War. Re-
member that those great nations had two
OF the best and most formidable navies OF
the world at their command from the very
nrst, and that Lincoln and his coworkers
had almost literally nothing
Then 1t will appear how great the
achievements of the Union arms during
the first year Of the Civil War which de-
ilvered the Potomac from the enemy's
control and captured the Hatteras forts, the
inner fortifcatioDs sof Albermarle and
Pamlico.. The southern forts, except those
at Wilmington and Charleston. were re-
captured. Mobile and Charleston were
sealed up. The navy yard at Norfolk was
again IN our possession. The power of the
confederate navy had been broken by the
deieat OF the Merrimac and the destruction
OF the Confederate feet at Memphis. New
orleans was ours. the Mississippi virtual
iy opened. the Cumberland and Mississippi
once more covered and guarded by the flag
OF the Union, and by means of these COM
inuhications, established by the Navy, the
Army was advanced into the heart of
Tennessee; and be it said without mock
cry. that when all this was ACCOMPLISHED
at the end of the first year of the war.
Mcclellan was engaged with his magni-
ncent army in besieging 1900 men at
Yorktown.
1t would be impossible in a TWENTY
minute address to even refer to the battles
Iought by the Navy during the years from
1861 to 1865. For this reason | have en-
deayored to group the results of its sue
n 6tffft1 th
illustrative of its history during the entire
struggle. The Navy never suffered any re-
verses. 1t established the blockade from
the Chesapeake to the Rio Grande and
maintained it; it opened the Mississippi
and Cumberland, and Tennessee, and kept
them open; wherever 1t went it bore the
banner of triumph
Recent outbursts of enthusiasm over
the brilliant performances of our Navy
must not be allowed to overshadow equally
brilliant achievements of more remote
wars in which the dash and courage and
genius of American sailors challenged the
admiration of the world and thrilled the
hearts of our people. The deeds of Preble
and Hull and Bainbridge and Porter and
Stewart and Decatur and Perry and Nc
Donough of the old Navy. and Farragut
and Porter and Dahlgren and Winslow and
Cushing and Dupont and a host of others
of the war of 1861 to 1865, must not be
lost sight of in the delirium of praise
showered upon the heroes of later war
DR.. Frank Bristol spoke briefly on the
Navy in the last war, complimenting the
gallant officers and the men behind the
guns
At the Soldiers Home.
The exercises at the Soldiers Home
were in charge of Henry Wilson Fost No.
II, G.. A. r.. and G. II. Slaybaugh. Vice
Department of The Potomac,
presided. The committee and officers CT
the home with the veterans and invited
guests marched in a body to the cemetery
where the exercises were held
The programme was as follows:
Sounding assembly at 9:45 n. m, Soldiers Home
lugler; Departed Days. Soldiers Home Band
;alline the assembly to order, G. II. SlaybaugI
;. V. Commander, chairman; Invocation Rev |
i. Allen Griffith, chaplain OF the Home; "The
Rest of the Brave (Calver), Miss Emma IIouch
IN; Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, Comrade j. C.
:. Burger; Schubert's Serenade, Soldiers Home
Band; poem, The Voices of Flowers Dr. Thorn
IS Caver; softly Now the Light of Day IF. G.
llsley), quartette st. Peters choir; oration Rev
VI. W. HANNA, ID; dropping From the Ranks |
lne BY One" (Kinsey), solo, Mr. Ed. b. Fox;
,hous. St. Peters choir; address, Gen. George D.
Bells" Soldiers Home Band; closing prayer,
Rev. Father Harman, chaplain of the Home; |
America" ST. Peters choir and assemblage, |
iand accompaniment; salute, Soldiers Home Bat |
cry; "To Thee, My Country" Soldiers Home
Band; taps, Soldiers Home bugler; reforming |
md return of Veterans to the Home.
In his address Rev. NJ. W. HANNA said |
N part:
DIR. Hamma's Grafton.
''All over the Republic, wherever the |
owe OF native land prevails and men can |
Jay L have country and | have flag
wherever the highest ideals and sacrifices |
If human conduct inspire to noble deeds, |
his day will be celebrated with the ten
lerest memorial services, while strewn |
lowers everywhere with fragrant lips kiss |
he sod beneath which sleeps the Just of |
he nations million heroes. Though all |
understand why this beat of drums, why |
hese plaintive notes of music, why these |
throngs, why these flower -strewn |
graves, and this universal benediction OF
and blessing, yet it is meet that
We should thus assemble in every year of
very generation and recount the signif-
ance of this memorial.
THE first proposition suggested by this
lay for our consideration is the greatness
# our common country The speaker
hen gave a detailed account of American
rogress and American advancement. In
peaking OF the late colonial acquisitions
Dr. HANNA said: "0ur latest immense in
rease of dominion has pushed our bounda-
les from continental toward the approxi-
nation of hemispherical proportions. Out
( providental and humanitarian war, our
onauering fleets and armies have gone 10 |