The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-01-06
The History Of 1898.

y
distinguished by certain events which
have made them memorable. One
year it was the completion of the Paci-
tc railroad. Last year it was the dis
covery of Klondike mine. This year
it has been the war with Spain and it's
results. Five points in connection
with the war stand out very promi-
nently.
One is the wonderful victories with
SO little loss of life on our side. Whep
the war began very Jew of the most
sanguine expected that it would close
as soon as it did. All knew that
Spain like the other European powers,
had a navy, on which she relied with
great faith, while ours had not been
tried in any war with a foreign power
So many changes and Improvements
taken place, too, since the last great
naval battles that there was no telling
how any modern battle on the sea
would result. Untried was the word
used In regard to many of these inn
provements. Hence many, who be-
lieved that we would conquer in the
end half expected that we would be
defeated in the first battle as we were
70 t,ot Of hn
The President too called out the vol
unteer troops with the provision that
they might be needed for two years.
But the first battle at Manila was
one of the most wonderful victories
that have been won since the Egyp-
tians were drowned in the Red Sea.
None were killed on our side, while
eleven Of the Spanish vessels were
sunk sunk as Moses in his song oil
triumph over the Egyptians; said
"like lead in the mighty waters" The
next victory at Santiago was very
similar, while during the whole war
less than 300 were kill, not as many as
have often been drowned in the sink
ing of a single steamer when crossing
the Atlantic Ocean. Even taking in
to the account all those soldiers who
have died by disease, perhaps IL or
1500,lt is undoubtedly less than have
lost their lives on land and by water
in the search for gold IN Alaska during
little more than year.
Second, The results accomplished
by the war OF less than four month.
Not only is Cuba free from Spain but
the latter has also given up Puerto
Rico and her other West India Islands
and the philippine Islands, which
have been oppressed almost or quite
as cruelty as Cuba was, with near
100000 of people, and
The SANDWICH ISLANDS
have also been added TO the United
States, partly as a result Of the war,
and party as the result OF other causes.
1t is difficult to find in history such
great results at So little expense.
Third, Another result has been the
cementlng of the Union between the
Northern and Southern States. Not
since the u. S. became nation
have the two sections worked so har-
moniously together. The slavery
question almost prevented the form
ing of the Constitution of the U. S.,
and history says that it was only a.
dopted by the compromise which
allowed three ffths of the slaves to be
reprented in Congress by the votes of
their masters. The North allowed
this, hoping that slavey would die out
in the South as it had in the North.
Perhaps it would had it not been for
the invention OF the cotton gin, which
so IN made cotton, King. Then fol-
lowed the unpleasant discussions
about slavery, which tie South believ-
ed in carrying on and the North 70
sented, and which resulted in the Civil
War. Although the North conquered,
vet the South has had more or less OF
a bitter feeling.
The North aud South were united
as nation at the close of the war, but
their hearts were not united at once,
Gradually duriug the past thirty five
years this hard feeling has been dying
out. But the Cuban war has no
doubt done more to cement the I'm
ion than any other event since the
war. The following facts show this:
that President Mckinley, an officer
III the northern army appointed Fitz-
hugh Lee and Joseph Wheeler, offic-
ers of the Southern army, as officers
of this war; that they we're proud to
fight under the old flag again, that
northern soldiers were glad to serve
under them; that Hobson of Alabama,
was as much honored in the North as
in the South; and that IN this war no
North or South was known. Thus
the Union is more strongly cemented
together today than it ever has since
we became nation.