Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-17

I a.. IL
provisions and munitions OF war In the
lent of storm. accident. or defeat. Yet
ali Of these together did not deter hin,
from the exploit or cause MIN 10 oelay
"A second in the execution or MS pans.
had he been a cautious leader and
oontonted himself with taking some
smau island and blockadfng Manila, ne
,Do,,ld have received universal praise.
had he been marked by the prudence "a
many eminent commanders anu s'"eu
hn,,cward when the war broke out OF
aona 40 Honolulu TO obtain Te-enforce-
ments for his fleet, the voice Oh
nroacb would never have been raised
against him.
But with the call to arms, the OLD
viking spirIt rose and controlled the man.
Tugt as Olaf swept the shores OF France
"a Tosu ravaged the kentish coast as
Drake Redeemed the Spanish Malh' 40
Howard sp-ang at the Invincible Armaua,
as Nelson led the way against the alheu
fleets at Trafalgar, as Farrasut sdIieu
up the Mississippi, so Dewey praF.ns
every danger, threw himself upon Ihe
foes at the Spanish Colonial capltai' inc
very daring Of the assault lncreaseu ls
force and efficiency. To the Spanish
soldier and sailor these seven ships COM
ing out of the gray dawn In full battle
from whom there was no escape. The
mere fact that they were there mace
every soul believe that they were lnVui-
nerable and invincible. II vas TINS ieei-
ing which disarranged the Spanlafus
aim and destroyed the usefulness OF 'he'r
torDedoes.
Doubtless Dewey had calculated the
moral effect of his sudden appearance be-
fore the walls at Cavite. lie was Oounu
10 attack the place, and the sooner he
attempted the task the greater were the
chances of success. The swift cam
paign which found its fitting climax in
complete victory was "a stroke OF genius
which the world will never forget.
TACT AND COMMON SENSE.
1t is rare that a man attains greatness
in both war and peace. In general great
warrior is a very poor diplomat and
statesman. There have been notable eX-
ceptions, such as Charlemagne, Frede-
rick the Great, and Bismarck. On the
other hand, Napoleon BOnaparte, Wei
lington. and Garibaldi displayed not more
than mediocrity in civil life. If Dewey
surprised the world by his naval genius,
he amazed it afterwards by his supreme
tact and common-sense. From the bat
tie Of Manila up to the time he left
I.uzon Dewey does not seem TO have com
mitted one mistake. He was beset Dy
troubles and difficulties on every side.
Jealous or grasping foreign Powers en-
deavored to take advantage of the situa-
tion Adventures, both American ana
non-American attempted to reap golden
harvest from the disorder of war; the
savage semi-savage, and semi-ciyilized
elements Of the Philippines raised new
do n Through
all Dewey moved as calmly as upon MS
own quarterback
After a month had passed the American
public and the American press paid him
the highest possible practical compli-
ment They gave the Philippines no at
tention beyond the comment that they
were in the hands of Dewey, and were
all right. This administrative wisdom
appealed to the nation with almost as
much force as had the Admirals triumphs
in battle. They demonstrated that the
hour had found the man, and that in the
great naval commander the United States
could offer the world a character with
which TO dignity the history of the race.
His homecoming Is significant in other
respects; his triumph and progress from
sea to sea and port to port; his daily
communication with home by means OF
Of the day on which the Olympia viii
enter the Narrows are eloquent Of new
era They show how small the world
has grown; how the ocean has lost Its
terrors. and time and space their mean
ing; how the Pacific like the Atlantic,
has been made the cruising ground OF the
English-speaking races.
The older generation still picture the
Pacific ocean as an uneXp!ored waste
dotted with savage isles and crossed by
only an occasional trader The boy OF
to-day sees instead a body Of water with
English and American communities at
every strategic point and coigne OF
vantage, law and order prevailing in
every isle and with every port the scene
Of a commerce that Is destined soon TO
rival the older harbors and Ravens OF
the Atlantic.
In 1895 the United States stepped west
ward. first to Honolulu and then 10
Manila, there to face Great Britain, which
had moved eastward until its flag flew
from Hongkong. Shanghai. and Wei Hal
Wei The upper and neither mill-stones
Of Englsh-speakng nationality came to-
gether that year and held between them
the entire round globe. II IS impossible
to est mate the momentousness of the
change. The widest fances Of the 10
litical dreamer are Insignificant along
side Of the possibilities which are IN
yolved in the event.
MAY BRING Us WEALTH.
For 800 years the West Indies have pour
ed a stream Of wealth into the Golfers
OF the nations. To-day the East Indies,
those great belts Of land starting with
Formosa and taking in the Philippines,
Borneo, and the other fruitful territories
of the Orient, are about to enter the
same service. The West Indies are small
indeed compared with those Of the East;
their population are but fraction Of
those OF the latter. and their resources
bul a shadow Of those which are now
ready for exploitation on the other side
If me world. Under the direction Of the
American and Eng ish intellect these
eastern archipelagoes will soon pour an
ever-increasng food Of wealth into the
great republic on the one hand and the
United Kingdom on the other Every
merchant realizes the fact; every patriot
appreciates 1t; every workingman has
dim consciousness that his lot is TO be
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