The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-05-09
THE MANILA TROPHY
Captain CoghJan Formally Preseuts To
the City of Raleigh h Gun Captured
ofth Reina Chrfstina-Nore Cour-
tesies for the Omcers Of the Raleigh
She sails Tomorrow

restes for the Officers Of the Raleigh
She sails Tomorrow
h NordenfeIt three FOUNDER rapid
fire rifle which was informally deliv-
cred 10 Mayor A VI. Powell Z the
delegation of citizens from the city OF
Raleigh on board the cruiser Raleigh
on Friday, was shipped 70 Raleigh yes
terday by the Seaboard Air Line. We
learn. that ii is to be mounted in the
rotunda OF the capitol building.
Yesterday morning az 10 o'clock, IN
the parlors Of The Orion, Captain
Coghlan formally presented the gun 10
Mayor Powell and the other Raleigh
semblage present. including the officers
Of the Raleigh, Mayor Powell and the
Raleigh representatives.
Among those present were Colonel
James Z. Boyd, assistant attorney gen.
eral Of the United States; Captain Z.
W. EanC. Lucas, chief of the United
States engineer corps; Mr.. James
Sprunt, Colonel X. NJ. Murchison,
Captain T. D. Meares n others.
Captain Coghlan made the ~presenta-
ton speech. He said the gun was cap
tured from the flagship of the Spanish
admiral, at the battle of Manila, the
Reina Christina, and the presentation
OF the trophy vas made not because
the Raleigh had anything mora 10 do
with sinking the Reina Christina than
any other OF Dewey's fleet, but because
it was the desire Of the officers and
men of the cruiser Raleigh TO present
the trophy as a mark of the esteem and
affection which they naturally felt for
the city whose name the cruiser has
the honor of bearing. The presentation
of the gun was made as an evidence
that the officers and men OF the Raj
eigh always kept in mind the city and
its name, and he hoped it would be re-
ceived in the same spirit which ami
mated it's presentation. He said the
officers and men of the Raleigh are
proud of the name and are proud of
the interest which the people of North
Carolina and the city of Raleigh had
manifested in the ship which bears the
name Of their state capital.
The captains remarks We're rOundly
and enthusiastically a~pplauded.
r. N. Simmons, Esq, a talented
young member of the Raleigh bar, re-
sponded to Captain COghlan, and ac-
cepted the trophy in behalf of the
mayor and people of Raleigh. He said:
"Gentlemen:-To me has been been
delegated the honor of receiving this
trophy at your hands. In behalf, there
fore, of the lay and the citizens of
Raleigh, l accept it n render to you
our thanks. 1t is a fitting token to
come from you to US. 1t is the apprO-
pirate trophy for those who bear North
Cardinals capitals name to bring
back to North Cardinals soil. 1t.
is we'll that o come bearing the
spoils of victory, for North Carolina,
like the Roman mother, desires to see
her sons return with their shields or
upon them. If we commend o for your
bravery it is the commentator of a
warlike people. North Carolina wa.
first in the revolution at Alamance and
Mecklenburg, first in the civil war at
Bethel, first in the Spanish wal at Car
denas; and now to this list Of rare dis
tinctions she adds the proud honor of
having been first at Manila through
the vessel that bore her capitals name,
We congratulate you, gentlemen, that
you have the privilege of manning a
vessel named for the capital of a state
upon whose standards the eagles of
victory perch and upon whose banners
there is no stain. We ~ngratul
ourselves, on the other hand. that the
vessel dearer han all others TO North
Carolinian's hearts is manned by such
brave and such noble men. We are
proud that it was given to our vessel
to be h leader in the greatest naval
victory in all the annals of war. We
are proud of the vessel that fired the
first shot at the yellow flag Of Spanish
despOtism in far off Manila bay. We
are proud of the Captain that COM
manded her. Though others may mis-
understand him or purposely malign his
name, the citizens of Raleigh will
stand behind him in all that he has
done. And we are proud of the men
that he commanded, the men behind
he guns. Great was the captain: great
was the admiral-the peerless Dewey.
than whom no greater ever lived-but
as great as either were the men.
we are proud Of this trophy that
you have brought us, telling as it does
Of the matehless Valor of American
hearts n the deathless glory of Amer
lean arfne, We are proud that it is a
Spanish gun. We promise you that it
shall be the only Sapinish thing in
town. Until recently our city colors
were yellow and red, but We have
changed them now. They looked too
much like S~paniards or smallpox, one
was as a as the other. and we did
not want either one. So they are now
white and red, the cOlors of Sir Walter
Raleigh. And in this connection it gives
me pleasure 10 say to you, Captain.
and 10 your brave men that we now
have in course Of manufacture a hand
some flag Of the new city colors, which
shall bear the coat Of arms of the state,
and which upon its completion We shall
tender 10 you as some token Of our es-
tenn.
Again permit me to say that We
thank you for this trophy that you
have brought. We shall place il in one
Of our public parks. Our wish is that
as its mouth shall never speak thunder
| upon the field Of battle again. so may
| the mouths Of those be hushed who
would malign the motives OF the men
| who captured il. a mute monument il
shall be 10 their bravery, more elo-
| quent than words. more substantial
than fattery. Though silent. yet shall
il speak TO the youth OF our state, en-
| cOuraglng them 10 noble deeds. inspir-
| ing in them the desire to follow in the
| footsteps OF those heroes of ours who
| have stricken the shackles from two
| ~tyranized races, redeemed from mon
| archism and mediaevalism the last
| foot of American soil, captured the
! last strongholds Of Spanish despotism.
| demonstrated 10 the world that repuh-
Il ~