Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-01-14
The State Capital.

ANNAPOLIS, Md, Jan. >, 1899
To the MINING JOURNAL.
During the past two weeks the peo-
pie of Annapolis have had the pleasure
of inspecting two very pretty little eX-
Spanish gunboats which have recently
been adopted into the Navy of the
are not formidable, but they are at
tractive little craft. They are about
the same length and depth of hold, but
little wider than a Chesapeake and
Ohio canal boat, aud it Is only their
military masts and top hamper that
give them the appearance of sea-
going craft. These boats are named,
respectively, the "Sandoval' and the
"Alvarado," and were captured at
Havana. They will be very useful as
dispatch boats, as they are very speedy
aud light of draught. Atpresent they
are both lying off the wharf of the
Naval Academy, where they are being
treated to new dress of white paint
preparatory to being taken to Wash
ington for exhibition during the
winter.
The new Naval Academy is now an
assured thing and in five years from
this time there will be located upon
the shores of the Chesapeake the most
magnificent naval school establish
ment in the world The plan Of i'm
provement is so vast that it can be
best described by saying that new
establishment, thoroughly modern in
all its details, will take the place of
| the famous institution now occupying
L., lA e : h.,
The first step in these improvements
will be the erection of a new sea wall
| along the harbor front, thus taking in
| five or six additional acres of ground
on that line. Proposals for the con
structon of this wall. and for the
| erection of a new and more modern
! power-house have been advertised for
and work upon both improvements
| will commence as soon as the weather
permits.
The brave soldier is always mag
unanimous, aud the generous sentiments
expressed by President Mckinley in
suggesting that the time had come for
| the Federal government to make
| tender of its assistance in caring for
| the graves of the Confederate dead,
| have struck a responsive chord IN
every truly patriotic heart, 1t is a
pity. however, that it should be within
the power of a demagogue here and
there to mar the effect OF so pleasant
an episode. Senator Butler, of North
Carolina, who was never soldier.
should have restrained his ardor. and
at least consulted the Confederate
| Veteran Association of his State before
| - E,,1 NV
raising the question of pensions for
Confederate soldiers.
| Speaking as a Confederate soldier
who passed through four years of the
toughest kind of military experience,
| believe echo the sentiment of a
large majority of the survivors of those
who wore the grey when | say that We
| have never felt, and do not now feel
we have any claim upon the Federal
| government for military service. We
believe that the world will agree that
| we made a most magnificent fight, a
most heroic effort in behalf of cause
| that We sincerely believed in. We
fought almost literally to the last man.
and the fame of our armies and the
| splendor of their achievements are the
common heritage, not only of the
| South but of the whole country. But
we cannot erase from the pages of
history the fact-nor is there any desire
to do so, that we were in open aims
against, and in deadly combat with the
authority of the government of the
United States and no false sentiment,
no confusion of terms nor perversiOn
of facts can change the relations that
existed during the years of war so far
as to establish the faintest semhlance
of claim of pensions as Confederate
soldiers. The idea is ridiculous. We
knew the penalty of failure, and we
have paid it heroically and manfully.
In this view of the case we cannot but
regret the misdrected zeal of such
AS Senator Butler, whose action seems
to place the eX-Confed erate in the
humiiating position OF suppIiant for
participation in bounty to which he
can never set up an equitable claim.
But when the generous heart of Il
united country approaches us through
the Chief Magistrate of the nation with
the delicate and fraternal Offer of as
sistance in caring for the graves of our
heroic dead, we have no difficulty i'll
recognizing the ''touch of nature" that
proves Us all to be Of one kin and one
people. 1t is the voice OF humanity as
broad as the Universe, OF patriotism
stronger than rows of FURNISHED steel,
and leaves the war indeed nothing
more than a sorrowful memory of a
mighty past. L. +. MCC.