El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-01

Yes, we all rejoice. It was glorious
victory, and the name of Commodore
Dewey will go down in history with
those of Nelson and Perry and Farra-
gut. Even he of the cold, sluggish
blood, and the Interchangeable counter
ance, must warm a little about the
cookies of his heart when he reads OF
the sublime defiance that our COM
mander hurled at the Spaniards, fol-
lowing up the defiance with solid shot
and shell.
We are proud that the Stars and
Stripes have been upheld so faithfully.
We are proud that q full blOoded
American has shown himself to he the
legitimate successor of a long line of
great Anglo Saxon fighters. Com
modore Dewey has the stuff In him
| that makes man man, and manly
men the world over will feel that their
hearts beat little faster, their nerves
Jingle, and their blood runs warmer as
they read the story of conflict.
The battle was fairly won. 1t was
no brow beating affair, of an unequal
matching of forces. It was no childish
playing at war. 1t was the grand,
heroic sacrifice of strong men for q
principle; it was fight to finish,
with the world-with earth and heav-
en-ss referee. The cost was terrible.
We do not know yet how many brave
r
their ships. 1t is probable that the
death roll of the Maine will be sadly
extended by this battle. But it was q
willing, glorious, and a reasonable
sacrifice on the altar OF right. The
blood of our brothers has not been split
in vain. The seed will be nurtured in
the bosom of memory, it will be en-
must prevail, it will spring forth and
come to glorious maturity in the full
ness of time, when these things shall
all be made clear, and we are permit
ted to see how right can result from an
apparent wrong.
It is good time to consider what
the issue of this copfiict may mean for
us as nation. Fret. we have forced
the nations of the earth to respect our
power. Let US not incline to abuse
this power. He that ia most conscious
Of his strength can best afford to avoid
complications by means that would not
answer for q weaker brother. The
United States in this war stands alone
as the champion of right against con-
ventiOn. of the moral law against the
common law. And the United States
can well afford to stand alone, if not
forever, at least for many, many years
to come.
We appreciate to the depths the
that is so signally shown by |
our British brothers. The spirit that |
assigns that sympathy to pure selfish |
ness but reflects its own uarrowness |
and pettiness. The English are our |
brothers. They have not always been |
our friends. But do not let us doubt |
their utter sincerity in this hour, lest |
we be adjudged of seeing falsely |
through a medium warped by our own
obliquity.
But friendship does not here mean
an active alliance. We want no al
liances with any nation. Certainly the
time is not ripe for an Anglo Saxon
entente, and we believe it is q vicious
policy that persists in bringing this
question to the front time after time.
The world is not ready for it; we as a
nation are not ready for it. All We
ask for Is fair treatment and honest
dealing from all men. If, as seems
likely, this war drives the two fore
most nations closer together in in
terest and policy. good. But let us not
force the Issue, or go one step more
than half way.
The second great effect of our sue
cess at arms is that we have establish
I'd our right to make international law,
% overrule conventions when
are vicious. to take
he bit in our own teeth and dis
ance the field. What makes interna-I