The Irish standard., 1900-09-15
The struggle known as the war OF
1910 ,yas suhStontiollx, a onnt;n,,S+iAn

of the fight for. American indepen>
dence. When the last British soldier
quilted America III 1888. the freedom
of the new nation was an accom-
plishcd fact, but itswas not yet in the
full sense an independent nation. Ben
Franklin, when q fellow
remarked to him that the war for in
dependence was successfully closed,
replied: "Say rather, that the war of
the revolution. The war for lndepen-
dence is yet to be fought" Franklin
knew that though England was driven
from America she had not given up
hope forever of re-establishing her
power there. 1t was with grudging
and heartburning that George Ill. and
the parliament of England recognized
the fact that they had been beaten.
On Aug. 1G, 1914, 81 English vessels
arrived in Chesapeake bay and joined
Cockburn's squadron. One division
was sent up the Potomac for the pur-
pose of opening the way to the city of
Washington; the main body ascended
the PatuXent After the victory from
Il small body of Americans at Bran
denburgll on the afternoon of the oath
the English set out for Washington.
At S o'clock in the evening Cocks
burn entered Washington, which then
contained about 900 buildings. HE
came" says LOSING, ''to destfoy the
public property there" AS they adj
vanced a solitary musket ball (the
citizens of the city having fed ut the
approach of the fire tiends), was fired
from behind house, which killed the
horse Of General Ross. The house
was Immediately assaulted and the
work of vandalism commenced in ear,
nest. The same fate awaited the ma
terials in the Office of the National
Intclligencer, the government organ,
whose structures on the. brutality Of
Cockburn had filled that nlarauder
with anger. Cockburn caused all the
type and, other printing materials to
be thrown into the street, the printing
presses to be destroyed and the lib
,rary, containing many rare works, to
be burned. Cockburn assisted in this
work with his own hands.
The invaders followed the lead of
their admiral and rushed toward the
capitol. This imposing pile, standing
upon the brow of Il hill overlooking
the city in every direction, was even
ut that early period of it's construction
Il building of unusual magnticencc.
Discharging their firearms at the win
dows, the reckless soldiers burst in
the doors, and with Il shout of triumph
carried their leader to the sneakers
chair, from which, with mock gravity,
he put the questions: "Shall this har-
Dor of the Yankee democracy be
burned?"
y yell of affirmation rang through
the hall, and without further prelimi.
uarics papers and other combustibles
We're piled under the desks and set on
FIRE. In few minutes this noble .edl-
flee, that had been in course of con-
struction more than twenty years, and
continuing the library Of congress and
vast quantities Of official documents
Of great historical value, was envel-
oped in a seething mass of flames tha,
shot up into the Sky in unmistakable
proclamation of the awful fate that
had come upon the capital of the ma.
tion.
Meanwhile the torch had been ap>
Piled to other public buildings, besides
many business establishments and
private residences, including one for
merly owned by George Washington.
Fearing that the invaders intended to
Gloss the river, the fugitives on the op>
EOsite side set fire to that end of the
Long Bridge, and the British, mistaK-
ing these frightened refugees for a
body Of American soldiers, fired the
other end, and thus, as the result OF
mutual fear, this mile of bridgeway
was in 81 very short space of time con
sulned.
ovc"awed at the terrible deyasta-
ton wrought by their hands and the
forces of nature, the British stole ST.
lently forth from the city on the night
OF Aug. 25 and beat hasty retreat to
their ships. Slowly and mournfully
the Inhabitants returned to their DESC
late homes. The value of the entire
amount of property destroyed ut
Washington was estimated at over
$2,ooo,0O0.
The government and parliament of
England warmly approved of Cock.
barns act. When the news reached
England guns We're fired from the
Tower of London in joyful celebration
of the barbarity. Parliament unani-
mously voted thanks to Cockburn and
Ross. Parliament also decreed that at
his Geath Il monument should be erect
ed to Ross in Westminster Abbey, the
burial place of men to whom England
desires to pay extraordinary honor,
and the title ROSS of Brandenburgh''
was decreed to the general and his
heirs forever.
1.-The London Times," says LOSING,
f1tntN