The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-08-30
"a veteran host by veteran led.

"a veteran host by veteran led.
head,
They came-thcy Saw-thcy burned
and hcd!' .
No capital of any country ever
Shared the fate of our capital. The
burning of Washington by the English
is the only case of vandalism on
record in tile history Of the world,
and in the columns of England's chief
newspaper, the London Times, it
stands as q loudly applauded "splen-
did achievement"
The Encyclopedia Britannica, an
English publication, acquits the Van
dnls of the methods long nssociatel
with their name in the following Ian
guage: '"rhere does not seem to be in
the story Of the capture of Rome by
the Vandals any justification Of the
charge of the destruction of public
buildings, which is implied in the
word vandalism"
This same publication boils down
the whole history Of tlra COclibuTn
barbarism to one sentence. as follows:
"In 1914. during the second war with
Great Britain, it (Washington) was
captured by the British troops. and
the Capitol, together with NEST of the
other public buildings. was burned"
This is rather vague sentence and
the reader can infer. II he desires.
that the burning was the result of an
accident during the capture.
This act of vandalism was not the
only on, performed by England. In
February. 1913. an English squadron
appeared in the Delaware Bay which
destroyed many vessels. On tho 10th
Lewiston was bOmlharded because the
inhabitants refused to supply the
enemy with fresh provisions. at
was" says Spencer. ''in the Clcsa-
pcakc. principally. that this discrcdit-
able species of warfare was carried on
by the British ships.
"Cockburn was in command. and he
rendered his name and character no.
torious on account of the numerous
piratical incu1'sionS in which he in
dulgcl. the houses hc robbed, the
families he plundcred. tho wantrn
destruction Of property he authorized.
and tho shameful insults and injuries
he inflicted upon dafencccss women
and children"
F'renclt0wn. Nd was attacked and
plundcrcd on April %. On this occa-
sion Cockburn burned and plundered
the village to the amount Of $4,000.
besides some ships that were in the
harhOr 1Iavrc dc Grace was the
marau1ing knights next object Of
visitation. On May 3 the English
ships assailed the town by rockets,
which set the houses on fire. followed
by destructive bombshclls. and while
the panic and fire were raging the
enemy landed.
Finally the English burned and plum
dcrcd the town and sunk many YES
sells. The 'civilzcrs" next sailed up
Che SassafraS River. burning and plum
dcring. Havr, dc Grace was 100000
poorer when thcy left than when they
came. Georgetown and Frederick
town few days later received visits
from Admiral Cockburn and were de-
privcd of considerable property.
"These exploits" says Spencer. "were
worthy of pirates and savagcs."
To continue Cockburn's vandalism
would only be repitition of the fore
going. In Spencer's history there is
one passage well worth quoting. 1t is
as follows: Great Britain was angry
and almost furious. and the war hence
forth promised to be one of savage in
roads and ruthless destruction" No
truer words were ever penncd.
BY the treaty of Montmartra.
March. 1914, Napoleon was exiled to
Elba. and Europe was again at peace.
The close of the war had not only en-
abled England to strengthen her land
forces in America. but had also lib