Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-05-28

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and Grant and Hayes and Garfield are
among the number. But the American
soldier rarely has the opportunity to
study statecraft as has the sailor. 1t
was only comparatively n few years
ago that foreign lands were brought
into cable touch with our national cap
ital. Thus every naval ship which
touched a foreign port not only had to
have a captain who could sail the seas,
but also naval diplomat, who, indie
pendent Of the home government, had
to decide many questions which,
wrongly decided, might involve his |
country in bloody international strife.
We all honor Admiral Dewey Cor his
memorable victory In Manila harbor.
II Is easy enough now for deprecating !
critics to declare that he merely sank /
few old rotten L!lks. armed for the !
most part with Anticipated guns. But !
when Dewey went into that harbor he
went with heart as brave and fear
less as that Of Farragut when he sailed !
into Mobile bay. AS far as the Amer
leans knew those waters were mined
with torpedoes. Those forts guarding
the outlets were supposed to be irnpas
sable. The Spanish admirals feet on
paper, was powerful flotila of death.
Only n Spaniard could have any CON
ception of how corrupt the Spanish
navy had become. Only n Spaniard,
who was n tyrant in Cuba, Porto Rico
and the Philippines, could suspect that
Spain's own naval officers would fill
their torpcdoes with sand and pocket
the money which ought to have pur-
chased powder and would thus leave
their war ships absolutely defenseless.
because the funds which were voted to
the Spanish navy had been stolen.
UphoIding the Flag.
Our national Indebtedness to our ma
Wy Is not confined to its prowess in
battle. We owe much to the tact and
craftsmanship of our naval command
ers. They have not only to uphold the
honor of our flag in distant seas. but to
display the courtesy and consideration
to the navics of other nations which
are necessary to the maintenance of
friendly relations. 1t would have been
possible for Admiral Dewey by an in
discreet act while he lay in Manila bay
to have involved us in an international
quarrel Thousands of miles away
from home, there he lay, surrounded
by the cannon of foreign ships. By
one false move he could have made
Germany an enemy and involved us in
war with Emperor William. Had he
been careless there might have ensued
a scramble on the part of other nations
TO gain possession of some of the Phil
ippinc Islands for themselves. There
was similar danger In the Hawaiian
difficulty. During all the negotiations
over the Hawaiian Islands there lay
the American war ship Philadelphia
by careful diplomacy compelling the
foreign governments TO keep their
hands off, until at last the American
flag flew from above the eX-queen's
throne room. What honor is too great
for the memory of Commodore Mat
thew c. Perry, who in March. 1852, ne
Gotiated the famous treaty with Japan
which for the first time opened the
ports of the mikado to the ships from
other lands: Incident after incident
could be cited where the American
sailor has won imperishablc laurels in
preventing war rather than in winning
prizes after war has been started.
Our American navy has detied the
severity of the clements as we'll as the
storm of shot and shell. l am not
now speaking of the hurricanes which
blow over the Atlantic or the Pacific
have in mind the frigid terrors of the
far north, which Captain ID. l.. Braine
dcfiod when he tried to find the arctic
pole in 1878, and Lieutenant Com
mander George Washington De Long
dcfied when he led the fatal Jeanette
expedition in 1879. All, those were
brave men, yet no drawer than General
Greedy and Rear Admiral Melville and
the many gallant fellows who went
after the De Long party, and faced icy
dangers to bring back the survivors
, and the frozen bodies of the dead. They
. were no Drawer men than Lieutenant
Peary. who has again and again tried
to reach the north pole. On returning
home from his latest journey he had
. to have part of his feet amputated
because they had been frozen among
the northern SHOWS. In spite OF all
the past dangers and sufferings. he is
again chatting and frctting to 60 back
to his old search.
For National safety.
Does any one say that all this sacri-
flee of heroic naval lives to the northern
{ elements is Il useless sacrifice? l dc
, not think so. AS a young boy | saw
l.. the long procession of hearscS that car
= ried many of the dead of the i'll fated
! De Long expedition out to their last
e resting place. ! heard the sad story
t told by surviving lieutenant, who aft
< onward, while suffering from injuric,
b received in that rescue expedition, tool
+ his own life. | said then what | say
/ now: Any plan conceived in the inter
o est of science or the search after truth
h any expedition which is born with Tho
/ hope Of learning something not known
l. before. is worthy of sacrifice. This
n was the desire that drove Columbus
Il across the seas. This was the desire
;. which made Galilei defy the hierarchy
Il Of Rome and stick to the truth that tn,
d earth moves round the sun. And TINS
is the purpose which has made many
/ noble naval hero lay down his life
IL.