Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-05-29

ness 10 20 ane1Q mean already the
battle half won? When Lieutenant
Dupont was commanded 70 do a Ger
tain thing. at first he failed to carry
out his orders. Returning TO Admiral
Farragut. he began TO make many ex-
cuses for his failure. But the great
admiral turned and said: "Ah, Dupont,
you have not given me the chief ex-
cuse for your failure. You did not
accomplish what l told you to do
chiefly because. deep down In your
heart, you did not think you could do
it," ''Then. il that be true" said the
young sailor, 81 will go ahead aud
carry ont your ORDERS And go he
did. Are not our failures, my hearers,
due TO like cause? If we had the
faith in God that we ought 10 have
should we not accomplish more?
sailors In the Civil War.
But the American navy has also been
willing at all times TO do its routine
work as well as to unlimber it's bat
teries and clear its decks in time OF
conflict. There is something inspiring
something terrific and overwhelming.
in the thought of two great naval
monsters coming closer and closer to-
gether to grapple in mortal combat
What man is there whose cheek does
not flush when he hears about the duel
OF the Constitution and the Guerriere2
What Americans eye does not fash
when he sees Commodore Hull COM
handing his flag officer. Lieutenant
Morris, to withhold the fire OF his gun
ners until the two vessels were within
speaking distance, then. with cannon
double shotted. 20 send forth their
messengers OF death? But the great
est work of navy is not always In
fighting. but may be in petrolling a
blockade. The victories of u. S. Grant
would never have been won had he
not had the assistance of the American
blue. The value of the services the
sailors rendered in that awful conflict
cannot be exaggerated. 1t was they
who intercepted the supplies that the
southern armies so sorely needed. II
was their vigilance that produced the
destituion which not even the sublime
self sacrifice of the southern people
could relieve. Day I'm and day out,
year in and year out, the northern
ships blockaded the southern ports.
The southern armies were more
starved to death than they we're shot
to pieces by Federal guns.
In all the pages Of history you can.
not find any nobler record OF self de-
NAL and suffering than that Of the
southern lady and the soldier in gray
in 1S62-64. caused for the most part by
the poverty resulting from that mex
orable naval blockade. AS said be-
fore. the Southern Confedemcy was
simply starved TO death by the routine
work of the American navy. Grant
and Lee. Sherman and Johnson and
Thomas and Hood. Sheridan and Long
street. won immortal fame upon the
land. yet very few people have stopped
10 give due credit TO the faithful naval
officers and sailors who uncomplain.
ingly sailed backward and forward in
front of Charleston and Savannah and
the other southern harbors.
Navy should Re Honorcd.
Let us ask ourselves If we are ready
to do the necessary routine work OF
our lives as the American sailors In the
past have been ready 20 do theirs.
Are we sulking i'm our homes and re-
fusing TO faithfully perform the vital
daily tasks OF an inconspicuous life
merely because the newspapers do not
report the orders we give TO the cook
or tell about how many yards OF cloth
we week by week sell over the coun-
n,, 10. m
he was over sixty years OF age before
he had an opportunity 10 distinguish
himself in battle. III the great Ameri-
can naval officer could patiently, I'M
somplainlngly and faithfully perform
the humber duties OF daily life until
he was an old man, near 10 the grave.
surely we can afford TO be brave and
true in the inconspicuous duties God
has given US TO 90.
The American navy should be hon
ored. Upon its glorious muster roll
- 20 be found the names Of Interna
tIonai statesmen rs wei as heroic
fighters - men who have brilliantly
served our country With brain and pen
rs well as with the sword. Many of
our presidents have been elected TO the
White House on account of their mill
tary records. Washington and TAYLOR
ana Jackson and William II. Harrison
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. IL
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 foreign port not only had TO
have captain who could sail the seas.
but also naval diplomat, who, indie |
pendent OF the home government, had |
to decide many questions which,
decided, might involve his |
in bloody international strife
We all honor Admiral Dewey Cor his |
victory in Manila harbor. |
IL Is easy enough now for deprecating |
critics 10 declare that he merely sank |
4 few old rotten hulks, armed for the |
most part with antiquated guns. But |
when Dewey went into that harbor he |
went with heart as brave and fear |
ess as that OF Farragut when he sailed |
INTO Mobile bay. AS far as the Amer
leans knew those waters We're mined |
With torpedoes. Those forts guarding
he outlets were supposed to be impas-
sable. The Spanish admiraIs fleet. on
paper, was powerful flotilla of death.
Only Spaniard could have any con-
seption of how corrupt the Spanish
navy had become. Only Spaniard.
Who was tyrant in Cuba, Porto Rico
md the Philippines, could suspect that
'pain's own naval officers would I'll
heir torpedoes with sand and pocket
he money which ought to have pur-
,hased powder aud would thus leave
heir war ships absolutely defenseless,
because the funds which were voted TO
he Spanish navy had been stolen.
UNFOLDING the Flag.
Our national Indebtedness TO our ma
" is not confined to its prowess in
'attle. We owe much to the tact and
OF our naval command
RS. They have not only 10 uphold the
lonor of our flag in distant seas, but TO
display the courtesy and consideration
o the naVieS of other nations which |