The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-09-11
NATIONAL CAPITOL
Destroyed by British soldiery on Az
must "a, 1914.

-
Destroyed by British soldiery on Az.
gust "a, 1914.
The following letter appeared in the
Daily Standard OF San Angelo, Texas,
recently, and will recall the vandalism
of the British during the second war
with the American people, who had
won their independence about gem
Grafton previously:
This day, August "a, is the anniyer-
sary of one of the saddest days in our
American history and lest we forget
one of the worst outrages perpetrateS
upon our fathers by an arrogant horde
of world robbers, we pause to recall
the event and to- set before the youth
of our land the; transcendent species
of vandalism of nation that noW
seeks an alliance with a people for
whose destruction rivers of blood ana
millions Of treasure were exhausted.
The burning of the capitol by tbs
bIlllSLl AIS, 6AS1It liOi oAJs 1870 w S~
other priceless; collections, public Of
fees, the presidents home, newspaper
offices and private buildings-thinss
that did not come under the ban It
war but pertaining to science. peace
and civilization---on August "a, 1914,
was in pursuance of resolution
which had been, taken by Great Brit
ain, ito destroy5sand lay waste such
towns and districts upon the coast ~
might be found assailable." In the
words of the historian, there are few
more shameful acts recorded in his
tory; and it was more shameful n
that it was done under strict orders
from the British government at home"
Dolly Madison sswife of President
Madison, has transmitted to posterity
an account Of the barbarous deeds #
these British vandals. In her memoirs
she says:
1.-THE memory of the burning OF
washington cannot be obliterated. 1t
can never be thought of by an Ameri-
can, and ought not be thought Of oy
an Englishmar, except with deplor-
able shame and modification. History
cannot record i ~ trophy of war
for great n lasttisS The metropolis
Of that time, had, the appearance Of y
struggling villege,s 4 interspersed here
and there, by.aizaCs pubic build
ings and! withysas spop ulationa of s. not
more than eight thousand inhabitants;
fortresses there Were none and but
few mounted cannon"
The pages Of history, since the ad-
vent of Christianslity record no more
barbarous act. 1t WAS most inhumaa
and wanton, uncalled for,s unjustified
and unwarrantedr. even by the laws
and requirements Of war. 1t was an
act that. has no parallel only in the
dark ages Of barbarism. before Chris
tianity had reached the souls of men.
In the summer Of 1914 Admiral
Cockburn arrived off the Virginian
coast with an armament of twenty
one vessels Of var Ross, with an
army Of 1000 veterans. flush from the
fields of Europe came with the fll::,.
The American squadron, commanded
by Commodore Barney, was unable 10
oppose this force. and the British en-
tered the Chesapeake with the design
of attacking washington and Balt-
more. Barney was forced to abandon
his ships and take to the shore, meet
ing the British troops with small
body OF UNFRAMED militia at Bladena-
burg, where a battle was fought AMI
he himself was taken prisoner. One
week before the British entered Wash
ington, James Monroe, then secretary
of state, mounted q horse and rode to
Benedict on the Patuxent. and there
witnessed the landing Of the robbers.
He fastened back and ordered the re-
moval Of the papers and public rec
ords in his department. eto a place (
SAFETY These papers and records were
placed in large linen bags and taken
to Leesville. thirty-hve miles from
washington, and placed in house
Just In time to see, the flames arising
from the government buildings in
washington.
The British used all kinds Of STRAIT
egy to get possession Of the presi-
dents papers Spies found their way
into his house disguised as women.
Anonymous letters were received
threatening his life With the dagger
and poison. All remained unheedei
until the British offlcer In command
Of the vandals sent word to Mrs. Mad
ison that unless she should leave, the
house would be burned over her head.
At g p. m, Cockburn entered WASH
ington, which then contained about 900
buildings. Losing says: He came
to burn the public buildings and de-