Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1909-02-06


ironclads, and before any war could
call forth her prowess, but it is a
pleasure for us TO know that the first
as well as the second Delaware was
built and launched in Virginia.
THE nation might well have named
its first battleship after Delaware. For
we will let no proper occasion pass
without reminding the country that
Delaware. besides being of the original
thirteen, was the first state to adopt
the Constitution. All things are said
to come to him. who waits have
long felt that Delaware was being ne.
elected in that no man-of-war had
been named for her; but we can deem
ourselves fortunate at the delay, fol
no> what is known in the British
Navy as the "Dreadnaught" class will.
In all the hereafter, be known in the
American Navy as the Delaware
class of battleships. For this great
honor and distinction paid to her by
the Secretary of the Navy and tho
President of the United States. the
people OF the State of Delaware feel
the most profound appreciation and
qualification. If I recollect Alright. at
first there was some discussion as to
naming so large a ship for so small
a state, but if any such critics remain.
I would repeat to them the reply Of
General Mcneil of the War OF 1912 To
the young man who asked in what
battle he received his wound, the old
general tartly answered. "Sir, go read
the history Of your country
For the part Of Delaware in the
glories Of the American Navy will
never be lost sight Of. while tho
achievements Of Jones. Macdonough
and DUPONT are read by every school
boy. The story of the War of 1912 in
many of its features is one of deep
humiliation to American arms, but the
pride of the nation was saved its faith
in the courage and capacity of its
soldiers and sailors was preserved on
the one hand by the remarkable sue
cession of victories won by its indi.
vidual ships on the ocean and by its
sQuadrons on the lakes; and, on the
other. by the sickness and valor of
our soldiers i'm the last year Of the
war, when lead by Brown and Scott
i'm Canada. and by Jackson at New
Orleans. In the capture Of the British
sloop Of war "Frolic" by the American
sloop Wasp" under the command of
Captain Jacob Jones Of Delaware, we
were victors in the second Of these
naval duels. and it being the first be-
tween small ships below the class of
frlgates. coming at the outset of the
war and next after the capture of the
"Guerriere" by the Constitution" IL
helped to raise high the national spirit.
The battle of Lake Champlain takes its
place as the decisive battle of the war. As
a military achievement, it pales before
the glory of New Orleans, but peace had
been signed when Jackson's frontiersmen
subjected wellington's veterans to igno-
minious defeat. Not so at Plattsburg. Sir
George Provost with 1900 British troops,
a larger force than Packenhams, was
ready by a successful invasion of New
York to wipe out Burgoyne's disgrace
But, he could not advance without the
control of the Lake: and against the
British captain lay MacDonough's weaker
squadron. When his battery had been dis
mounted on one side of the Saratoga,
Marlborough warped his ship around and
with his fresh battery, demolished the
enemy, and Sir George Provost marched
his 1900 men back to Montreal When
this news reached Client, the British En-
voys abandoned their extreme demands
and acceded to those ours were willing to
accept The British had demanded, that
each party should hold what 1t had thus
giving them possession of all the Great
Lakes. all Of Maine above the Penobscot
and Aroostook, all of New York that Pre-
vost might hold. and Louisiana that
Packenham was to take. Marlborough
ended this dream, and Roosevelt was jus
tilted in his history Of the American Navy
in saying Lake Champlain was its most
important. action prior to the Civil War.
May this new Delaware ever help in
maintaining the standard of our navy.
May she be the FIRST Of class Of ships
that will preserve our relative naval
strength with the other great powers.
May she. II the need ever comes, give a
worthy account OF herself in battle. but,
above all, and more than all, along with
her sister ships. may she be part Of the
might Of this united people as has been
we'll said by others. at critical moments.
in helping the entire world in its steady
movement away from the barbarism OF
war towards the civilization Of friendship
and OF peace "
The Official Party.
The following compose the official party
Hon. Simeon 5. Pennewin. General and
Mrs. /. =. Wickersham. General and Mrs.
r. c. DUPONT. General and Mrs. A. r.
Benson. Colonel and Mrs j. Ernest Smith.
Colonel and Mrs. George w Sparks, Col
onel and Mrs. Edmund Mitchell, Colonel
and Mrs. William r. Messick, Colonel
William d. Denney, Colonel John d.
Townsend. Colonel George A. Elliott,
Colonel and Mrs. A. b. Conner. Colonel
Thomas Curry. Lieutenant Colonel W. f.
Slower. Major e. c. Bradford, Major VIII
liam D. Marshall Major and Mrs. w. G.
Ramsay, Major A. r. Hart Major {. A.
Short Lieutenant Colonel II. G. Cava-
naugh, The Hon. and Mrs. Daniel o.
Hastings, The Hon. and Mrs John NJ.
Mendinhall, The Hon. and Mrs. c. II.
Maui, Miss Anne p. Cahan Miss Ellen c.
DUPONT. Miss Frances Hazel. DR.. and
Mrs. Lawrence NJ Cahall, Aiss Cahall.
Hon and Mrs James Peanewill Mr..
David Pennewill, The Hon. IT. r. Burton,
| Miss Leah Burton. The Hon. William
! RI. Heald The Hon. Anthony Higgins Mr..
and Mrs Josiah Marvel Mr. r. j. Mac
| lean. The Hon and Mrs. Joseph l.. Cahau,
| The Hon. and Mrs. Harry A. Richardson,
/ Colonel and Mrs. Theodore Townsend
/ The Hon. and Mrs. John r. Nicholson,
! The Hon. and Mrs William II. Boyce, The
Hon. and Mrs. Thomas o. Cooper. The
Hon Darlington Finn. The Hon. and Mrs
Joseph G. life. The Hon j. Hermor
Anderson. The Hon. and Mrs. Edward
Hart, The Hon Newton L. Grubb, The
] Hon Clinton l. Williamson Tho Hon