"'Alphia" sends the Hongkong Daily Press the following specimen of the speeches made at Manila at banquet to newly arrived officers from Spain on the 13th instant Sexon D. Ravart, Comenca—Gentlemen, in the name of the Spanish Casino, which in the present time does not grudge any sacrifice, I welcome our brave soldiers who are around us and filling us with joy and enthusiasm, full of love for the country, gratifying us like a wave of fresh juvenile blood now running through our veins by magic art. (Great and extraordinary plause), "Welcome then ye who are to the bulwark and stay of our honour. (Fresh applause, drowning the voice of the speaker.) Ye have just arrived in time; the cannibals are still in the woods, the beast of prey is still hiding in his lair—(bravo)—and the hour has come to exterminate the savages; all ferocious animals should be killed—(hear, hear)—bad weeds must be plucked' by the roots, (Great applause.) The object of war is destruction; its civilisi virtue works like a burning iron on the ulcer, destroying its corrupt tissues in order to secure a perfect cure. Show no pardon (Hear, hear.) Destroy! Kill Pardon is a prerogative only belonging to the king and not to the army, to the city, not to the camp, and believe me, from there, from that historic, honoured, and dear old land of Spain, which we all love with delirium, no words of peace come against these traitors; on the contrary, rigorous punishment and justice which the voice of the people clamour out severe and not tempered with mercy. (Frantic applause several times repeated, entirely drowning the speaker's voice.) Soldiers! you are the arm of Spain. Execute, exterminate if necessary; ain-put ate the vile member to save the body, cut the withered branches which impede the circulation of the sap in order that the tree may burst forth anew with fresh leaves and flowers. (Sr. Panarando: That is the way to speak." Bravo and great applause.) The variety of uniforms which you see mixed up here will clearly show you how necessary war has been and still is. These you see here in battle array are not military men (speaking of the volunteers) but civilians, who in view of an infamous rebellion, steeped in obscurity, fleeing from the light like infernal animals, have been obliged to shoulder arms and exchange these in place of the biretta, the office desk for the horse, the pen for the rifle, and all for the glorious flag of Spain, which we have sworn like you to die for rather than see it humiliated. (Great applause and Viva Spain). Weare not playing at soldiers; we are defending the country and our lives. (Frantic applause.) Spain conquered this land thanks to the incomparable efforts of Tuan de Salcedo, the strategy and tactics of Martin de Goiti, and the sound hey of the patriotic Miguel Lopay de spi. From time immemorial, after each truce, after each profession of friendship, followed atising. (Voices, *Teistrue." "Tes true" Silence, silence.) Our beloved country was able to say to these people, because we have the Divine right and the' force of our arms, like the poet said to the Turks Vile slave of vile Constantinople, I will bind thee with my chain and' will crush thee with my might.
(Great_applause.)—But no, we did not do this. We raised them to the condition of cavaliers, the sons of those ruffians who came from China, we made their posterity noble and slew the yellow necks of their most deadly enemies. We have made them doctors, lawyers, chemists, engineers, soldiers, and even ministers of religion, and they in return, not troubling them: selves to rectify the instincts of their race, bite the hand which caressed them, they rise up against a nation which has enriched them and which has made them pass in three hundred years, in a less period than any other nation, that long voyage which commences in a savage and ends in eivilisation. (Great and deafening applause.) Tell me now if they have any cause for out of savages. (Hear, hear.) If some native rising, for having: made them human beings troops were not dying side by side with us, ight become desperate and abandon jing influence carried on by our fathers. But dying side by side with us they redeem their caste and become worthy of our respect and our love. To these heroes I drink. Soldiers! You belong to a grand nation, not like the rest of them who count their days of glory by the victories they obtain, but by the reverses we suff The heart of every true Spaniard is prender of the disasters of Sagunto, Numancia, Otumba, Zaragossa, and the 2nd of May, than the taking of Antwerp, the siege of Milan, the battle of Cerinola, and the victory against the Travaltecas. It seems that victory always bows to the flag of red and gold, which without doubt we have placed in our emblem to show that in the hour of need neither gold nor blood has any value for us. (Enthusiastic and frantic applause.) Well, gentleman, I. think we must rectify our history and begin to count our days of glory according to results, If you acco] my thoughts, drink with me for the triumph that is near at hand; for the/ victory we shall gain the day that our valiant troops go out to the campaign led by such brave officers, to whose health I drink and invite you also to drink. (Thundering applause.)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.