16th June.
Tne New York Nation was very decidedly anti-jingo as long as there seemed to be a possibility that war between the United States and Spain could be averted, and it incurred in consequence the wrathful ridicule of the "yellow journals" which it delighted to attack and expose, hut since the acton! outbreak of hostilities its patriotism has prevented it from carrying on its opposition to the course chosen by the vast majority of the American people. In its issue of the 5th ultimo it has a note on the striking victory of Admiral Dewey at Manila, in which it says The first battle of the war has taken ace where it was expected. Admiral wey has demolished the Spanish flee as he was expected to clu. in the Philip: pine Islands. The completeness of the victory is acknowledged in Madrid. The only thing we need to know about it is the amount of damage Admiral Dewey has himself sustained. The importance of this, howerer, depends on the question whether it was his intention, or when ther he had. instructions, todo more than demolish the fleet.' So confident were the Board of Naval Strategy at Washington of the superiority of our six ships to the Spanish nine or ten, even when the latter were under the guns of the forts, that they did not hesitate to detach the powerful battleship Oregon from the Pacific squadron, This looked like a reckless proceeding, but the result has vindicated the Boa All danger of raids on our Pacific Coast is now removed, and our navy -has only to reckon up the remaining sitength of the Spanish fighting marine in the Atlantic. While this is, of course, not to be underestimated, it is far inferior to ours even on paper, while there is good reason to believe that, the demoralization of the Spanish service has not failed to reach the navy. Itis asserted by experts, French and other, that squadron evolutions and gunnery practice are almost unknown to the Spanisit fleet. With the exception of the Vizeaye and the Oquendo, it is maintained by th who ought to know that the Spanish w ships are away below par in equipment, drill, and discipline. Coleridge asserted thatthe discipline on Spanish ships. was, in his time, the leesest in the world, and that in the American navy the most severe. This may not entirely hold now, but everything points to its being still measurelily true, Tt has another note on the war which has not probably been very cordially received by American readers generally for it is the Merest cynicism to say that the war is one to avenge the Maine Before war was declared, it was suddenly turned into a war to avenge the Maine. Bas not this object been attained? We are reported to have killed or drowned 400 Spaniards. Two hundred and sixty-six men are reported to have perished in the Maine explosion; this leaves us with 134 dead Spaniards to our credit, which surely ought to satisfy us, unless another side. We do not know whether this acfight should put the balance on the other
count is quire correct, because we have heard as yet no report of Dewey's losses. Tf he has had any, they will, of course, have to be deducted from our credit.
We notice that Bishop Whipple has directed a prayer in his diocese for the protection of our soldiers in the field, but the Spaniards are praying busily for the protection of their soldiers. In every war between Christian nations these conflicting prayers have been a scandal, ever since the foundation of Christianity, and-we hoped they had ceased. They are founded on the theory that the Creator takes a certain pleasure in watching fights, and that he gives the victory to the pluckiest and best drilled. It would be better for religion to have this view of the Creator's tastes drop out of sight. To the question why God permits war if he does not like it and does not take sides in it, we must answer by asking why he permits robbery, murder, and lynching, and lying As we know we shall not get any authoritative answer to these questions, had we not better leave the subject alone We have learnt from various sources that President McKinley sees no honour and glory in the capture of Spanish merchant steamers by American cruisers, and this feeling is evidently shared by a considerable portion of the best public opinion in the States. The Wew York Times, for instance, says The employment of our proud and powerful armada in the ignoble business of overhauling Spanish merchantmen and bringing them into the prize courts does not visibly advance the main business we have on hand—the expulsion of the Spaniards from Cuba. It commands the approval of no part of the people of this country. The ardent war party regard with contempt and "impatience a policy that wastes in making freighters come about good powder and shot that ought to be used in battering their forts and fleets. Men of pacific temper condemn it as being neither war nor peace, while the moral souse of the great mass of the people who feel that in setting out to make Cuba free we have undertaken a noble duty is shocked by this eager chase after private property, the capture of which Appears to serve no proper purpose of the-war and to be of advantage only in so far as it fills the pockets of the captors with prize money. War waged in that low commercial spirit has not and never will have the approval of the people of the United States. While we have the undoubted legal right to capture and condemn the private ships of Spain carrying Spanish merchandise it is too late in the nineteenth century and too late in the history of civilised mankind to keep up the motion thus far maintained between the private property of the enemy on Jand and the private property of the enemy at sea. A general who ordered his soldiers to seize and carry away personal property and to burn houses, stores, and factories would be looked on as. lawless monster. But an admiral who captures "the ships of the merchants of the enemy's country, seizes their valuables, and burns the ships if he cannot conveniently send them in to be Judged la " prio court, merely follows the custom and keeps within the law. It may not be thought practicable to abandon sea captures of private property, leaving Spain to carry on the sordid business on her part, but we hope our fleets will at least Soon find veeupations that will carry the war more rapidly toward its inevitable end than can be done by the inglorious capture of rusty old freight steamers.
The Landmark of Norfotk, Virginia, allows that the capture of merchant vessels is not very glorious or courageous or praiseworthy—though there was undoubtedly pluck in the capture of a Spanish liner by a lighthouse tender whose crew could only muster one revolver and two swords altogether—but it considers that after all it is permitted by the laws of war and has become a custom. It says Many observant persons have been _puzled and not particularly pleased at the recent operations of our blockading fleet off the coast of Cuba. While it is very true that the capture of defenceless trading vessels is not the most glorious achievement imaginable, we do not attach any great importance to the complaints which are made on general principles against this sort of warfare. It may not be fully abreast of modern enlightenment, it may not be courageous, it may not be in any respect worthy of praise: but it is still the usage of the world's nations, and in following that usage the government is probably only protecting the country's interests. Tu announcing that we shall not adopt privateering, we have already taken one notable step in accordance with the dictates of humanity and the progress of international sentiment.' Tt is a question whether Spain will not turn to her own advantage this clearly proper and decent decision; it is certain that she would mako the utmost of any effort on our part to press in advance of the existing custom of nations by abolishing the capture of merchant vessels by regular ships of war. The nature of the enemy with whom we have to deal must be considered as well as the nature of the weapons with which we fight.
Recent telegrams have told us that the American people were getting a little impatient at the slow progress of the war in the west, but were that the expulsion of the Spaniards from Cuba is not going to be a mere military promenade, and that it wonkl be criminal folly on the part of the military and naval departments at Washington to send expedition to Cuba at this time of the year before the men are pro perly drilled and equipped. No daube President McKinley, who has had some experience of war himself, is anxious to save bloodshed as much as possible but the reluctance to make a move commented on in the extract which follows was probably really due to his knowledge of the unpreparedness of the American military forces. The Chicago Chronicle sx.
Without assuming to criticise the President's plan of campaign—which as a matter of fact can only be conjectured—it is permissible to comment upon those indications of his policy outlined by the Washington correspondents of administration newspapers. All the administration correspondents agree that the President still evinces a reluctance to make avy move which will inevitably lead to bloodshed. He hopes to capture Cuba without a battle—without even bombarding Havana. He believes that the blockade of that port, which will cut off supplies from Havana and Matanzas alike, will weaken Blanco's resisting powers
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.