Our War With Spain For Cubas Freedom | Page 7

the fleets and are present at every
battle. They must be near enough to see, which means that they are in
as much danger at times as are the ships of the fighting squadron, far
more if one remembers that the former are in no way protected. Some
of them are heavy sea-going tugs and others are yachts. The expense of
charter, insurance and running cost amounts to from $200 to $400 a

day each, and yet some metropolitan newspapers have fleets of these
boats to the number of six.
All the foregoing facts are related in detail in the volume which these
paragraphs introduce. The only object in reiterating them here is that
they are entitled to emphasis for their prominence, and it is desired to
call special attention to them and their accompanying matter when the
book itself shall be read. The number of those who believe we are
engaged in a righteous war is overwhelming. The records of the brave
deeds of our men afloat and ashore will inspire Americans to be better
citizens as long as time shall last. The country has proven its faith in
the cause by giving to the needs of war hundreds of thousands of young
men to fight for the liberty of others. From every corner of the land
regiments of volunteer soldiers have sprung in an instant at the call of
the President, while as many more are waiting for another call to
include those for whom there was not room the first time. The country
which can show such an inspiring movement has little to fear in the
race of progress among the nations of the world.

OUR WAR WITH SPAIN.

CHAPTER I
.
A WAR FOR LIBERTY AND HUMANITY.
Again at War with a Foreign Power--Spain's Significant Flag-- Three
Years Without an American Flag in Cuban Waters--Visit of the Maine
to Havana Harbor--The Maine Blown Up by Submerged Mine-- Action
of President and Congress--Spain Defies America--Martial Spirit
Spreading--First Guns Are Fired--Cuban Ports Blockaded-- Many
Spanish Ships Captured--Excitement in Havana--Spain and the United
States Both Declare War--Internal Dissension Threatens
Spain--President McKinley Calls a Volunteer Army.
Civilization against barbarism, freedom against oppression, education
against ignorance, progress against retrogression, the West against the
East, the United States against Spain. In this cause the flag of freedom
was again unfurled in the face of a foreign foe, and our nation entered
war against the people of another land, carrying the star spangled
banner through successive victories in the name of liberty and
humanity.

It is a proud banner, which stands the whole world over for freedom
and right, with few stains of defeat or injustice upon its folds. The great
heart of the nation swelled with pride at the righteousness of the cause,
with an assurance that eternal history would praise America for the
unselfish work. On land and sea the boys in blue gave new fame to the
flag, and their proud record in the past was more than justified by the
honors that they won.
Two wars with Great Britain and one with Mexico were the more
notable predecessors of this conflict with Spain. If to these should be
added the hostilities between the United States and the Barbary pirates
of Algiers, Morocco and Tripoli, and the scattered brushes with two or
three Oriental and South American countries, the list might be extended.
But those affairs are not remembered as wars in the true sense of the
word.
Except for protection against Indian outbreaks, the United States had
been at peace for thirty years, when the war cloud began to loom in the
horizon. It was with a full realization of the blessings of peace that the
American people yielded to the demands, of humanity and righteous
justice, to take up arms again in the cause of liberty. There was no haste,
no lack of caution, no excited plunge into hostilities without proper
grounds. The nation made sure that it was right. An intolerable
condition of affairs resulting from years of agony in a neighbor island,
with half a dozen immediate reasons, any one sufficient, was the
absolute justification for this holy war.
Spain is the Turk of the West. Spain is an obsolete nation. Living in the
past, and lacking cause for pride to-day, she gloats over her glorious
explorations and her intellectual prowess of the middle ages when
much of Europe was in darkness. Then Spain's flag led pioneers
throughout the world. But her pride was based on achievements, many
of which, to the people of any other nation, would have been the
disgrace of its history. No indictment of Spain can ever be more severe,
more scathing, if its true significance be considered, than the famous
phrase which one of her proudest poets created to characterize her flag