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IHt ! Battle of the Swash I uAL.lSrr) TKCB apture of Canada. V.Y SAMUEL BARTON. ALSO A PATRIOTIC SPEECH BY 44 Dr. AV. aEORGE BEETitR, OF MONTREAL, In reply to the toast of Professional Annexation. 9t MOxXTKEAL J. Theo. Robinson, Publisher. "♦• . V ^f-5 t1 1- ^ the peo])le of the United States (for wliose perusal ii was intended) of their deplorably defenceless condition. The autlior's first idea was to make Spain the attackin;^- power, and he had thouLiht out a series of probable occurrences which nuuht rupture the present amicable relations between the United States and Cuba ; but before an Opportunity ])resented itself for arranging these materials, ['resident Cle\elanlitiral imion o( the lMi;^lish-speakinj4 |)i.*i>l»ied of Lhi; Xurlii Ann'iican (jonliniuil, whii'Ji he believes to In". inevitahU". in tin* not (U.sLanl fuLuro, may he acconi- |>Hsh(!(l — nol hy wai. nnr hy loi'ce, Imt l>y L!ie united and inteni;^('nt [lopnlur scnlinieni of ivvci «nTcat eonimunities, whose lenitoiii\s are eoDliguous, whose language is the same, wiioso instiuuions are similar, and whost.' interests art; — oi shonhl he — ideiit ieal. sAArri-:h r.virrox. ' Nkw Youk, Dec* 188H. ^SU#^ IN FRODUCTION. The only apcloL;)' \vlii('!i I ropose co do, without fear or favor — will atone for any shortcomings from a purely literaiy point of view. Although 1 have said that no accurate and complete narrative of this occuiience lias evin- \h\oa\ puhlii^hed, the rca«ier must not therefore assume that there exist no jjulilisbed accounts of it wliatever. On the contrary, ii has been described more or less at length, by so many dilferent writers, both in tran- sitory anil i)ermanimt form, that my chief embarrassment arises rather from a sn])eT"dbundance than from a paucity of materials. In the library of the X; Y. Historical Society are to be found no less than ninety-seven books and pamphlets giving JNTUOIJL'ITION. vir. t'or my my for lUW. ilive luust. Iimts more lian- iient of lo V)e viiiu \vli;ii pinport t<» 1m» "full, line Jiml pHrtlciiliU- " aeiount.s of tin.', attack uium New V'ork by tho IJritisli lliu'i" in tlio year 'riiu titles t»t some of these eontriluilions to coiiteiDjxtro- iieous history are decidedly aumsini; and sii-^gestivc of the sen- sational s))ii'it which was such a marked characteristic of the general literature, and csjiceially of the newspa]ter press of that period. Fop iiiatanee, \vi' have amouLt them, "The New Armada;" "The liritish IJIaclouaiier ; " " Modern Piracy ; " *' The Doom ofllii' livtn Ulads;" "Tho Hisi.pjieai-a.nee <»f the l»ritish tlau from North ^Vnicrica ; " and nnc, mortj ])ietenti(»us than tho rest, is entitled " An i!i(|niry intn the causes whicdi led to the aeijuisition of Canada l)y tlic I'nited States of America,'' In adihtion to these numi;rons hooks and pamphlets, the newspapers of th*.* period conlained paoe after paj4'e of the most vivid and sensational accounts, in which truth and false- hood, a)iii .•-cnse and al)surd:ry,'are so evidently iiiin<4led, tliat no conscientious historian would be wiliinn to utilize them as reliable authoriti«,'S. Nevertheless, a perusal of them even at this late day, may be found interesting to many of my reji- dcrs, and as they are kept on tile in most of tlie leading' city lilmiries, they are within easy reach i>f all. Tlie reader of to-day will bo vastly amused in h)oking over these old joui-nals, at the evidences to be founeetable nietroiMiliian journal of the present day. As an evidence of liow our tastes are intluen(3od by our sur- roundings, I may here state, that while 1 am now shocked at the total lack of^-ood taste and rhe superabundance of sensa- tional vulL;ariiy dis[)layed ly most ot the news]»apers of that day, yet I cannot iemend)er that 1 regarded them with any such feelings ai that lime, alilKaigh I was a man, and certain- ly as competent a Judge of ]>i'oprie1y then, as 1 am now. But (his is to 1)0 a hisiurv, not a moral treatise. With svicli a umss of matei'ial at my commanil,' it will lie apparent that it has been no sliglst task to sift out the grain from the chaif, and to coiideirse the vast accumulation of authorities into a comparatively brief volume like this. 1 am fullv awar(^ that tliere arrevious histoi'ians ha\(> made, either through carelessness, prejuilice, orwillfulnes.s. With this brimil my woik to the consideration t»f the can«lid, unpreju- diced, and T trust, kindly disposed rearr, r.)".0. TIIK Battle of the Swash ^ AND 'CAPTURE OF CANADA. »^p> I ^ \ CHAl'TEli I. THE UNITED STATK8 PltlOR TO 1890. Behjiie entering u])on a letailed account of what naval experts of all nationalities have conceded to be the most interesting and important naval event of that remarkable century (the nineteenth), whose later years many of my older readers can doubtless remembei', [ will endeavor to present in as brief and concise a manner as possible, a summary of the events which preceded it, and the causes which led up to it; as withou'. such an explanation the story of the battle itself would possess little or no historical value. / The first thing which it is necessary for me to explain, is my reason for choosing; the title '* The Battle of the SwaAr I am not aware that this title has ever been used before, 10 THE r.ATTI.E OK THE SWA.-'lI. but if llie rfiiHer will consult a rliart of the Harbor oC Xew York, lie will ;i!. ojice see the propriety oi' it. It will in; seen that what is known anion'4 )»ilols a- the " SwH'^h,'" is a straiifht eliannel, forniinfr a soit of hypotenuse to t!ie two sides of tlie main ship channel, which Iiends almost at a ti'jht anL;le at the Southwest spit. Assuinin.; theiefoi'e, that Jie NaiT'Avs is eiVcetuallv Mock- afle<] ni.h toipe(h)es or other itostruetions, and llint an attack- ing fleet dc-^ired to boinhard Xew Yoi'k at huiL; rani^e, and at the s;iinc tiine he in a position to witlidraw easily and y the southern slave holding States, to secede from the Union, and estalilish a separate confederacy, hased upon Free Trade, and Human Slavery. Although tlie rights of tlu^ slaveholders were fullv acknowledged hv the law of the land, vet the growth of the sentiment in favor of aholitiou of slavery was so rapid throughout the Northern States, that the Southerners became ahirmed lest tlieir property T'ights should he ignored and denied ; and after several years of defiant wrangling and threatening, at length formally seceded from the l:nion, and hy the attack on Fort Sumpter — a fort in ( Charleston Harbor — Ijtiaugurated tlie long and bloody court ict which iinally resulted iu the total abolition of slavery, and the restoration of the authority of the United States (Tovernment, in all portions of United States territory. Pre'vious to this war, the United States occupied a front rank among the maritime powers of the world. The " American Clipper Ships " (ve*>els propelled entirely by sail power ; which for purposes of ocean navigation is now practically^ obsolete) were considered the perfection of marine architecture, and bore the stars and stripes proudly and tri- umphantly upon every sea. . • 1 mil «M I 12 Till-: D.VTTI.K OF TlIK SWASH. Over 2^'00 (\stablishmeiits wcreenpiLiefl in tlio sliipbiiildiii;^ iiulustvy, giviii'4 ein|.iloyni('iiL to over 20,()tM) skilled l.thorery, wl)oS(f wanes amounted 1,0 more than Si l>, 00(1, 000 amuially ; and wliu Ijuilt from s:30,000,000 to S40,UU(),000 worth of vessels eaeh year. ])inin_Li the ten yeiiis immeorts of the Ignited States, earrii^l the Ameriean HaLi- : as ai;ainst 33 per (jent earryiii'i foreiun ll-i^s. In 1N.S7 only ahont l."'> jK^r rent, were Anieri'^an, as a^'ainst 85 per cent. foreiL,^n. Several causes had eons])ired to l)i-in;^ about this vast and disastrous decdine in American ownei'ship. The first, and most eU'ective of tliese, umpiestionably grew ^ out of i.he almost unconcealed iind anxious eilbrts of Kny,land, to itrevent the Northern States from 'brin«nmjj the war to a suceessful issue, and thus assuring- the restoration of the Union. Tiie caus(» of this cn'/iin-i on the pan of laiuiand, was, as is always the case, where any of her interests are inv(dved, a piuely and intensely selfish one. The Northern, and especially the New En'.dand States, were mercantile and manufacturinu States, ami had become fornddable rivals to England in the two <.;reat interests in which the latter power Iiad hitherto deemed herself unajj- proachable. The American shipowner outsailed and under- liid his En^Lflish com]>etitor in all parts of the world ; and the American manufacturer, by improved methods and ini^enious mechanical appliances, had be^un to successful ly compete with his English rival, not only in American markets, but in foreign ones as well ; and Englishmen viewed with uncon- cealed dismay, the innninent prospect of having their im- mense carrying trade as well as their enormous manufactur- Jllb: BATTLE OF THK SWASH. 13 l)nil(liii|J!" [aborei's, inually ; ^ortli nf AVar of le y)orts against against vast and Kiiy;laii(l, war to a I of the as, as is 'olved, a states, l..eL'oiiie rests ill f iniap- luider- and the luenions :*A)inpete ;, ])ut in uncon- eir ini- ifactur- ing interests, mined by the competition of their enterprising and iugeiiions Ain<;rican rivals. liideed, so marked had this (U^velopmont l)een, that an eminent Ireneh writer, de Tocqneville, in a l>ook called '• Democracy in America," written nearly twenty years previous to tlic om break of tlie " War of the Rebellion," in a chapter entitled " Some considerations on the causes of the Commercial pr<^sperity of the United States," wrote as fol- lows : " The iidialiitants of the Tnited States constitute a great civilized peoph^, which fortune has placed in the midst of an uncultivated country, at a distance of three thousand miles li'om the central point of civilization, America con-' sequently stands in daily need of Eurojx'. The Americans will, no doubt, ultimately succeed in producing ur manufact- uring jit home, most of the articles which they require ; l)ut the two continents can' never be independent of each other, so numerous are the natural ties between their wants, their ideas, tlieir habits, and their n^anners Tlie Union has peculiar connnodities whicli have now become necessary to us, as they cannot be cultivated, or can be raised only at an enormous expense, upon the soil of Europe. The Americans consume only a snudl portion of this proiluce, and they are willing to sell us the rest. Kurope is therefore the market of America, as America is the market of Europe ; and mari- time comnjerce is no less necessary to enable the inhabitants of the United States to transport their raw materials to the ports of Europe, than it is to enable us to supply them with our manufactured produce. " The United States must therefore either furnish much business to other maritime nations, even if they sliould them- selves renounce connnerce, as the Spaniards of ^Fexico have hitherto done, or they must beconiC one of the tirst maritime powers of the globe. I 14 THK i;a'JTI,k of 'I'hk swash. « TM 'J'lie Aiiulo-Aiiiciicans liave alwavs (]is])]iiyed a (lecidi'U taste for tliu sen. Tln' Declaration of Iiidependoiifc l»y breakiii^L; the cominejcial bonds vvhicli iiiiittMl them to Kng- .land, ;_;avt3 a fresh and powcrt'ul stiniuhis to thoir iiiaritiiiie genius. Ever since that time, tlie shipping of llie T'liion has. increased abnost as rajjidly as the number of its inlial>ilants. Tlie Americans themselves now transport to their own chores nine-tentlis of the Ivaropean produce wliicli they consume. And tliey also bring t]vree-([uarters of the ex])orts of the Xew World to the European consumer. 'J'he ships of the I'nitcd States fill the docks of Havre and of Liverpool, whilst the nnndter of English and French vessels at New York is c(.iu- paratively small. Thus, not only does the Americiin nun'- ohant brave competition on his own ground, but even suc- cessfully supports that of foreign nations in their own ports. This is readily explained by the fact, that the vessels of the United Slates cross the seas at n cheaper rate .... '' It is difficult to say for what reason the Americans can navigate at a lower rate than other naltions ; one is at first led to attribute this superiority to the physical advantages which nature gives them ; but it is not so. . " The Ame^rican vessels cost almost as much to build as our own ; they are not better buih, and they generally last a shorter time. The pay of the .Vmerican sailor is more con- siderable than the pay on l)oard luiropean ships, which is proved by the great number of Euro])eans who are to be found in the merchant vessels of the United States. How hiippens ' it then, that the Americans sail their vessels at a cheaper rate than we can ours ? I am o[ opinion that the true cause of their superiority must not l)e sought for in physical advant- ages, but that it is wholly attributable to moral and intel- lectual (pialities " The European sailor navigates with prudence; he sets sail THE r.ATTLE OF THE SWASH.' 15 I on re l>y to Kiig" iiai'itiiiie iiion lias, aliil lints, n i^hoies ionsiune. the Xew I'lntcd « liil.st the V is ('(iin- liin ]\\ov' veil sue- ^11 ports. Is of the •ans ean iirst led ^s which l)uihl as ly last a oi'o con- whieh is l)e found ]i;ippen? • per rate ■ause of advant- lid intel- sets sail oidy when the weather is favorable ; if an unforeseen accident hefals him. he puts into port ; at nii-ht, he furls a portion of his canvas ; and when the whitening billows intimate the vicinity of land, he eliecks his course, and takes an obseiv- ation of the -Sun. " The American neglects these ju'ecautions and braves these el- lion," determined to aid the seceding States in every possil)le way. These States were exclusively agricultural communi- ties, raising most of the cotton wliich formed such an im- portant portion of the raw material re([uired by English factories. Like all partially developed agricultural com- munities, they had no capital to invest in vessels or factories; and in case they secured .their iiidependence, tliey were pledged to Free Trade, - 'd would thus ofier a vast and profit- able carrying trade to English ships ; and a vast and profit- able market for English goods. The temptation was a great •"Democracy in America," by Alexis de Tocqueville. Translated by Henry Reeve, Esquire. Edited with notes by Puof. Francis Owen, of Harvard Univtrsity, Cambridge, 1863, Vol. 1, p. 543 to 552. Si ritiine a^ tlie : they e been e.ly do- es as a 1 theiu \voiile paid by England for tlie depredations com- mitted by these piratical cruisers upon American commerce. Tiie mischief, liowevcr. was done ; our ocean connnerce had been ruined ; and J^^nglaiid could well iiave afforded to pay Si r.,()00.()00 KiidiKilhf foi' having tlius paralysed her great niarilinie rival. ( oneurrenlly with this wiping out of our shipping by English cruisers, iron and steel began to be used as a substi- ini.e lor wood in ship building; and by the time that the I'ebellion liad been finail)' erushed, our shipbuilders iound theiDselvcs utn-ily unable lo compete with those of (Ireat r.iit lin oil account (if the greater cost of material and wages here, as well ;is th<; al»sencc of machinery and appliances for building iron and sieel vessels. Gold remained at a premium for several years alter the conclusion ot the war ; and this, together with the tarilf on ini])orted materials reipured in ship ]>uilrliiig, I'endeved competition with foreign builders absolutely impossible. To make matters worse, all the prin- eipal maritime nations of Europe inaugurated a system of subsidies or bounties, which stinndated ship building enor- i I 1 ■' ) ! 18 THE r.ATT[,K OF TIIK SWA^^H. ijiuusly, aijcl inc.rcasiM.l the !=^up]>ly ot" vessels su nii)i(lly, that carrying- rates fell to fiovnes, witli wlucli inisulisMizfMl \(!s.sels could not possibly compete. Knglaiul, Fiance, (Icriiiany, Italy, Ijel^iuDi, Holland, and finally Spain, went into ilu; snl)siily business ; and tlie latter power actually subsidized linerf of steamers to the extent of oxer 1?1,000,()(mI per annum, to run ulonc;' our whole Atlantic and Pacitic Coasts, tin din,;:' between jMexico and Central America tm the south, and Cannda and ]3ritisli Columbia on the north, and st .jjpiug at all important American ports on their respective routes. The only demand for Anu.'rican built vessels was f(n' the coastin.u^ tiade ; but this demand was suHicient to induce the establishment of several large ijon shi[)yiirds, most of which were located on the iJehiware iJiver, at or near I'liiladelphia, Chester, and AVilmington. Thus was inauiiurated that interest which has since attained sucli enc»rmous propoitions as to give to the Delaware liiver the aohrujuct of " The Ameiican Clyde." The vessels bu.^ at these yards, even in thos(^ early days, proved conclusively that American s]ii])bui1ders were still the best in the woild, and tlien as now, American coastwise steamships were conceded to Ije the lincst and licetest and best vessels of their class afloat. The absolute refusal of Congress to oiler any subsidy, or even to olfer decent compen- sation to American vessels for carrying the mails to foreign cou utiles, efl'ectually prevented the buihhng of any ships suitable for that trade ; and while England and France and Germany and Spain were building swift merclumt stciimers on ])lans approved by their naval departments, and paying them liberal annual subsidies for the privilege of chartering or purchasing them at a fixed price, at any time, and con- verting them into armed cruisers ; thus providing tliemselves at a comparatively trithng cost with a most formidal)le and h; to A CD Till-: ItATTi.K OF THE .SWASH. 19 )■, lliat ressols 'iirany, to lllC nnnnii, h, and ping al: js. fov the ;\ice tlie C which (lelphia, attained re rdvev ly days, still the lastwise test and iusal of Ci>n".pen- . fori'ii:j,n iiv ships xnce and stPiuners 1 paying harteving and cun- leniselves lahle and elUeieni iiiixdiai-y naval force; llie roii.Ljress of the United States, with an apathy or indilleronce which seems utterly unae(3uuntahle at the ]»reHent time, ahsoliitely refused to do anything to (Micouraj^e tlie rehuildiuq; of the American Merchant Marine. That such a suicidal policy shouhl liave heeu persisted in for more than twenty years af|;cr the close of t!ie war, at a time wlien the annual receipts of the Treasury were over Sin(),00(},uOO in excess of the government requirements, and when the extraordinary spectacle was presented day after day, oi senators and members of (Congress, wrangling and arguing over the (piestioii of " how to dispose of the surplus," seeius absolutely incredible ; and yet, a perusal of the files of the newspapers pultlished during this period (say from 1875 to LSSS), will satisfy the most sce])tical reader that it is strictly true. ]*\)r the couviaiienee and satisfaction of such of my readers us may not he ai)le easily to refer to these liles, I rej>roduce a few articles ;uid communications fnmi some of the journals of that period. 8ui;sii)iES TO IjRLTisif Steam.ships — Arra^ciemf.xts • y WITH THE White Star anl Cuxaiu:) Lines. Fioiii liii- Nrm Yod- Joitiuy/.l of Coiiniu'rce, March oi, 1887. ''A Liverpool cablegram received yesterday says: 'At the meeting of the stockholders, of the Cunard Steamsiiip Com- pany to-day the chairman auuouuced that the Government liad uratited. the company an annual subvention of 885,000 lor a period of five years for tlie carrying of the mails.' " Det ails (jf the agreement entered into Ijotween the British Admiralty and the owners of the White Star and Cunard companies, by uliich certain of their vessels are placed at the disi)osal of the Government on specilied terms, are contained 20 THE BATTLE OF THE SWA.SII. : ;i Hi! ill a liitu parliiuueiitiuy })a])rT. Tin; AN'liile Star Line n'^rec^s to hu\d at the disposition ol' tlu' CTOVeiiinieiil t'Mr j.mcli;i- option of tli^ Adiiiiralty, to lie uxeivis-id tVoiu tiiAo to liniti during tla- r.onLiin/anc.H of iIim aijivLiiiuMit, the following: ^\'(.;ssuls : liriLaimie, xaluc ClMij.O'iii ; Ccnuaui', Xi(lO,l)0(); Adriatic, XJOO.ODl) ; Celtic, XldU.UOH. lu li.e event of pnrchast* the funi^oin^ i)ri(',es were to be hehi as the vahie.s of the ves^jjels on Jiiniiury I, 1S87, phis 10 jicr cent, for compulsory saL', less ;in aijotenifnt ot <• [ter cent, per aiimuu en tlui depreciated auniial vidue i'ur llu.' [)eriod that mii^lit elni)Pe between franiiaiy 1, 18(S7, and the date of pur- chase by the (Jovernnient. In I lie event <•!' charter by the Admiralty the rate of hii'c of the befoiv-iniMitioncil vessels was iixed at the rate of 20.s. per gross registered ton per niouih, the owner providing the crew, or at ihe rat(5 of 15e» per gross registered ton ])er month, the Admiralty tinding the crew, all risks of ca])ture and of ho^^Lilities being assumed by the Admiralty. The company has deternuned to build one or two vessels of higli si)eed and of such a type and speed as, will render them specially suitable for service as armed cruisers, and in accordance with the plans and specilications submitted and approved by tb Adndralty. In consideration of this the Adndralty will have to pay to the company an annual subvention at the rate of los. per gross registered ton per annum. On P^ebruary 8, the Admiralty accepted similar proposals made by the Cunard Line in respect to the follow- vesseLs : Etruria, value .i::UO,000 ; Undma, £301,000 ; Aurania. £240,000 ; Servia, £193,000; Gallia, jei02,000— a subvention of 15s. per gross registered ton per annum, to be paid to the company on account of the Etruria, l^ndjria, and Aurania during the continuance of the postal contract, and iti the event of the terminaticiu of that contract before these three vessels received five years' payment, the compaiiy to be TIIK liATTI.K OF TIIK SWASlf. 21 entitled Id receive for the baluiK^H a subvention at the, rate of 2''s., the live vessels heiiij^ siill held at the diHjMjsitiitii of the (rovernnieiit. In tiie event n( the (.'muird (^Jinpany hiiihiing new vessels for the tiiail service, ihey will suhiiiit the |»hni«4 lo the Adiiiindty I'ov apjji'oval. '■' Tla^ suhvent.inn will amount to ahout £(),;'()(> for each of Ihe new vessels n( the White Star Tine, so lou'^ as they curry the mails, c £8,r)U() should the mails Ih» withdrawn. 'J'he annual (;har«^'e for the riitentinn ot the Uunarders, l-^trui'ia, Umbria and Aujania is stated at £5,400 eacli. The Admiralty announce that they are ready to mak(; the same arrangemenb as with the White Star Company for the first taw steamers that may be ollered by any of the Dritisli steaurshib eumniinies." The following letter from Admiral D. 1). Porter shows con- clusively the feeliuLi; which must havt? existed in Naval circles upon the subject of the revival of the American Merchant Marine. Tlie letter was addre^^sed to a Mr. Aaron Vander- bilt, reprosentin.Lj the American ShippiuL;' and Industrial League, and was published in the New York World and other journals, some time during the year 1888. Dear Sir : I received your letter and pamphlet this morn- ing in relation to American shipping. 'It is a matter in which I am greatly interested. I only wish I really had some inlluence in this country to help forward measures for the advancement of our mercantib marine, without which we can never be a great nav'" ey could be run to advan- tage. Indeed, I have been so persistent in this matter == I I lill 90 TIIF, lA'lTLE OK THE SWASH. ever since the close of tlic civil war that I ran the ri.sk of being considered queer — ibr that is the term peo])l(! apply nowadays to men of progressive idea^, whose opinions come in conflict with those of persons who are altogether guided by local prejudices. T hav(3 written a s^ood deal for the Amcrkaii P rated lonist on the subject, also a long article for the Chicago Inter U'-can, covering one side of the paper, whicli had an extensive circu- lation in the West. I wrote so much tliat I was afraid 1 might come under the head of ' penuy-a-liner," but all to no pur- pose, as the cause didn't seem to advance an inch. This country is a young giant, full of resources, overflowing with wealth, and the ])cople themselves full of progressive ideas, yet you see how difficult it is to get anyt!iing done even for the defence of our coast and great cities. With all our wealth and enter})rise we are, owing to the force of ciix'umstances over which our people seem to have no control, Bourbons up to the luib, learning nothing and for- ce ttinu' nothing. The nation that can put the most ships and the best ships on the sea will be the one that can set the world at dehance. No nation can put its oonnnerce on its bott(nn again, after it has been brokon up as 'T New YoRK,\^ept. 10, 188^ H. K. Tluu-hrr, E^q,, P,r,idriU U. S. & B. M. S. Co. : DEAitSiii: lam in receipt of your pamphlet, and I beg to say that in my humble j'udgment it is entirely unanswer- able, and that tlie mere statement of facts which it contains should bring the blush of shame to every American cheek. Indeed, if we were not living witnesses and victims of it> it would be utterly beyoiul 1)elief that such a stupid and vicious system as that under which our mercantile marine is being absolutely strangled " in the house of its friends " could prevail in any country having the slightest pretensions to intelligence or enterprise ; and it is certainly not too much to say that if our present laws had been framed l)y our woist national enemies or our l)itterest commercial rivals, they could not be more effectual in paralyzing our foreign commerce and rendering us as nearly as possible a cipher among the nations of the earth. Two years ago I was obliged to give up active busines^ on account of ill health, and since that time I have traveled quite extensively in Europe, and the most striking fact which confronted me at every turn, was the enormous increase and , develo[)ment of foreign trade among nations which we have hitherto reuarded as only second or third rate commercial powers. This remarkable development, in which France and Germany took the lead, has extended to other countries, and Italy, Spain and even little BelgiuiA, are ra])idly coming to the front as great maritime nations. Upon inquiring into th- THE BATTLE OF THE SWASH. 27' causes of this remarkable increase of coiuniercial acliviiy, L i.iund that it was entirely due to the policy ol" '* protection ijy houiity " or subsidy. Moreover, it has been njad(> princip- ally at the expense of the United States of xVnierica. I'^ngland has of course suffered to some extent also ; l)ut I think it is entirely witliin bounds to assunit^ thai at least 75 per cent, of the foreign traflic secured by these enterprising Euro})eans within the last lifteen or twenty years, is tiatlie whicii rightfully belongs to us, and which we should have had, if our law-makers had exhibited the slightest desire to foster our coiinnercial interests. ^Valking along ihc ni;igni- licent wharves of Antwerp, I saw steamer after steamer load- ing and unloading for and from ports in South America, whose triule by every natural law siiould come to us. It was the same at Southampton and Liverpool aud Havre, and even away down in Is^aples there were evidences on every hand of hfjw we Americans are being robbed of what may be justly considered our birthright ; that is, South American, West Indian, and even Mexican trade. The intense and monu- mental stupidity which permits this process to contimie, is doubtless amusing to those who pi'ofit by it, but it is (kiath to us as a maritime nation. • Jt seems inconceivable that with an overllowing Treasury, and with exports of over S700,000,()U0 Y»er annum, our ship- phig interest should be thus wiped out of existence merely because a lot of idiots have inherited a political superstition which invariably throws them into .spasms of indignant pro- test whenever the word " subsidy " is mentioned, '.riiis in- herited superstition is practically all there is behind the opposition to a fair and reasonable system of protection and encouragement to our shipping interest. Of wliat use are arguments in the face of patent and not- jiious facts ? Our commerce was swept from the ocean i nil ill 28 THE UA'rTr,K OK THE sWAi^ir. dining' our civil wur. Its ])li:ce has been usurped by sub- sidized vessels of oLlier ctuuti-iis. Against tlipse vessels nu- subsidized ones cannot compete successfully. This is the whole fjuestion in a nutsiiell. Shall we, by a judicious system of paying a fair ])rice for American mail service, restore our foreign commerce, and take once more the front rank among maritime nations? Or shall we continue to yiehl to the paralyzing intluence of a mere word, which only represents an idiotic and thread bare super- stition ; and turn our whole enormous export trade over to our foreign competitors, who, while ridiculing our stu])idity, gladly take advantage of it, and pocket the profits winch we thus thrust upon them ? Public sentiment is gradually changing on this great subject ; and the de-mand for reason- able and sensible legislation in the interest of American ship- owners will soon make itself heard with no uncertain sound. Meanwhile, the fact that practical and intelligent l)usiness men are taking part in the public discussion of it, is one of the most encouraging signs of the times. I remains, yours very truly, Sam Baktox. It is scarcely necessary for me to say that the foregoing letter expresses with my sentiments would have been at that time, quite as fully and as well, as I could, if I had written it myself. Not only had our merchant marine thus been promitted to be wiped out of existence, but our navy had also become worn out and decayed, and our antiquated coast fortifications were the laughing stock of military and experts all over the world. Concerning the deplorable condition of the United States Navy, Secretary Whitney, in his annual report for 1885, said, THE IJA'ITLE OF THE SWASH. ' At the proseiit niomoiit, it iimst he conceded tliiit we have II itliintj' wliich deserves l<» 1)6 (tailed a navv. It is (luestioii- able whether we have a siiiule naval vessel finished and atloat It tlie present time, that could b(i trusted so encounter the ships of any important power — a single vessel that has eitlier ilie armor for proiection, speed for escape, or weapons for lefense." This was a notorious, fact, as was also the defenseless con- dition of our seaboard citiee. I\Ir. Samuel J. Tilden — who was the democratic candidate tor President of the United States in .1876, and who was believed l)y many to have been elected, notvvithstandin<4 the dc'cisioii of the electoral commission in favor of jVTr. Haves — liud in a publi(; letter, made a very strong appeal for the- utilization of the so-called surplus revenues in fortifying ouj- f'oasts. . Admiral I'orter in his report for the year 1887, also made the following astounding statement in this connection : " Two heavy iron-clads could commence at the eastern- most point, and proceed along the coast to Texas, laying every city under contribution. In time of war, the torpedo system will be useless for defense in the absence of proper fortifica- tions and guns. Fuv the event of war we are no more pre- ])ared than we were a year ago ; although we have made a Ixfginning to repair simply the waste in our navy for the j)ast twenty-live years." A writer in the Xorth Aiuaican Bcvicw of July, 1888, had also called attention t(.> the utterly defenseless condition of our seaports, and showed that a hostile lieet anchored in XeW York Harbor, could destroy property valued at SI, 5^0,- 000,000 in New York, l!?600,OOo'ioOO in Brooklyn, and islOO,- 000,000 in Jersey City. The only alternative to such a l>ombardment would l)e the payment of a ransom, whose • i'l ;;o Till-: liATTLE UF TIIK SWA.Sll. ainuunt would of co\iiS(3 bear suiue ruluiiuu tu l1i;j iiuiiiciise amouuL ui i»i<)peity involved. The Xt'iv Yark Herald had also, during the suiiuiiei" of 1587, published a series of sensational articles, showing t>he enormous amounts of ja-operty tlius exposed on (tiir .\tlnntic, Pacitic uiid Gulf coasts. Tb will tlnii^^be seen tlia. oui' an- cestors had not even the excuse of if/noraiia; in pbrniittiujL» such a statd of affairs to continue. The question l)ad been the subject of frequent conferences* and investi^iations ; and committees and sub-committees had reported upon ii, limes without number. The IV^rtification board had estimated the cost of a complete system of coast defences, including armored turrets and casemates, barbette and mortar Ijatteries, rilled guns, torpedoes, torpedo boats and lioatiuL;' batteries, at $12G,- 377,800 ; and bills lui'i been intjoduced looking to the gradual expenditure of that anuaaiL of nioney, such expenditure to cover a peritxl of ten years. P)ut a!l such propositi* ais were met bv the " econondcal " statesmen of that dav, with howls of indignant j'rotest ; and were characterized as attempts to steal and squander tlie proceeds of an excessive and burden- sonie system of taxation, which was levied for the sole benefit of a privileged class of manufactr.rers, monopolists and capi- talists. Thus these backwoods statesmen, nine-tenths of whom would proltably have failed, if they had attempted to carry on any business more extensive than the keeping ' : a i)eanut stand, assumed to be the iud^es of what was the best econ- omy for a nation of over 00,000,000 of people, and exemplified their ideas of economy b}^ rolling up an annual pension list of about 3150,000,000; spending $80,000,000 or .^40,0O«),O00 in so-called river and harbor improvements and public build- ings in different parts of the country ; and absolutely fhruw- ing (may .^20,000,000 or $30,000,000 in paying exhorbitant premiums for the privilege of cancelling a debt not yet due. THE r.ATTlJ'; OK TIIK SWAsil. And tliiis it I'.ad coiiu! to })a.ss, that in the yeiu-«.{' ^laoe, 1880, tlic United Stales of Anuirica, with a ])oi>ulati<)n of more tliaii GO,000,Oi)(), ^\•itll a (•(••isi lino wiiose len.^th w.is \noiv than double that of any otliei' counLiy, witli an annna] available I'ovenue of more than .sl()0,000,000, notvvitlistanding that its system of taxation was lighter and less bnrdensome than that nf any other nation, and its laboring classes better paid, bt'tter lioused, better clothed, better fed, and better educated than any siniilai* elassi.'S in any otiier ])ortion of the world ; and willi an annual foreign comnierce exceedin'j,' Si, 600,000,- 000 ill Aalue, found itself practically without any merchant niiuiiic, and actually without a sinule war vessel with the '■ necessary armor for protection, speed for escajx^ or v.'capons for defense ;" witii its coasts and harbors entirely unprotected, and its seaports, — containing ]»ri)])erly aggregating more than SlO,00(i,000,()00 in value— uttt-rly defenseless, and absolutely iuA'itiiig attack iVoni any ruition which possessed a nu)derii iron-clad, arnu-d with two or more long range guns, capable of throwing a shell ten miles or so. This will doubtless seem an incredible statement to readers of the present day ; and yet it is strictly true. j\Ioreover, these rural solons, in their zeal iVjr wdiat they considered " economy," unsettled the industrial interests of the country by an acrimonious discus- sion of the tariff; and tlie most lightly taxed, prosperous, intellisient and wealth v comnumitv in the world was asked to believe that it was ground down, and oppressed by an excessive and burdensome system of taxation ; and " the sur- plus," " t/ic sur2)lu.\" " THE .sri;i"U'.s,'' was held over it con- stantlv ill tcrrorc/ii, as a monster that was catinsj' out the nation's vitals, and would soon involve it in financial ruin. Meanwliile, new fortifications were recommended vear after year, and the necessity for these w'as conceded l)y both poli- tical parties ; but — they were not built. ; 'BlUhiiAHMi^ TJIK 15ATTI,K ()V riflC SWASH. Kliiboratij estiiniitcs t'or the estiiblisIiiiK^iit <»[ mm laundries were matk' .'unl favorably reported on ; but — tlie bniiKb-ies were not built, llu^e a}»[)ropriations ibi' tVuuiid.iblo ainiuretl battle ships were talked over and reeomniended ; but — the armored battle ships were not built. IJills Jookiiv^' to the re-estaldishnient of our mereantile marine by tlie adoption of a similai* system of uneourai^^emeiit to that in voj:>ue anioiiL;' all modern maritimt; nations, were introduced, and debated on, and argued f)ver ; l)ut — the l)ill3 were not passed, and our merchants were oblic;ed to continne ship] )in'. ti leir i00(. Is in foreign bottoms. And all this cri- minal failure to adopt ordinary defensive precautions, was justified on the ground of" w)//v//////." If liis:ory ever exliib- ited a striking insttmce of the folly of " saving at t|,ie s[iigot and wasting at the l»ung," our ancestors of the latter part of liie nineteenth century may fairly claim pre-erninence as exhibitors in that line ut I must not anticipate I , . CIl.VrTKK 11. SF.cifETAIV WHITNKV's ErFOKTS TO IlKI'.UILD THE NArW r OS liis accessi'oij to tlio rresideiiry in "March, 1885, I're- sideiil Cle.veliiul liad appoiiiLed a Mr. "William C. "Whitney, a Kew York lawyer, secretary of the Navy ; and altlionu'li he had had no previous experience in naval matters, he seems to have been profoundly impressed with tlie necessity of rebuild- ino' the Navv, and brin^in^' it ni) to a stair'ard more in con- sonance with UKHltrn methods, and more in keeping with the vast national interest which it mit^ht at anv time be sud- denly called upon to protect and defend. 1 )uring his entire teini of office, ^Secretary Whitney's reports and otficial com- munications were invariablv couched in the most earnest and vigorous language ; and bore the strongest possible testimony 10 the serions importance with which lie regarded his position; and it is not too nuich to say that many of the features which ai present i-ause the United vStates Xavy to rank first among the navies of tlu3 world, mvw out oi" suggestions and recom- niendatious made l>y Secretary AMiitney. Like all reformers, howe\er, his path was beset with many diHu'nlties ; and although he persisted bravely in the task he had set for himself, he encountered so many obstacles and discouragements, that his health Ijecame seriously impaired and it was only at the earnest solicitation of the President, and leading members of his party, that he consented to serve his full term of four vears. During President Cleve- 31 ' I.* , -n ! I " I I fn » ■ .1 U THF I'.ATTr^E OF TIIK SWASH. liind's fulmiiii.stiiition party fcMjliii;.,' mii very lu'.'.l», and the Jii^pulilic'uiiH, who liiid recently heeii oiistcul rroiii jtDwer, after a contiiiudus enjoynxMit of it foi' twenty- four yenrs. seemed to lo(jk iipoii ;my en'ort lo alter or increase or improve the Xavy, as a rellectiou upon their ])revi()us manapimeiit of the dej irtmeiit. Couaeipietitly, Secretary Whitney found him- self opposi.'d and hampered at every turn ; and his well-meant and intelligent ell'orts in the direction of reform, encou:itered the open oi- concealed (»p])osition ol' Itepuhlieau Senators ;i.nd Congressnu-n ; and as the Republicans btill held control of the Senate by a narrov/ majority, but few of liis recommenda- tions were at first favorably nctcfl upon. Thus does party prejudice at tiiues outweigh |)atriolism ; and thus the best interests of the country are often neglected or jcopardi/(;d in obedif!ice U) th(^ behests of a political boss, or in deference to the supposc(l necessities of a ))aiti.s;in organization. It is dilVicult at this late day, to conceive of such a state, of affairs as this ; but as a partial vindication of our aiu'.estors against a charge of what might almost be called high treason, we must remember that the passions and prejudices which grew out of the " AVar of the Rebellion," still found a re.sting- place in the bosoms of most of the older inliabitants; and these extended t(j the political discussions of the day, rendering party feeling exceedingly bitter and vindictive. In fact, what would at present be regarded as an absurd impossibility, was then an actual fact ; and the two great political parties of the country, twenty years after the close of the Civil War,- found them: dves divided on precisely the same secti«jnal lines which had existed previous to ' and during that conflict ; rnd the most casual reference to the journals of that date can scarcely fail to reveal one or more allusions to " The Solid South," as a political entity whose interests must have necessarily been antagonistic to the other portions of the Union. TUK It.VTrr.K ()!• TllFi; SWASH. 3o Tl»(i va'^t iDamifiiclmiDu ninl miiKM-al itiicrdsts oi' Alaliniiia, (It'or^ia a!ii] Tennessee, wci'tM lien in rluMr infancy; and the' |)('oj)lo of those States still Iniu-jed tlie.deliision of free traors and coasts, and utterly failed to do any- thing to foster and encourage the re-establishment of the American .Merchant jMarine, whose value as a nursery or training school for the development of a naval force, had been so conclusivelv shown in tlie earlier davs of the Ilepuhlie. At the time of Secretary Wliitney's accession to otVice, the whole available naval ionin of the I'nited States consisted of a few old wooden vessels, so rotten as to lie scarcely seawor- thy, three or four iron-hulled steam corvettes and frigates, of ^n antiquated and obsolete type, and a few vessels of the *' Monitor." or revolving turret style (so called from the fact that the first vessel of this type was called the "Monitor"). These latter, however, weie ni an unfinished, rutten and rusty condition, having from motives of "economy" been per- mitted to lie and rot at their docks ever since the conclusion of the Civil War ; and were therefore utterly useless for any sudden emergency ; as several months' work would have been required to finisli the unfinished ones, and repair the com- pleted ones. It is true, that a commencement to rebuild the navy had been attempted during ]?resident Arthur's adminis- tration, and two modern cruiseis, (the J3oston and Chicago) and a despatch boat (the Dolphin) were ap}>roaching, comple- tion when Mr. Whitney becanne Secretary of the Navy. These vessels, however, were only . partially successful; and when finished, were found to fall far below the requirements of the THE BATTLE OF TJIE SWASH. 37 contracts;. and it was only after a loni^ series of tests, and many expensive alterations, that tliey could be rendered ser- viceable. In spite of all obstacles, however,. Secretary Whitney did make considerable progress in r(.'.bnil 40 THE I'.ATTl.E OK THE SWASH. makers of the iinpoitaiice of the fishing interest ; and the for- tunate and entei'prising fishermen, who accumulated wealth sufficient to enabk^ them to pass the autumn of their lives amid quiet and luxurious surroundings," came to be known as the " Co(ifish Aristocracy." In the year ITS)) a treaty of peace was finally concluded between the United States and Great Ihitain, which defined the riglits of the citizens of the United States to these privi- leges, as follows: ■,.'"'■.-':' ' '.'«'-.■■■ Akticle [II. ■' '. .' It is agreed that the people of the United States shall con- tinue to enjoy unmolested the right to take fish of every kind on the Grand Bank, and on all the other banks of Newfound-. land ; also in the Cudf of St. Lawrence and all other places in the sea where tlie inhabitants of both countries, used at any time heretofore to fish ; and also that the inhabitants of the United States sliall have liberty to take fish of every kind on such part of the coast of Newfoundland as British fishermen shall use (but not to dry or cure the same on that island), and also on the coasts, bays, and creeks of all other of His British Majesty's dominions in America, and that American fisher- men shall have liberty to dry and cure fish in any of the un- settled bays, harbors and creeks of Nova Scotia, Mag'lalen Islands and Labrador, so long as tlie same shall remain un- settled ; but so soon as the same or either of them shall be settled it shall not be lawful for the said fishermen to dry or cure fish at such settlement without a previous agreement for that purpose with the inhabitants, proprietors or possessors of the ground. This article clearly defined the rights of the American fish- ermen, and if it could have remained in force, and its pro- THE P.ATTLE OF rillt: S WAS If. 41 visions been honorably carried into effect, no furtlier trouble would probably ever have arisen over the suliject of the fish- eries. . . . -• ^ In 1812, however, the United States engaged in a second war with Great Britain, and in the .treaty of peace whicli was negotiated at Ghent, in the year 1814, no mention whatever was made of the right of the American people to take fish in Canadiitii waters. The reason for this omission, seems to have l)een tliat the American representatives, among wliom were Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams, maintained that the rights guaranteed by article three of the treaty of 1780, were not created by that treaty, Imt were merely, recognized l)y it, as permanent rights already existing, and of such a character that they were not to be affected or superseded by any rup- ture of friendly relations, or even by war. - Tlie same treaty, (l7So) had conceded to the British the right to free navigation of the Mississippi River, but since that treaty had been signed, the United States had purcliased the Louisiana Territorv from France, and had thus metamor- phosed that great river into an exclusively American water- way. The American comnussioners, therefore, being unau- thorized to concede navigation rights on the Miasissippi, in consequence of this change of ownership, the British commis- sioners claimed some concession as an offset to this refusal ; and a compromise was agreed upon, by which no mention was made cither of the P)ritish claim to navigate this rivei', or of the American claim to tish in Canadian waters. ' The situation, however, was not vsatisfactory, and after a long diplomatic correspondence between the two governments, a new treaty was negotiated in London in the year 1818, which among other things, contained the following provision •. "That the inhabitants of the United States shall have for- ever iji common with the sul>jects of His Brittauic Majesty, f 42 THE I'.ATTLE 01- TIIK SWASH. the liberty of taking fish oi' any kind, on that j)arl ci" the soutliern coast of XewfouudlaiKl which extends from Cnpe Kace Ui the Ihuiieaii Islands ; on ihe western and nortliwest- prn coasts of Newfonndhand, from the said Cape Uace to the (^)uispen Ishmds ; on tlie shores of the Mai^xlahjn Islands; and also on the coasts, hays, harbors, and creeks, from Mount Joly to the southern coast of Labrador, to and throuLih the Straits of Belle Isle, and thence northwardly, indefinitely aloni^- the coast. And that the American lishermeii shall have lilierty forever, to drv and cure tish in any of the unsettled bavs, har- bors and creeks, in the southern part of Xewfoundland here- inbefore des^'ribed, and of the coasts of Labrador ; Init as soon as the same or any portion thereof shall be settKul, it shall not be lawful for said fishermen to dry "or cure fi>h at such portion so settled, without previous agreement for such pur- pose, with the inhabitants, pro])rietors or possessors of the ground. "And the United States hereby renounces forever unv lib- erty heretofore enjoyed or claimed by the irdiabitants thereof, to take, dry, or cure fish, on or witliin three marine miles of any of the coasts, bays, creeks, or harbors of His Ihitannic Majesty's dominions in America not included in the above- mentioned limits. Provided, however, that the American fishermen shall be permit ted to enter such bays or harbors for the purpose of shelter, of repairing damages therein, of pur- chasing wood and obtaining water, and for no other purpose whatever. But they shall be under such restrictions as shall be necessary to prevent their taking, drying, or curing fish therein, or in any other manner whatever abusing the privi- leges hereby secured to them." This treaty, wdiich may fairly be said to have been the cause of all the trouble which afterwards arosd on the fishery ques- tion, was negotiated on the part of the United States, by Mr. THE I^.ATTLK O]' 'I'llK SWASH. 43 iJush, then American Minister at the Comt of St. James, anil, Mr. Gallatin, his associate commissioner ; but as it was sub- sequently ratilied by tlie Senate of the United States, it would be scarcely fair to liold those two j^'entlenien wholly respon- sible for the disiiraceful and humiliating^- surrender of rights and pi'ivileges wliich had hitlierto lieen freely conceded to Aiiierican tishermen. The treaty, by its very terms, in /ited disturbances and mis- umlerstandings, which were not slow in manifestiiig them- selves. In the very ne.\t year, (1819) the English Parliament pass- ed nn Act, wliich [>rovided that American vessels found with- in the three-mile limit might be seized and condennied ; and imposed lines on such as refused to dei)art from such bays or limits, after being warned. The Canadian Parliaments, taking the cue from this legislation of the mother country, passed numerous and stringent laws and regulations, which they claimed were necessary to curry out the i)rovisions of the treaty ; but which tlie Americans claimed ^vere needlessly an- noying, oppressive, and unnciglborly. Among other claims, what vras known as the "Headland' theory " was advanced, under wniich the three-mile limit was claimed not to follow the sinuosities of the coast, but to be a line three miles outside of a straight line drawn from i)oint to point, or headland to headland of the coast ; no matter how far apai't these points or lieadlands mi^ht be, or how ex- tensive the bay or gulf ndght be which lay between them. Under this construction of the treaty, Nova Scotia claimed the right to close the Straits of Canso to our tisliermen ; and to make her claim to exclusive jurisdiction over that body of water more plausible, annexed Prince Edward's Island. Xumerous seizures of Amei'ican vessels were made and a ^strained condition of affairs ensued, which lasted a number of \ ill i: I ^ I ! II 44 THE I'.ATTIJ': OV THE SWASH. years, ami wl.icli ti.'iiipovaril}^ culiiiiuateil in 184;i, in llie seizure, of an American tisliing vessel, called tlie " Wasliiiig- toil," in the May of Fundy, at a point more than ten miles from the -nearest shore. This induced a ]irotest from the United States, in response to which the English (tovernment agreed to waive the Headland theory as far as it related to the Jiay of Fundy l)ut not as to any other bay or gulf, Th'; (Mjiiicnlion continued and in I Sol the Knglish Govern- ment anno, meed its intention of sending a fleet to the Hshitig groumls fc»r the purpose of enforcing its rights. IVFore di])lomatic co^vesjtondence ensued and at length, in 18o;j, a hoard of arbitration was empowered to decidt this phase of the controversy ; and decided that bays ten miles or more in w.idth, were to l)e considered as part of the op(en sea. This was followed in ISol, liy v.diat has been called tlie reci- procity treaty ; which, in consideration of the abolition of the three-mile rnstriction, and of the restoration of the rights to take lish, and to eure and dry the same on the (Canadian Coasts, which bad been conceded without any e(|uivalent in the treaty of 17r», 500,000 for this privilege ; wliich, added to the S4,200,000 of duties remitted under the reei])ro- city treaty of l.sr>4, made the snug sum of S0,700.000 paid by the United States for a privilege wliich was conceded ))y tlic treaty of 17«S3 to be a vested and ])ernuinent right. This was liail enough in all conscience, but to make it if p(.»s.sible worse, find more galling to the Americans, the charge was openly made by Professor Hind, who had been the Ihitish acientitic witness before the c- that tlie settin;:j aside of thc^ Wash- in^ton TrciUy ro^'ived that of ISIS, and nnder the provisions of the latter, the li^ht of our fishermen to enter Canach'an har])ois or Ijays, or to come within tiie tliree-niih? limit for any other |)ui'}>ose tlian shelter, repairing damages, or to pur- chase wood and water, was .ahsolutely denied ; and several Anun-ieaii fishing vessels were seized and condemned by tlie C'anadian authorities, who were evidentlv determined to en- force tlieir own harsh (;t)iistruction of the treatv of I.S18, in tlie most offensive and unueighborly mannei*. Meanwhile, during tlie pendency of the treaty of Washington, Canada had been investing largely in railroad enterprises, and hail snbsidi^ed one trans-continental line (the Canadian Pacific) to the extent of about 5^130,000,000. These railways, taking advantage of tlie clause in the treaty of W^ashington which permitted the transit of goods in l)ond thiough Canadian Ter- ritory into American, and vice ver,sa, without the payment of duty, had obt.^ined control by bnilding, purchasing or leasing, of numerous connecting lines, which gave them outlets and inlets, of all of the ^)rincipal American cities; and had thus become open comr 3 with the American trans-continen- tal Unes for A^ ... business. The following extracts from an address n. by General J.ames H. Wilson before the Committee on Commerce of the House of Eepresentatives on March lo, 1888, will show to what an extent this tratlic had grown ; and also that a feeling of impatience had begun to de- velop among Americans at the unueighborly attitude of Cana- da, in refusing ordii^ary hospitality to American tishernien^, while robbing the American railways of millions of dollars- worth of business each year. ^ rm: hattlk oi- Tiiii: swash. 40 10 h ot nigr and bus lien- roni the s on had de- ana- neii;, lUars. " The siiuplu tact is tliat while the avraiii^^emeiits under •oonsideraLion inv rei'iprocdl in tlieory ti»ey iiie one-sided in practice, and iinne tenfrdd mme to the advanta,Lje ot ihe Cana- dian peojde tlum to tliat of the American raihoads or the American ])eo|)le. Xeveiiheless, as I liave stated before, the ainen(hiients whicli 1 have had tlie lionurto offer to the Inter- State Commerce ^\ct do not cover, nor are tliey intemhid to interfere in any way with the particular transit trade carried on under the provisions of Article, XXIV of the treaty of 1871. 1 make this statement clear and distinct, for the spe- cial information of the Chicajjjo lioard of Trade, and of those who have shared its apprehensions. . " Second. Tender the provisions of paragraphs oOOO to 3006 inclusive, of the itevisetl Statutes, together with certain regu- lations thereunder, issued by the Secretary of the Treasury, a transit trade of ^reat extent and value is carried on between the Kastei-n, Western, and Pacific States and Territories through the agency of the Canadian railroads, and certain American railroads owned and controlled by them. And it is to tiiis variety of the transit trada to which I invite your most careful attention. '"It seems to have grown up^M^i passit with the Domin- ion system of railroads. It is now carried on principally by three Canadian railroads and railroad systems: " 1. The Canada Southern Railroad, opened for business in 187v''>. It was built, it is understood,. entirely under American auspices, if not with American capital, and is now controlled by the Michigan Central Kailroad Company in the interest of the New York ( ^entral system. Its main line runs from Wind- sor, Ontario, to Suspension Bridge, and with its branches, is '>62.44: milee long. *' 2. The Crand Trunk Eailway of Canada, with a main line extending from. Portland, Me., to Detroit, Mich., a dis- 50 THE BATTLE OF THE .SWASH. taiice of 861 miles ; uiiotlier from Niagara Falls lo Windsor, Ontario, 220 mil(3.s, branches and extension.s sutficient L(; i;ive it a total length of 2,024.r» miles. The voay purchase r 1 construction a line now known as the Chicago and Grand Trunk, extending' from Port Huron to Chicago, in 1871), and the whole line was opened for through business in 1880. A part of this system, known as the (xveat Western Itailway, was completed in 18r)4, but was not conso- lidated witli the Craud Tiunk till 1882. " This system iirst began to do a transit l3usiness in impr-r- ted mercliandise, in a small way, from Toronto to Collingwuod, on Georgian Iiay, Lake Huron, in 1854 ; but it never became a great competitor of the American Trunk lines till 18 SO, noi became a great disturber of rates till 1882. " It was brilt for political and military as well as for com- mercial jniiposes, has I'eceived frequent subsidies from the Canadian Governments, and has always had more or less of their fostering care. Ever since its through lines were open- ed, it has enjoyed the privilege of unrestricted competition with the American roads between the west and all points in the Atlantic States that it could reach. It has enjoyed all the privileges of an American railroad ; it has been active, aggressive, and unsci'upulous, au'l has inflicted great injury upon its competitors. " 3. The^Canadian Pacific Eailway extends from Montreal to Port j\loody and Vancouver, on the Tacitlc Ocean, a dis- tance of 2, 905. 3 miles. At Montreal it connects with the Intercolonial Eailway, running from that place to Halifax, Nova Scotin. 678 miles. THE llATTI.E OF 'JHE SWA8II. 51 ; \l The latter road and its brandies are owned and operated by the Crovernnient of Canada. The total distance from Halifax to Vanconver is therefore. 3, ;>83 miles; and the total length of main line and branches of the tw.o systems is 5,522 miles. Tlieir aggregate cost and capitalization are $200,942,852, be- sides a snbsidy of 25,000,000. acres of public lands, all of which, botli money and land, lias come directly or indirectly from the Dominion of Canada, which guarantees the interest on the funded debt, and also dividends upon the capital stock till August 1803. Notwithstanding the princely subsidies which this corporation has received, th(! length of line which it has constructed, tlie moi)0]»oly which it has secured and the high political mission ii has lilled in binding together the widely separated provinces of the Dominion, its manag(;rsare are not yet satisfied. Spurning ail restraint, it has hnally .ivcrleaped the 1)onudary line and boldly invaded the territory of the I'nited States. With true English effrontery it ignores the aiithoi'itrv' of Conuress and under the thin disguise of a •charter procured liy trickery and deception, if not by fraud, from the Legislature of Maine, it is now buildini'' a cut off tlir(jugli the northern part of that State to St. Andrews, New 1 Brunswick, with all the rapidity that the unlimited control of men and money can command, " Just what the volume and viUue of the transit traffic is, itis impossilile for me to state, but the statistics are doubtless in the possession of the lUueau of Statistics, or can be more readily obtained by it than by any private individunl, and I venture to suggest that, whatever other action may be taken by your committee in respect to this important matter, it should not fail to call for the statistics in question. Some idea may be had of its enormous volume from the statemenli made by the Chicago Hoard of Trade that the Grand Trunk alone received from its rail connections at the Detroit River, Mi i : ffi \r. ii 52 'i'lIE BATTLE OF THE SWA-SH. and at its lake ports on Lake Huron and Goor;j;ian Bay, dur- ing the year 1888, 1,629,283 tons of United Slates products, which it transported eastbound throuffh tlie Doniiiiion of Canada in bond and re-etitered the Tnited States free of duty. This, as near as I can moke out, was something like 1 5 per • cent, of the endre volume of eastbound business from thut region. The entire busness by the various Canadian routes east and west bound cannot be less tljan 5,000,000 tons dead weight, and has -been estimated by an expert at 7,<'00,000. " It is well known that the (J rand Trunk Kaihvay, by means of its Chicago and Micliigan connections and bv.mch lines, and by those which connect it with Tortland, Mc, under the privi- lege allowed it by the laws and Treasury regulations hereto- fore cited, is the gi-eat beneficiary of the transit trade. It has been shown that the Canadian Pacific, under tlie same laws and re'julations, has been free almost from the dav it was Qpened, by means of tiie bonded Pacific -Coast Steamship Company, and by its, connections with the roads running north and east from St. Paul to the Canadian l)order, and by its connections at Niagara Palis, Kingston, St Albans, and Montreal, to carry any business it can secure between San Prancisco on the west to Xew York and Jjoston on the east. * " It should be renKiinbered that these roads constitute more than one- half of the entire railroad mileage of the British possessioi's' in Xorth America, that one of them was built for military and political purjjoses by tlie Government of the Dominion and under the special encouragement and sanction of the British Government, for the purpose of carrying out its scheme for federating its North American colonies; that both of them have been heavily subsidized Ijy the Dominion Government for purposes antagonistic, if not absolutely hos- tile, to our national interests, and that they are not only absolutely free from any control by us, or from the Dominion THE BATTLE OF TFfK SWASH. 53 Government, to make whatever local or th/oiigh rates they please, but, as a matter of fact, are fre(|ueiitly engaged ia cuttinff the rates of the American trunk lines, payin.q' rebates, .ijrantino' passes, charging more for a short hanl than for a long one, and entering into all kinds of private arrangements with their American connections and theii' American sluppers, to the prejudice and injury of the American Trunk lines, whose hands are l)onnd in respect to all those and many other matters b^ the Inter-State (Joninierce Act. *' It is also the fact that, while the Canadian railways are enjoying these extraordhiary privileges, unheard of in any othei country, the Dominion (lovernment has protected its Pacific line by a practical monopoly of all the luisitiess on or tributary to it, and positively refuses to allow .Vmevican rail- ways to take wheat out of ]\Ianitoba, liaul it through the United States, and re-deliver it in Canada free of duty ; and this is a fac^ wliich cannot be successfully denied. Not oidy is it ti'ue, but it is also true that the Dominion Government has refused, and still refuses, to permit the people of Manitoba to biuld an independent railway to connect wirli the American system of railroads, and this refusal is made for the avoVved purpose of continuing and protecting the monopoly which tjie Canadian I*acilic liailway has of the business of ■ that region. The unjust and oppressive conduct of the Dominion Govern- ment, controlled as it is by the Canadian Tacific Ring, is matter of notoriety, and has been the subject of earnest and repeated remonstrances at Ottawa on the part of the people of Manitoba within the last thirty days, br.t so far without effect. *' lUit this is not all. While they or their connections at Chicago, Detroit, Ihdfalo, Xew York, St. Albans, Boston, Portland, and San Francisco are compelled by the Inter-State Commerce Act to make their through rates to all American ! ! THE r.ATTLE OK THE SWASH, points public, the roads lyiuL; wholly in Canada, forming parts of their through lines, existing wholly undei- Canadian law, and managed by officers and directors entirely beyond our jurisdiction, are under no restrictions wliatever as to rebates, drawbacks, passes, constructive mileage, car njileag'e allow- ances, or any other of the numbei'less devices by which oiie line gains advantage over another, or by which a long through line gives advantage to a short connection. The trouble w^th Canada and the Canadian liailroads is that we have become accustomed to treat them as though they were not foreign and did not Ijelong to a foreign empire. They expect to have all the benefits of uiirestricted trade williout any of the liniitatioiis and burdens which are im- posed so freely upon our own raib"oads and citizens. "They and tlieir attorneys claim tliat in carrying freights between American points 'the Canadian Piailroads have con- formed to the letter and spirit of the Inter-State Act as rigidly as have their American competitors.' But inasmuch as that act requires no duty whatever from the loads wholly in Canada, and no duty from their American connections," except to ])ublish their througli rates, the absurdity of this claim is at once apparent. No one in his right mind can suc- cessfully contend for a moment tliat the Grand Trunk or tlie Canadian I'acific pays any moi-e attention lo the Inter-State Commerce Act in Canaut so long as the facts remain as they are, so long as tliose railroads run through a foreign country and are controlled ))y aliens,^ under foreign laws, and for pmposes which, to say tlie least, are foreign to us and hostile to our permanent national interests, it can be regarded as no more than pruvi.nt if we shut them out of our transit traffic along air northern border, just as we shut foreign ships oiit of our coasting trade. " Tlie great republic, in the words of L*rince Bismarck, ' fears nothing but God.' It lias no apprehension for its safety, and but little for its peace, from its neighbors of the Dominion ; but it should not forget that the Dominion has an area of 3,000,000 S(piare miles and a population of about 5,000,000 souls, and is backed up by the whole British empire, npon whose possessions it is the Englishman's boast that ' the sun never sets,' that ' her drum beat encircles the world,* that ' her ships fill every sea,' and that her population is not less than 300,000,000 souls. It should not forget that it has had dilliculties before with that universal bully, and will probably have tliem again ; it should not forget tliat it has, out of its abundance and good-nature, nurtured and fostered the British bantling on our l)orders, enriched its railroads, patronized its canals, granted it the right of free transit through our territories, enriched its shopkee})ers, and gener- ally treated it with amiable liberality and indifference. Now that the subject has become of enough iujportance to. be con-\ I f I Jl! 56 THE BATTLE OF TJIE SWASH. sidered, Congress should not forget to act in accordance with its own ideas of interest and duty, even if Canada .should * retaliate.' We have had reciprocity enough, such as it has been ; now let us try what virtue there is in insisting upon our right to manage our own affairs in our (nvu wa}', while leaving the Dominion and the other depejidencies trf tfe Jiritish crown (if there are any others) in North America, to manage their own in a, similar way. We have played second fiddle long enough. Let the British Government spend just as much money as it pleases for fortifications ; let it subsidize and support as many railroads as it thinks necessary to tie the British empire together ; let it open aiul improve one or more of its (Canadian) seaports, and let it retaliate just as and when it pleases. But l.jt it do all these things without our lielp or connivance ; and then, if in God's l*rovidence the Canadian Dominion does not come otherwise under the sway and the \m^s of tlie Uidon, when a great emergency arises which seems to demand it, we sliall go and take them." CHAITKJ: lY. KKTAI.JATION. DrinNG the period from 1885 to 188.S the ill feeling grow- ing out of Canada's treatment of the fisheries question in- creased ; and began to assume proportions which indicated a possible outbreak of hostilities between the two countries. A temporary arrangement was entered into ])etween the then American Secretary of State, Mr. Bayard, of Delaware, and the British Minister ; and President Cleveland recom- mended the appointment of a commission to negotiate a new THE DATTLE UF THE SWASH. 57 treaty. Congress, however, refused to aiuhorize such a com- mission, but in March, 1887, passed a joint resolution autlior- izing the ['resident in case vessels of the United States were, or tlien lately had been denied or abrid.L;ed in the I'ights secured to them by treaty or law ; <)r any rights secui ' by Canada to the most favored nations, vvliether vessels li(;ensed for trading or other vessels, or ha\'e been unjustly vexed, to close our ports to vessels of the British Dominion of North ^Vmerica, " and also to deny entry into any port or place of the United States, of fresh fish or salt fish, or any other pro- duct of said Dominion, or other goods coming from said Dominion to the United States." President Cleveland, however, did not avail himself of the powers granted by this resolution ; but Iteino- apparently de- sirous of securing a permanent settlement of the question by a new treaty, he a])pointed three commissioners to meet an ecjual nundjer appointed on behalf of Great Britain, notwith- standing the fact tliat Congress had expressly disapproved of such a settlement. The commissioners, thus appointed, re- commended a treaty, which was in August, 1888, rejected by the United States Seriate, by a strict party vote — the liepub- licans still having control of that body. Probably the Kepublican Senators were largely influenced in their action, by the fact that a Presidential election was then pending ; and Mr. Cleveland being a candidate for re- election, they were unwilling that his administration should have the prestige which might accompany the successful set- tlement of this great controversy. Whatever their motives may have been, the ultimate re- sults of their narrow-minded partisanship — as will be seen iu the sequel — were most disastrous to the country. For the first time in its history, the Senate had discussed t!iis treaty in open session. Diplomatic discussions of this kind had pre- ■-.^ i N t^m ;ilT ' ! i' 58 THE liATTLE UF TlIK SWASH. ! I viously always taken ])la(;e in executive session, with closed doors. But a movement hud been made to supercede what son^e demaf^ooues of that day called tlie " Star Chamher" svs- tein of executive sessions, and tliis treaty happening to come up for discussion at tlie time wlien tins agitation wus at its height, the Senate, by a close vote, decided that the discus- sion of it should be held with ojien doors. Much partisan feeling was exhibited on both sides during the debates. The Kepublicans took very strong ground against the treaty claiming that it surrendered valuable rights which had always ])eeu conceded to the United States, and gravely charged the l*resident and Secretary Bayard with being desirous of foster- ing British interests at the expense of their own countrymen. The liepublican press throughout the country tO(dv u]) this cry the President was roundly denounced as an English sym- pathizer ; and the rejection of the treaty by the Senate was hailed by these party organs as a well-deser^'ed rebuke to a President and a Secretary of State who were willing to make such disgraceful concessions to England. A few days after the rejection of the treaty, President Cleve- land nstonished the country, and especially the liepublican Senators, by a special inessage, in wdn'ch he requested greater powers to inflict retaliatory ineasures upon Canada, than had been given him by the joint resolution of Congress passed in 1887. ■ , . This message, as a matter of course, created a profound sensation in Canada and Great. Britain, as well as throughout the United States. The President was charged by his political opponents with inconsistency, in that he had not attempted to use the re- taliatory powers already given him, and proved their insuffici- ency, before asking for additional ones, but after consider- able wrangling and debate, Congress passed an Act, giving THE UA'rrf.E OF THE SWASH. 59 him the power he asked for. A strict enforcement of this woukl uive ahnost a deatliblow to the (/nnaili;ui Railway lines, as a very kxrge proportion of their ti'aifie was American husi- ncss, withont which most of thenj could scarcely expect to pay runniu.L;' expenses. Ilie tinances of the i>oniinion were also in a very l>ad way, owing to the large subsidies ])aid these railways, jind to indebtedness contracted for canals, anack to their own side of the line, luil not l)eing satistied with this, pursued them for some distance on Canadian territory. Here meeting furtlier Canadian troops, the tide of battle was re- versed again, and the Irislimen were driven back to their camp. The American militia regiment was under arms and in line, on the American side of tlie boundary, having been called to arms at the commencement of tlie disturbance ; and as tliey marched towards t^-e boundary, with the idea of capturing the Irishmen and holding them for -punishment, they w^ere fired upon by the Canadian troops, either by mistake or designedly, and several were killed and wounded. They returned the volley (it is claimed, without orders) and several (Canadians were also killed and wounded. At length, in obedience to the arduous efibrts of the ollicers on both sides, the fighting ceased ; but not until there had been six killed and thirty-three wounded among the Irish, and Americans, and four, killed and twenty-one wounded among the Canadians. From testimony taken in a subse(pient: investigation, it seems that both commanders claimed to be on their own territority ; and the burden of evidence would seem to con- firm their claims tliat there had been no actual technical violation of territory on either side ; but that the two parties 02 THK r.ATTLE OV THK SWASIL f had siaij^'ly stood cacli on tliclv own gronnl, and shot at each otiier across tlie boundary ]uu\ . . This oulhreidv, howovev, alTorded the Canadian politicians the ()])portunity they had long boon waiting for, and a resolu- tion passed both branches of the Dominion parliament, i)y an almost unanimous vot(% declai'ing war against the United States, sul)ject to the approval of the Imperial (lovernment. It Ijeing just the commencement of the winter season, and therefore a most unfavorable time to i ndertai\e hostilities, both sides sought to gain time, and a voluminous diplomatic correspondence ensued , during which both the United States and England were exerting every etl'ort to prepare for the struggle which was considered lo be inevitable as soon as spring opened. Work was pushed night and day on the unfinislied war vessels; and a large force of men were placed at work upon the sea-coast forts to try and strengthen them as much as possilde. Additional guns were brought from tin; interior and mounted in the forts as rapidly as practicable ; and the hurry and bustle of pre])aration was noticeable from one end of the' country to the other. As yet, war had not been delinitely declared, except by (Amada^and the President had issued no call for troops ; but everybody knew that the call could not be long delayed ; and the " Grand Army Men," ■as the veterans of the War of the llebeJion styled themselves, (jrganized themselves into battalions and leL'iments, and met and drilled t^vo or three times a week, and were ready to respond i^istantly to the call of the ['resident, as soon as it should be issued. An enrollment of these volunteer associa- tions, taken on January 1, 1890, showed a total of over •rJOOjOOO veterans ready and anxious to go the front once more. Besides tliese, there were enthusiastic young men by the million, who had been children during the War of the nich 'II fK I'.ATTI.K (>{• TIIK SWASH. licbellion, !»uL who were tired with a |iiitiioUc dtv-siic; lo roseiiL Un' outiaiics and insults which lh('\' I h()UL;}it their country hail received at the iiaials of Catiada. As far as the land forces were conc(irtteil, nothinir more could be desired. The (iovernnieut, it was cvidtMit, would bo (iinbarrassed by a superabundance of force, rather than a lack of it ; and tiie indications were that within thirty days after war was declared, a tho)'on,L;hly well drilled, well e([uip}ied, well armed, and v> ell otilcered army of at least half a milli(;n of men, would be ready to overrun Canaila in the shortest possible space of time. The ni'jre enthusiastic ones, claimed that \\)v. camp;ugn would l)e o\er in thiity days after the l)oundary line was crossed. ( >thers said that the war might last sixty days, and here and there one or two might be founil who thought that possibly il might take all summer. There was no dili'eience of opinion as to the result. The only dvfl'erencc were as to tlie time it would re([uirc to bring it about. The idea that this over- whelming and magnificent force could receive anything approach'ing a defeat, or even a check, in its victorious career through Canada, never entered anybody's head. But there were numerous bets made oil the exchanges and elsewhere,, as to the number of days the cam- paign would last. The whole country seemed to be in a blaze of military enthusiasm, anel il, became all the rage tor young Uicn to chaff each other about "spending next summer in Canada." On the surface, therefore, everything appeared satisfactory, and the only apparent drawback Vv'as a feeling that Canada could'nt olfer resistance enough to make the struggle even an interesting one. I; nder this apparent confi- dence, however, there was avast amount of anxious foreboding in the minds of a lew tf the more thoughtful residents of our Seaboard cities. These men knew the utterly defenceless condition of our II u. THE BATTLE OF THE SWASH. coasts. Tlifiy knew liow absurdly iiia(le([uate our Xavy was to cope with tliat of Euglaiid. They !iad seen the fast pas- senger steamships of the Cunard and otlier English lines (two ■of wliich, belonging to the Inman line, the " City uf New A''ork/ and the " City of Taris,' were owned by xVinericans) witlulrawi) from the passenger service, and transformed into armed cruisers in accordance with the terms of the contracts by which the I'^nglish Government paiil them an annual sub- sidy or rental, amounting to about four percent-, of their cost. Tlie cable had brought news of the feverish acti\ity which reigned in ail the English dockyards and arsenals. Of course, details of these preparations were not forthcom- ing; but the utmost reticence of the officials could not conceal the fact that war preparations on ixn immense '^cale were being pushed forward with the utmost rapidity. Meanwhile the Americans were not idle. Congress had been called in. s))ecic]l session by tJie President, in view of the gravity of the situation, and inmiense appropriations, aggre- gating between 8200,000,000 and SoOO,000,UOO were rushed through both houses in frantic haste ; and a tremendous effort was made at a vast expense, to lock tlie stable door, which had so h)ng been invitingly left open. There was no time to build large vessels or heavy guns; so the greatest efforts were made to perfect a system of harbor ol>structions ami torpedoes. All sorts of experiments were tried in this direc:ion ; and the whole inventive genius of the country seemed to be puzzling itself over tlie problem of self-defense. Of course it goes without saying that the newspapers in all three countries reaped a rich harvest. Xo rumour was too absurd or sensational to tind believers, and the public nund was wrought up to an intensity of feeling on both sides, that was almost inconceivable in its bitterness and rancor. In March, 1890, the excitement was, if possible, intensified THH llAT'i'LK UV 'I'HK .SWASH. 6r> by a. remarkable speech delivered in the Ihitisli House of CoDiiiions by Lord Iiandolpli Cliurchill. This nobleman had been a prominent figure in Kni^^lish polities for several years,, and had held numerous Goverinuent positions — amon;^ tliem Chancellor of the Excliequei', and l(3ader of the House of Commons. He was a man of un(|uestioned ability, but liad come to be regarded bv tlie older and more conservative pub- lie men, as too eccentric and too unmanageable for a leader. He luul, therefore, been leduced to the ranks — so to speak — in Parliameiil, and had been chalinn tVjr two or three years in what seemed to him to be a position utterly unworthy of his talents and experience as a parliamentarian and debater. The present occasion aifoi'ded him an opportunity, which he was not slow to embrace, of putting himself once more in a prominent position before the English public. His speech was entirely unexpected, and created 'he utmost excitement on both sides of the ocean. It was during a debate on a bill authorizing some of the extraordinary ex- penditures for arming and ])reparing war ships, etc., which the Admiralty were then making. The debate had gone on sleepily and stupidly, as such debates usually do, until one evening in March, Lord (-hu'^chill threw what proved to bo a veritable boml>shelI into the discussion. In this remark- able speech, his Lordship traced the whole history of the diilerences between the United States and Canada, from 1783 to 1889. His ])0iht of view, of course, was an intensely Englisli one, and he justified Canada entirely in the course she had thus far seen fit to pursue. And then, as his listeners were expecting him to announce himself as heartily in f . )V of the pending bill, he suddenly changed the whole aspect of the debate by asking : " But what has Canada ever done for England, that we should rnakt^ these enormous expenditures of money, and risk a war with y ill i r,6 THE BATTLE OF THE SWASH. sucli a powoiful nation as the United States, merely for lier benefit ? Has she ever contributed a penny to the Imperial treasnry ? Never ! Has slie even paid tlie e>;penses of troops and vessels sent out by the Inijterial Government to protect her interests ? Xever ! Has she a'imiLteil tlie products of the Mother Country to her ports free of duty; or, failing in that, has she ever made any discrimination, however small, in favor of our products, as against those of tlie United States, or any other country ? Never ! She taxes ()ur products, and while claiming our y^rotection whenever slie gets into diffi- culty, utterly refuses to contrilinte anything to our treasury, I fail. Sir, to see anything like reciprocity here. To use a homely xVinericau comparison, Mt is like the handle of a jug — all on one side.' It' imperial protection is worth having, it is worth paying for ; and if Canada or any other outlying portion of tliis great Ihilish Empire, is not willing to con- tribute 'its share of taxation lo tlie Imperial treasury, I am distincLly and decidedly in favor of having Imperial p>rotec- tion withdrawn. At this point of his lordship's address, the interruptions were so numerous and persistent, that he was oljliged to sus- pend his remarks for a few moments. After a semblance of order had been restored, the Premier arose and begged the jn'ivilege of asking his Lordship one (piestion. " Do 1 understand his Lordship to say that he is in favoT' of our permitting the Uliited States to overrun and annex Canada, VAithout lifting a hand or firing a gun in her behalf ?"' As soon as the applause which greeted this (juestion had subsided, L(jrd Churchill said he " thanked his Lordship for having put the question to him in that categorical manner, because it enabled him to l:)e ecpually specific and explicit in his reply. He then went on, and in a most impassioned manner THE BA.TTLP] OF Til!'": SWAS^II. er atlackod tlie United States as a ureat, ovo'-^rown, ImllviiiQ,- and e(ji)ceit(^ti nation. He traced our wonderful growtli and material prosperity, and characterized it as a standint;" menace to every monarchical Government in the worliJ. Then sud~ deidy changing- Ids tone, lie called attention to our absolutely helpless condition to resist the attacks of a well ei^nipped lleet of modern vessels of war ; and wavini!' in the air over his head a copy of the Xcv: Yorl' Herald of some date in 1887, he exclaimed : " Here are the figures which prove that property amount- ing in value to i?l 0,000.000,000 or 62,000,000,000 sterling is absolutely defenseless, and open to attack byany |)ower which ])u?sesses one or more modern vessels of war." And tlum he continued as follows : " His Lordship asks me what I would do. I will tell him. 1 would equip one, two or th.ree powerful fleets, and send them to bombard the principal seaboard cities of the United States. I world give these arrogant and conceited Americans their choice between bombardment and ransom, and 1 would take U'ood care that the ransom should be a good liberal one. I should be inclined to put the -figure at, say £400,000,000 to £500,000,000 sterling. The Americans are wealthy, and could well afford to pay it." " But," interrupted the Premier, " what would l)ecome of Canada?" " Oh ! Let the United States have Canada ; and nuich good may she do them 1 I cannot see where she has ever done as much. What 1 would propose in brief, is a " forced sale " of Canada Lo the L'nited States ; but it will be a novelty in forced sales, in that the sale will be forced bv the seller ui)on the buyer." The effect of this speech was marvelous. What was tlieri known as the " Jingo " element in J^igland, cheered it to the ill p miPiiPi 68 THE BATTLE OF THE SWASH. echo ; and a popular deiiiaud sprung up fur war, which was so universal and overwhelming Lhal the Governirient found it impossible to resist it, and conse(j[uently war was formally declared in April, 1890. The words " ransom or bombard- ment '' were in everybody's mouth, and Lord Randolph Chur- chill became the idol of the populace. His wife, who was an American lady, lost much of lier former popularity, and with her sister-in-law, the Duchesa of Marlborough (also an American) made a prokmged visit to the Continent, to avoid the unpleasant attentions of the riotous London I'nobs. ^. CHAPTER V 1 ^ < r. THE ENGLISH FLEET. The preparations which had been going on all winter in English Naval circles were nearly completed at the time of England's formal declaration of war, so that there was but little delay before the first fleet was ready to .ail. This was intended to operate against New York and Philadelphia ; and was to be followed in about a month by two others, one of which was to operate against Boston and other New England seaports; and the other to attack Balti- more, an^d thence work southward, bombarding the cities of Washington, Norfolk, Charleston and Savannah. The first fleet consisted of the turret ships : Victoria, 11,470 tons, two 110 ton guns. Sanspareil, 11,470 " one 70 ton gun, twelve 6 inch. Edinburgh, 9,150 " four 45 ton guus, five G " The armored ships : Camperdown, 10,000 tons, four 67 ton guns, six 6 inch. Collingwood, 9,150 " four 44 " " six 6 " Howe, 9,700 " four 07 " " four G '•' The partially armed crnisers ; Orlando, 5,000 tons, two 9 inch guns, ten G inch. ■' Narcissus, " Undaunted, " and the improvised merchant cruisers : Etruria, Umbria and City of New York. 69 it It '0 TIIK r.ATTLP: OF THE 8WASII. ]Jesides tliese lai;^e vessels were imiuevous second and tliirrt clasi« crnisers, desiKitch Vjoats, and torpedo boats and launches;, so tliat the total number of vessels, large and small, in the fleet, considerably exceeded one hundred — and all of. -the larger ones were armed with the most formidablo weapons known to modern science: many of which had a ranf»e of more than ten miles. The date of the sailing of this formidable ileet (the 20th of April) was, of course, cabled over the Fi-ench Cable to New "^'ork — the English Cables having been seized by tlie Cana-- dian Government, being no longer available to the xVmericans. The destinati(jn of the fleet could only be surmised, as it sailed under sealed orders ; but it was taken for granted that it was New York, and preparations were made accordingly. Immediately after England's declaration of w^ar the President issued a call for 250,000 volunteers, which had been respond- ed to by more than a million men. The New York City Mi- litia volunteered in a Ijody to do garrison duty in the forts of the harlior, and such of the old guns as didn't burst at the first few experimental discharges at the targets, were burnish- ed up and made to look as formidable as possible. The ma- rine militia drilled constantly by inght and l)y day ; and the bay and harbor seenuxl fairly alive with small craft of all kinds, rushing hither and thither, each one bent upon some offensive or defensive experiment. Stationary and moveable torpedoes were placed in the upper Bay and Narrows, and the whole available naval force of the nation, amounting, great and small, to about thirty vessels, were concentrated in" the harboi'. Several submarine torpedo boats — of which great things were expected — were giving exhibitions of their prowess con- stantly, diving under the bottoms of the excursion steamboats as they went up and down the baj, and iuHicting a vast : "i the ill ^able the treat the llllgS con- joats vast THE BATTLE OF THE SWASH. 71 amount of neodless terror upon the timid excursionists. Each and every one of these little vessels had demonstrated the fact conclasivelv that she coidd dive under the lar'^esl n'lan of war afloat, and alhxing a torpedo to her bottom couhl with- draw to a safe distance, and then by an electric battery blow the great war sfiip into a million smithereens. Whenever any of them appeared on the surface of the bay, therefore, tliey were regarded with great awe by the spectators, and were greeted with such remarks as " 1 wonder what tlie English- men will think of that little thing." '■ Who could think that such an in&igniticant looking little boat could do so much damage ?" "Slie has got dynamite enough on board to blow up all New York," &c., &c., and a feeling of alxsohite confi- dence in the t ai'iny crossied the CanacHan frontier at the point where tlio Irish Fenians had estallislied their camp tlie preceding season, on the first day of May, 181)0. No op[)osition to speak of was encountered, and the army advanced at once by easy marches towards tlie St. Lawrence rivtir, witli a view tV TIIK SWASH. /<) y ''^ ill of owor most ice — iliiiVd- .tions, \cite- ls sns- ips oi every it con- , which gather- 31113(1 to L3 total lely ill ised his excited >xicated i\i — was sacred r in its Ijiirsting uiid crashing of deadly shfdls wotdd involve the city ill ruin and desolation. What was to be done? How could tliis frightful downpour of dynamite shells be averted ? What if those formidable marine monsters were able to defy tlie attacks of our insignilicant looking little torpedo boats and rams? Supposing some (^f them should be destroyed ; what if two or three, or even one, should remain uninjured, and should proceed to pour its hnil of deadly '|)rojectiles upon these de- fenseless and exposed cities 1 Who could tell where ihe shells might strike, or who would be safe from their deadly work ? Many of the more timid of th^ inhabit;; nts took time by the forelock and sought safety in flight, Tlie newspaper.", however, did much to avert what threatened to bi;conie a panic, by treating the whole subject in a light ami cheerful vein, and their optimistic predictions were regardeil as gospel truths by tlie great majority of the citizens. \ * cities ; id pro- For the ituatiou |ir, bitter, 111 a ours, the and the fi ; CllAlTlvi: VII. THE liATTLE OK TlIE SWASH. On Iho nioriiing of the lltli of :Miiy, 1800, the I'»ritisli ileet crossed the liar, and steamed leisurely past Sandy Hook, and into tlie Swash and main ship ehannels. The movements of the fleei seemed to he characterized hy great deliheration ; as though' there was nothing lo fear, and no occasion for haste. The larger vessels W(ire especially slo\V in their Tuovemenis, and felt their way along in the most caution? manner, each one heing guided or piloted hy two or more torpedo boats, whicli keyjt a good distance in advance, and sounded the channel carefully and constantly, indicating by signals the course for the larger vessels to pursue. I'here was no haste, no confusion, no noise or cheeriiig, and no apparent notice was taken of the balls and shells with whicli, the anti(|uated guns on the forts on Long and Staten Islands — with nnich noise and banging, but no harmful results, — managed to sjjlash the water about half a mile or a mile away from anything that they were aimed at. Most of the smaller vessels gathered together near the point of Sandy Hook, with the evident intention of anchoring in the Horseshoe. Here the first real fighting took place. Some old wooden guul)oats, (relics of the War of the Iiebellion) had been hastily repairtid and equipped with one or two guns ; and had been stationed in the Horseshoe to act as a sort of a harassing or observing force. The intention had evidently been for them to watch TlIK KATTLE OK TlfK SWASH. 77 \ lleet :, and iits 0*" )ii ; us haste. menis, ', each boats, (I the s the haste, notice uatocl imicli s]jlash thills" vessels th the jre the uhoats, epaired ationed serving watch V! tlie iiiovemeiits of the eiujmy from hehind the shelter of Sandy Hook, i)ossihly exehanginj^' a few shots with some of his weaker vessels ; and then, having aecinircid some knowledge of his movements and intentions, as well as a taste of his ([uality, to retire u]) the harbour, and join the remainder of the American Ikuit i the Upper Bay. 'i'hey acquired nmch more Icnowledge than they bargained for; and, instead of a nu;re taste, they got a surfeit of the enemy's ^[uality. As the first large; iron-clad — the " Coals. Another one was disahleil by a huge ten-inch shell, whicli struck her nearly amidships, and literally Ijlew her all to pieces. The third one sought such safety as she could, by running aground, and her crew, having first set her on fire, took to their boats, and rowing ashore, disappeaKui in the thick cedar forest which covers this part of Sandy Hook. No apprecia'ijle loss or damage was intiicted upon tlie English vessels — all hvX one of which proceeded (piietly to anchor in tiie H(jrsesli(.)e. This erne steamed rapidly out to the Flagship, communicated th(^ result of the action to the Admiral, and receiveil orders to escort the remaining smaller vessels of the fleet to the sheltered, anchora^'e which -had l)een so quickly and easily won. The merchant cruisers, " Umbria,' * Etruria," and "City of New York" also anchored in the Horseshoe. Sliortly after these vessels had anchored, tire was opened upon them from an earthwcjrk on the Highlands of Navesink, which had been hastily thrown up, and mounled with five or six ohl smoothbore Dahlgreen guns. A few well aimed shells soon drove the men awav from this battery, and although an uccasiontil shell was sent in that direction at intervals during the remaindei' of tlie dav, the Dahlgreens were thenceforward dumb. Meanwhile the balance of the fleet, consisting of the larger iron-clad battle ships and cruisers, had anehored in the ^wash Channel, in a line extending nearly a mile and a half southeasterly from the point of intersection of the Swash with the ]\Iain Channel, near buoy fourteen. ■ This position liad evidently been previously selected by the English Admiral as the best one outside of the Narrows; which were supposed to be thoroughly protected by torpedoes and othei submerged obstructions; Nothing had as yet been seen of Hi li t( TlIK I5ATTLE OF TUK SWaSII. 7'.) s of nied this tViat . the urger the \vA\i fwash 11 qtiou 'ilish were othei eu i)i the American fleet. It was known to be assembled in the Upper Bay ; but it seemed strange that it shouhl thusperniit the enemy to establish himself in a position of his own choos- ing, without any hindrance or o]jposition. The position was a remote one, it is true; but, still, if the enemy's guns had a range as claimed — of over eleven miles — a very large part of Xew York, and nearly the whole of Brooklyn, w^ere within reach of Ids shells. There has never, so far as I can learn, been any satisfactory reason given for this strange lack of action on tlie part of the Americans. The only plausible explanation of i lit^s in the fact that they appreciated the vast disproportion l)etween their own fleet and that of the enemy, and realizing the utter hopelessness of attacking the latter successfidly l)y daylight, and on equal terms, determined to husband such strength as they possessed, and concentrate the whole of it in the night attack upon tlie English, which had been deternnned Upon. Thus it happened that the afternoon of the 11th of I\Liy passed ([uietly and uneventfully, save when ihe silence was broken by the distant reports of the guns (vom the Staten Island forts, or by the occasional shelling of tlie al)andoned earthworlv on the Highlands. Tov/ards sundown a sort of a reconnaissance was made in the direction of the Narrows l)y three torpedo boats ; but, as tht-y approached within closer . range of -the guns of the forts, they abandoned their purpose without reaching the first line of submerged obstructions. One of them was disabled by a solid sliot from Fort Rich- mond, and was towed back to the Horseshoe by her two consorts in an apparently sinking condition. As nightfall approaclied, there was an evident increase of excitement and activity on all the Eiiglish vessels. Torpedo boats and steam launches, darted hither and thitlier from cue of the anchorages to the other, evidently conveying orders and instructions for 11 ; 11 80 THE BATTLK OF THE SWASH. the comiug iiiglit. Torpedo booms and nets were placed in position, and elaborate instructions were issued to eiudi separate commander what to do in case of .'ittack — steam was kept up on all vessels, and tlie electric search ligiits were thorouglily tested, so as to leave no dou1)t of their being in perfect order. Every preparation wldch experience or in- genuity could suggest, was made to resist any attack, no matter whai its character might be, and no matter whence it came. For the first time in the memory of living men, tliere were no harbour lights lighted that night. Orders had been given b}' telegraph to all the diflerent light-house keepers not to light their lamps, for fear that the enemy niigliL want to make some movement by night, which the liglit-houses would aid him in accomplishing. So from Sandy Hook to Eobban's Reef, in the Upper Bay, not a light was to be seen, except such as was shown by the English vessels. As soon as darkness set in, the firing both froiii the forts and from the ships ceased; and an utter stillness fell upon the scene, Ijroken only now and then 1:)y the shrill whistle of some Ijoatswain, or the hoarse murmur of some loud-voiced petty oflicer, giving orders to the watch on dutv. This quiet condition of things continued iintir after mid- night. At one o'clock \.M. all the light-houses in the liarbor were lighted simultaneously, and the surprised Englishmen saw themsehes surrounded with stationary and revolving lights from Sandy Hook and the Navesink Highlands on th(.' south, to Cheesequake and Princess Bay on the southwest and west ; Elm Tree and Toad Hill on the northwest, and the Narrows and llobbin's Keef in the distant north. A hasty consultation of their charts convinced them that these were merely the regular light-liouses of the harbor; Init if so, wny had they not been lighted earlier ? Evidently their • i! ■ ' TIIK r.ATTI.K OK 'i'llK SWASIT. 81 dtirkii'jss all the evening, and llieir sinuiltaneous lighting at this late hour, proved that in.'^tructions had been given to their keepei's in advance, and if so, must have been given with some ol>ject ill view. So guns wer(3 tired, and signals were exchanged, and orders v/ere given to the wliole fleet to prepare for instant jiction, and the wiiole surface of the Lower Bay seemed to be illuminated as if l)y magic, l.)y the powerful electric search liglUs, which wore turned in all directions, making every- thing plainl}'^ visible almost to the horizon. A faint sound, as of tlie distant rushing of waters, was he;U'd in the direction of the Narrows, and the word was passed quietly from olhcers to men : " They're coming now, I toys. Look sliarp ; and' be ready for them." It was tlie last of tile el)b title, and aided by it tlie American fleet made rapid progress down the bav. Suddenlv, to the threat licwildernient and dismay of the Knglisli, a vast number of powerful electric lights seemed to spring out of the water in almost every direction around them. These were nearly as powerful as the search lights ««i ilieir own vessels ; and dazzled the eyes of the British so completely thai their search lights were rendered compara- tively useless. Presuming, of course, that each of these was on b(.)ard ot a vessel, iuul tlierefore I'epresented something to be destroyed, the luiglish conunenced blazing away with their guns, l)otli grcit aiu.l smidl, directing them against these lights. " I had no idea the beuigars had such a big Heet," said the British Admiral to an officer standing near him on the deck of the flagship. " Why there must be nearly two hundred of them. lUit they must be small things, or we would know all about them. We have a list of every ship in their navy up to last winter, and all told, there were less than fortv, so I don't fear tliem much." I l! Mil 82 Till': liATTLK OF THK -SWASH. f If the admiral liad ouly known then, what he discovered later un, he need have had still less fear of these liglits, and moreover, might have saved a vast amount of valual)lf am- munition which was needlessly wasted ; for these powerful lights, instead of proceeding from the deck or spars of hostile slii]»s, were nothing more than deco}'^ lights on long spar buoys, whose lower ends being loaded, permitted tlicm to float upright with the tide, witli about half their length out of water, thus raising the lights about fifteen t(j twenty feet above the surface of tlie bay. The lights were fed by powei- ful sttjrage batteries, and had been turned on. as they had been launched overl)oard from two swift little t(jrpedo launches a])Out a mile up the bay. The tide* being ebb, carried them quickly down to where the enemy's fleet lay at anchor) aiul the latter, almost before they ccjuld realize their positiori, found themselves, as they supposed, in the midst of the American fleet. These '* Blinding buoys " as they were called, were one of tlie numerous ingenious devices which had been called into existence by the supposed approach of war. . They served tlieir purpose of blinding and confusing the enemy admirably ; ami if the Americans had only had force enough to have enal)led tliem to take advantage of the fright and confusion they occasioned, the result of the conflict would have been very different from, what it was. When we con- sider however, the very limited means at tlieir disposal, it will be seen that they accamplished results which seem well nigh incredible. The time of launching the " blinding buoys " had been carefully chosen, so as to utilize them fr^i the longest possible peri(jd. The idea was to have them reach tlie anchored vessels about a (piarter of an hour before tlie tide turned, so that they would remain among them as lor.g as the slack water ebb lasted. ^So the. Englishuu^n ke['i ; the t'orci' fri-bt I would b coii- |sal, it II well ruidhi'; '111 for |i veacli Me the LS loivg l;ei'l Till^: lUTTI.h: OF THE SW'ASJl. ^•> O.J blazing away at them for nearly half an hour, without either inllietiiig any •lania.L>e, or iliscovering their fraudulent character, [ii tlie noise and confusion, it became impossible to si.uiial the other vessels of the iluet ; mid tlie wisdom qi issuing detaiU^l orders in advance was now apparent. " fn pursuance of these orders, the "Etruria,'' and "Innbria" and " (.'ity of Xew York," and several of the other miarmored cruisers, slipped their cables and r;-.n rpn'ctly out to sea. The smaller gunboats, at anchor in the Horseshoe, extinguished all tlicir hghts and gave no indication whatever of their presence, [hit the torpedo boats hastened to the scene of l»attle, eager to come to the ;issistance or rescue of their more formidable consorts. And it was one of these wliich iirst discovered the fmufhdent character of tlie "blinding buoys." This Ixiat — the " Tovoi''' — luiving hxeil upon one of these electric lights as her own special prey, made a dasli for it •s\ith tfie idea of aflixing a torpedo to it and blowing it sky- ward. Nearer and nearer it came — its dazzling Itrilliancy illuminating every part of the deck of tlie little vessel, whose officers and crew st" id with hated lireath, waiting for the crash which would indicate that their prey was within their reach. , " Xow ! Look out : Hold fast ! Here she is !" Every man braced himself and grasped some [lortion of the vessel nearest to him; — the r.dl — a stanchion — a rope — anything to steady himself by until the force of the collision should have spent itself — when — behold I the light tlisappears under the bow; and rea];)i)ears a moment later, swaying wildly from side to side, a, dozen vards or moi-e astern. There is no crash — no collision — no sliock — no tangible thing against which to launch the waiting torpedo ; only an exclamj^ition by the man who had been (piietly waiting for tlie propei- moment to launch his deadly missile, Jf—" W411 ! I'll be d d !" That was all. I • ' i 1 ! i| il I ; 84 THE ['.ATTI.E OF TflE 8WAS1I. The true character uF the buoys liavin^ l)eeii thus discover- ed no lime was lost in conveying' the inforniation to the netu- est of the large ships ; wliitli ininiediately ceased firing, and endeavored to signal h(ir consorts to do the same. Owing to the smoke, however, it was some time before slie could make her signals understood ; and just as she did so an immen--e explosion took place under her side, which seemed almost to lift her, ('monster though she was) out of the water ; a s]n'\ cl- ing and crashing of machinery and iron work ensued, and the rushhig waters poured into her hull through a A',ast yawning chasm which the dynamite shell had made in lier side. She sank in about iifteen minutes — the first victim of Zalinski's dynamite gun. Most of her crew were rescued ; although quite a numl)er went down witii her. By this time the smoke had cleared away and the seaich lights were again beginning to be of some service, because the flood tide had commenced rumiing and had carried the bu(*ys away in towards Staten Island. The lights enabled the Eng- lisli to discover several vessels ; among which was the dyna- mite gun-boat " Vesuvius," whose maiden etfort had been so successful. . The slanting muzzles of her three guns could l.)e plainly seen projecting above lier deck ; and tlieir attendants were' evidently ''etting them ready for another discharu'c. Two fa;')U,OUO cath. Their in- ventor had appealed in vain to Congress to authorize the con- struction of at least thirty or forty of them, winch he clainuid W(juld he amply sutUcient to protect all of our principal sea- ]>orts, at an aggregate cost of alxjut 5?2,rM)O,000 ; or less than that of a single first-class iron-clad war vessel. His idea was strongly backed up by the Secretary of tlie Navy, who urged Congress to make an appropriation for the piu'pose of testinit.'d liy (nii^ine.s and boiloi's ; thus cnsiiiine- thoni ;i spiMMl which iiji- proximatod tlnrty miles an houi'. Thoy Wfti; jjiiq^llod hy twin screws iind could t.iicrct'oro turn around in nciuly ihoir own Ujngth. '.riujy cntiic^l no arms or amnunution of any kind, except a, ^ioantic tul)(; or cartridef, (ontaininc; two tons of dynandte, which waM cariied in a hollow |/la(',e hdr. i'or the purpose in the long steed ram, with which tlndr hows win'e armed. A lull (;rew for one; of these boats consisteti of eight men — two engineers, hnu' lironji-ii, and two pihAs, (me cd' whom acted as deck-hand when required. These men had h(>en carv a, nnie or so; then, ill the stroke of a bell, the foui- liremen w(juld I'ush on deck and leap over-hoard; a few momenls later, al the sound f of a second b(dl, one engiueer, and one pilot would follow them; and lastly, just as the headway of Ihe lioat 'oegan to slacken, the remaining engineer and. pilot did likewise, striking- out, and swimnn'ng away fiom the boat as rapidly as they could. Being provided with cork jaedvets they had no dilli- culty in sustaining themselves until they were ])ieked up by a steam launch, which always accompanied them as w tender, and on which tliey would rejoin their abandoned boat, which TIIK i;ATTI,K or Till-: SWASH. 89 by llijil liiu(3 would lie drill iii'_f lii/ily alx-iu \vi!li Hut tide, a milt! or so iiwny. Tlio iiicii liiid l»»)Coius })rovided foi' that jnirpose, touch the huttoii communicating" wit h (he clock-woi-k, jump overhoa.iy the aid X*f the electric seaich lights, and a severe fire was Uj^ened on them from all the Ihitish vessels within range. Ov?ing to their peculiar construction, this (ire had little or no tl'ect upon them; and they continued their headlong race to- wards the two giant ships, lying quietly at anchor iu fancied security. Suddenly several figures were seen to rush wildly astern and jump or\'erboard. But still the rams kept uj» their tre- mendous speed, and were pointed tlirectly at the amidship section of the two irou-chids. Nearer and nearer they came, in sp>ite of the deadly and continuous fii-ing from the enemy's guns, both great and siaall, wliich seemed utterly impotent to check their progress. At last, when they were within a couple of hundred yards or so of the iron-clads, each blew a short sharp, single blast with its whistle, and two men were seen to run at't, and roll down the inclined surface of the turtle- !)acked roof of each ram, into the. water. The rams themselves kept on, however, and a collision seemed to bo inevitable. Ciders were given to the Knglish crews to hold themselves in readiness to repel boarders. " Hut in vai.i ! The tireless little rams rushed onward — madly, wildly, triumi)hantly, gladly — to their own destruction ; but to the destruction also of their enemies. A jar, a sound — not so very loud — of snapping •IME r.ATTLK OF TIIK <\VASlf. 91 l)<»lts and crusliiii;; iron plates ; a sound of coiiJusod voices, sayin.^, " Sliehas struck us," *' Sho has gonu half way throu.uli us !" a few instauts of couiparaLive silence, -duriim nhiehtho utricers consult hastily what had better be douf. Au(»rder or two ,i,nve]i in quick sliar]) tones; atul tlieu — with a mighty runililc and flasjj ;' with a frij>htfid tossing and splashing' of the water; with a thunderous rcai', and a soul sickening shiver, which seemed to inijiart itself even to the sea, the two great ships, and their two little adversaries ineX a comiuoii fate — being both blown to atoms — and disa])peared forever beneath tlie waves. • ' The loss of life was terrilic on the two English shi[>s ; as most of their crews went down with tlu-ni ; but a few were rescued l.)y l)oats, which were '(uickly lowered fit an the I'cniaining vessels of the tleet ; and (piite a number were jucked up by the launches, which werti acting as tenders to the two rams, and gathering up their swimming crews. These Irtter had diminutive electric lights on their caps, and having turned tliese on as soon as they jumped overboard, W(U*e easily discovered and picked up. The ellect of these tremendous explosions of dynamite was demoralizing in the extreme to the English oUicers and crews, and although th*e attack was not pressed by the Americans, i^e order was given to such of the Heet as remained, to hoist anchor, atid proceed out to sea. It was now nearly da\light, and at six o'clock that morning (May 12tli) the telegraph operator at Navesiu'k Higldantls telegraphed to th% X. Y. Associated Press, as follows : " British Meet all apparently lying at anchor just <.tutside the bar. Three or four of the largest iron clads missing. They are supposed to have been captured or sunk in the battle last night. The distance is too great to tlistinguish thcxse which remain, but there seems to be considerable activity among I I \ i ■ 02 THE BATTLE OF THE SWASII. the smaller vessels, and the launches are moving about from one ship to anoih^T, as if for consultation, or ^ivinp; or receiv- ing orders. The lleet is probably rei)airiug damages, as far as possible, before; proceecHng to sea. It is su]>p()se(l here that they will sail direct for Ifalifux for repairs and relitting." This despatch was ])ul)lislicd in (.'Xtra editions of all the uewspapers in X(?w York and Brooklyn; and, taken in con- nection with the accounts received from the olhcers and crews of the ^Vmerican Heel, which had n^turned to its anchorage in the Upper J'ay after the light was over, and which united in describing the allair as a complete and glr»rious victory, it occasioned great rejoicing in those cities. Cannon were fired, flags were hoisted, thanksgiving services were hehl in many of the churches, and the citizens testified their deligiit and satisfaction in the wildest and most extravagant manner. To add to the public excitement, and to intensify, if pos- sibL*, the })alriotic enthusiasm of the people, ut had put them completely to rout and captured several thousand prisoners; and the tlyiug renniants had been pursued b}' his cavalry to the St. Lawrence Iiiver, opposite Montreal. 80 much simultaneous good news was decidedly cxhilirat- ing ; and it is not to be wondered at, that pandemonium seemed tn have broken loose in Xew York and lU'ooklyn that eveniuLi': Bonfires were lighted; fireworks were set off; improvised torchlight proc(^ssions made night hideous witli their cheers, and drums and fifes, and cannon firings ; and l)anners and transinirencies, in which p«)or old John Bull was shot, and stal)bed, and drawn and quartered, and in many other ingcuii- ous and hitherto unheard of ways, put au end to for ever and ever, were to l)e seen in every street. TflE 15ATTLK OF IIIR SWASH. 9 'S la ono nf those, Ireljuul, iciJieseiitLMl :ia a lnoatl siioiiMeied, strajipiiij^ yiin^' Wdinaii, with a sus})i('iously rubicuiiid eouii- teiianci' (esjH'cially ahoiit the tip <»t' her nose), chv.ssed iugreeu .silk — ar-roonis closed lor the ni<.;ht. The Jiewspapcis (.>t" the loth of May, in all parts of the countn-, indulued in ihc wildest iubilalions, and the " croakers," who had thei-etofore called attention to the weakness of the xVmericau navy, anil the defenseless condi- tion nf Am(»riean seiiports, were ridiculed and abused in tlie most unmeasurcil lerms throughout the lcn:^th and breadth of the land. American inuemutv was lauded to the skies, as bein^ tuiual to every enieruency, and able U> bid d(ilianc(^ to all the anti< plated (Ud World methods of war-making. The American Eagle — never a very motlest biid — llapjxMl its \vings, and screamed in a numner winch [)ut lo shame its most extravagant previous efforts in that line. In Kndand the situation was exactly reversed. The French cable had of coursi; carried the news of the T3ritish defeat to I'aris ; ami Irom tliem it had been wired to Lontlon, with such additions and exaggeration^ as French unfriendli- ness to Kngland could suggest ; and Lond(.n was in an uproar. ]^ord lumdolph Churchill was burned in clligy in various parts of I he city and country, and a general chorus of " 1 told you so's," coui)led with estimates of th(» costs in ])ounds, shillings and pence, of the destroyed fleet, weni up like a National wail, frwm one end of Great J^iitain to the other. Bonfires were lighted on every hill-top in Ireland, and the streets of Dublin and Cork were fairly green with millions of 94 THE I'.AJTLE OF THK SWASH. hisli lliiL;s. Tlu* coritiiu'iital newspapers, especially the (Jeriiiau ainl Frencli ones, all cuiitaineil laliort'd articles, giviui; various accounts of ilie battle, and paying the highest triljute to tiie inventive genius of '' those wonderful Americ- ans," and condoling witli England in rather a SJircastic vein upon her loss of prestige as a naval }>ower. For a wonder, the French and (lennan journals hail at length a s:ibjectupon whicli they could agree, and they seemed to vie witli eacli other in the [)u])lication of articles in w];iieh their intense> hatred and {(jaloiisy of I'ji'jland was luit tlnnlv disguised, under the most polite expressions of sympathy for her fall from a place among the highest, to a position among the third or fourth-rate poweis of the world. Tlie innnediate ;ree. Even patriotism recpiires breathiiiLi s[)ells, and the citizens were fairly worn out With their celebration. A <|uiet air of cheerful ccuitentment, under which was })lainly evident a feeling of serene self-satisfaction, had replaced the boisterous and exuberant manner I'.M. r.riiisli ilcct evidently not all gone yet, I'lohahly wailt'd for (lisii]»i)earanee of log. Forty or lifty large and small vessels lying ucwv the Light.shi[>." '* l.Io !'..M. Smoke now issuing from the t'unnel.< of s'?veral of th(i fleet. They are evidently about to get under way." " l..')0 I'.M. A small vessel, evidently a gun boat, is now steaming riipidly in towards Sandy Hook. She probably dosiies to CMmmunieate with the shore ; but shows no flag of truce as }'et." • . * *' 2 I' M. Ibitish .uunboal roft'ned to in List apers, there were numerous surmi.ses as to the reasons for the return of the I'jvulish gunboat. Not iniudi attention was paid to the matter, however. And now, in order to i-ender this narrative as brief and ^explicit iis po.ssible, I will (pu>te from the otticial report of the British Admiral, as the best and mo.st relialile authority asT:o the occi rrences of the next few days. " After the severe acti(>n on the niiiht of tlie 1 !th, which TIIK IJATTI,E Or 'I'llK SWASlf. 9r i'ushIkmI in tin; loss of llireii of our most finiiiitlalile sliips, und tlui serious crii)i»liii'j aiiliii;i of S(!veiiil (jthi^rs, as here- iti before hi}). Thi> vessel lies about eiL,dit miles K. by S. froni Sandv Hook, and aUhou my ,ureat satisfaction 1 discovered that tlie ' Sanspareil,' althou^^h two of her eompirtments were full of water and her main entwines were disabled, was entire- ly' unhurt — so far as her armament was concenwd ; and that if she could reach a position where her guns would be ellec- tive, was as formidable as ever for otlensive purposes. The * Howe' had also had a hole knocked iut .jv bv a toritedo: I.' A. # but the damage was not such as to interfere with her elfec- tiveuess in the slightest degree. The damages to the other vessels were trilling, and interfered neither with their motive nor their fighting powers. 08 ■5 TJIK I'.ATTLE 01- TIIK SWASH. " The absolute destnictioii of Jie ' Viclovia' and 'Camper- down' \)y tlie enemy, liy moans of. self-desLioyinn' toriuMlo boats and the complete inability of our other ves.sids to dt.^- fend themselves against siinilai- attacks, had been the eause of my withdi-awing the lleet beyond their reach. Ami the tirst questinii to be discussed ami decided related to the proba- bility of a similar attack being made u[>on us in case \vt; re- turned to the harbor. If the enemy had a iorce of these self- destroying torpedo boats, e(pial in number to the vessels com- j)osing our fleet, it wouM be '^im])le madness to undertake further ho.stilities. "These boats were swifter than our swiftest ships; and Were so large and heavy that they (.'ould go right through our torpedo nets and booms, and pierce the luills of (jur ships far below the water line; anil the thorough manner in whii'h they had blown the ' Victoria' and * Cnmperdown' to [nieces, liad convinced me that nothing alloat could withstau'l their destructive elforts. Inde(!d I have since learned that there were two tons of dynamite in each discharge — an amount sutHcient, if properly directed, to lift the heaviest vessel ever built, bodily (uit of the water. It was, therefore, of vital im- portance to us to nndout, if possible, whether the enemy had any more of these boats, and if so, how many ; and for that j)Urpose I called a council of oflicers in the hope that some of them might have more definite knowledge on the subject than I had. "JJuring this council, the opinion was expressed by the com- manding otticer of the converted merchant cruiser, ' City of New York,' that he Isad some men on board his ship who knew sometliing about it, and at my request he went on board his vessel to make in([uiries. He returned shortly, bringing with him an assistant engineer, who had been employed on the 'City of New York,' when she was eniiaaed 'o^o" THE liATlI.E 01 THE hWASU. 9» chant sen-vice between New York and Livoi'iioi)!; and after ccHisideraljle objection on his pai-t — althonnh ht' wa.s a Scotch- man, and not an American — lie achnitb^d thai on one of the hist voya<,'es of that vessel, he hntl visited Phihulelpliia, and had seen tlie two self-destroyiiiL,' torpedo vessels on the stocks, in the shi])yard of the Messi.s. Cramp, in that city. Tliey were nnfini«hed then, an*] re'^ardud more in the b;iht of cmiosities tlian anything; else. Thedoverinnent did not even own them ; Init tlu'v were beinu l>nilt by private parlies for cxperimcnlal pnrpo.ses ; and wore the sultject of nuich ridicnle amon^ the workmeji. He exi)lained the principhi n]H»ii which tliey were to operate. A l\j)llo\v ram at tlie bow contained an enormons- charge of dynanute which was connected by an electric clock- work arrangement with the pilol-liouse, and was to be ex- ploded by the ])iloL after lie had run her into the hull <>f ilie hostile vessel; the pilot and the crew jumping oven-board with life-preserving suits on, and taking their chances of l)eing picked up after the exj»losion. "This description tallied so exactly with rlu^ nuuiner in which the 'Victoria' and the 'Canipei'dnwn' had been de- stroyed, that the conclusion was irresistible, that it was the work of these two experimental vessels; and that (there i)eing no more of them, tlie enemy being out of ammu- nition, 80 to speak) there was really nothing to prevent us from renewing our attack at the e,arliest possilde moment; towing the 'Sanspariel' and the other disabled vessels to a point where their guns would la- efl'ective for bondiarding purposes. * "It was therefore decided to send a swift gunboat in to reconnoitre the lower bay early the following morning; and if her report was favorable, the whole fleet was to follow her in, and take a position as far up the harbour as was prac- tical)le. A dense fog prevented any action being taken 1 1' i ,( mmm irio THE HATTI.K OF I'HK ^WASH. until tlio sf'Coinl (lay iif'h'rwards — iIih l.'th. On tliat day, about noon the foi: lifted, and I sont the 'Orlando' in to reconnoitre, and instructed lun* coniandei' to pu.^li f, and reported verbally that he had ])roceeded up the main ship channel to the Narrows. That he had drawn the tire of tlie forts on both Loud Island and Statcn island, and had developed the fact that tlie guns were old-fashioned smooth -Ijore.s, which would have little or no effect upon our heavily armored vessels. That several of the large solid shot --ai>[)a]ently ten inch — liad struck his armor belt, near the water line, without intlicting any damage beyond making a deep indentation: and that several torpedoes had exploded near his vessel, but ii f! THK I'.AT'II.K OF THK .SWAsll. 101 nout' clinM'ily imuM not report us to their eMicacy. W'itli a ^ootl stout sliij), lio\vev taivc th(j ih'ct inl't the U[>per r)Hy, unswereil unhesitatin^'ly in the atlinnative. ••[n ((inse^juence of tliis inforniation, hut nioie especi- ally as r was alieady in a po.-ition to shell the lower ])artot' iS'ew Yitrk City, an«l neai'ly the whole of Bnxiklyn, I issued the following;' prooUuiiation, which I sent \ip that evening by a despateii boat, under a flai! <'f tnice, to the ("Uy : " ' To llie Mayors and Citizens of New York and IJrooklvn: " ' As Admiral conmumding Her Uritannic ^ra)(^sty's Ex- peditionary licet, 1 hereby uive notice that at 1 2- o'clock noon, on the IStli day of Mav, 1890, the bondjardnienl wlucjh 1. am orderetl to inHict upon the cities of Xew York and Brooklyn will be eoninienced. AVhih^ T deeply rcfjret the painful necessity which compels me tr) be the ai»ent in such a terrible destruction of life and j)Voperty as this bombardment ^vill involve, yet my orders are peremptory ; and 1 shall to the best of my ability, obey them to the letter. 1 can, liowever, postpone the evil day ; and instincts of humanity would impel me to do so, even if they were not re-inforced by my own personal wish.^s in the matter. In order, therefore, that non- combatants, — and especially women and children — may be removed to a place of safety, I .qive this public notice, more than two days in advance of the bombardment. " ' Sighed, " * Admiral Fi^eemantli!:, " ' Co'inmandiny II. B. M.'s fleet: " I !., lilli i'i :^l iHii r\ I ; CHAlTKi: IX. . ' THE • 1>A XK ; AXI) FLIGHT. The publication of the foreL>'oini^' proclamation in tht.'. late editions of the evening newspapers of New York and l»rook- lyn, on the evenijig of its issue (May l.lth), Occasioned the wildest excitement and terror in those two cities. At first, many of the inlial)itants regarded it as a cruel hoax, and utter- ly refused to believe it. They had been so thoroughly con- A'inced that the British lleet had been practically annihilated on the night of tlie lltli, and had yielded th.emselves up so completely to the current feelings of joy and triumph at the suppctsed success of the Anieriean fleet, that they could not seem to realize that their rejoicings had l)een premature ; and that, although partially destroyed, the British fleet was still formidable eTiough to carry out its instructions, aiiji : Anywhere! Albany; Ikitialo; C'hicago ; Denver! Any\vher(i to get bey»jnd the reach of those d — d shells," was the trendding response. The train service was doubled and ([ua(h^plele could not be prevented from forcing ihemselves on board of her, even after she was dangerously overcrowdcMl. Numennis excursion steamboats were pressed into the ser- vice, and the most exorl)itant prices were paid for tugs and launclies, or craft of any kind,' on which persons could reach M»l THK HATTLK ()!• 'JilK SWASH. 10.1 )»luct'So! ('(nn[.ai';ili\'*; s.iffity up tlie I'lVci'. Similni'iy all sorts of wheeltjil viiliicles were pressed iiiLD llu; tra,flic an 1 t!it> oast ;iii'l Wt>st (IriN^js of CijiitrrJ Park were (toW'IlmI with liurvviii;^ i'uniti\(-> of Itoth snxes, anle, and aniuscut I f-'ieuo.t.lio iutroducliou of such matter here, lest it sliould bo deemed loo trivial iu its nature to be iucor[)oraled int(j a sober and truth- ful hi.^torical work like this. The exodus continued, l»ut in diminrjhin^L;' })ro})ortIons, throuL;h«iut tlielwo foUowinij;' days; unlil l)y nor»n of the 18th (tii'i time iixeil u})on for the ci'!iunencenu?nt of tlu; bonibard- nieii) there remained probably less than IL ),0i)0 people in the two cities of Xew York and Jirooklyn. Those who re- maineii wi;re eilluT unal)le fnuu idness or sonu3 siniilar oaU'^e, to ,'^ei away ; or « In i th-..'y iiad deteiiuiuiHl through eiiriosity or iudill'eri'iu'e to eonse([uences, to rnaain and •' se.? the thing through." Ihit tlieir nunnbers were so few tiiat tliey nuirely enij'hasized the uiagnitu-lf' of tb(> exodus which had lak'Ui place. Innnediately upon the announcement of the intended b^m- brtrdment the Sub-Treasurei' had telegraphed to Washington fur instructions. There wei'c iu the Sub-Treasury vaults gold and silver coin and bullion, anunuiting to neaaly ,s:30i),UO(),- Ot>0. In case of the capture of the city this would be al the mercy of the lUitish ; and as they had practically anutamced niouev to be their chief oldect iu coniiuu' across the iVtlantic, it was not at all prol)able that they would fail to sn.atch such a. rich i ooty as tliis. What, therefore, was to be done? A Cabinet meeting ilecitled to order the removal of this vast amount of treasure to a place of safety, and instructions to that etrect v/ere telegraphed to the Sub-Treasun-r, wtm was also authoiizt3d to demaiul a suital)le military escort ii\nn the force of regulars, which had been hurriedly sunnnoned to Xew York as soon as war was declared. Ac'.'-ordingly, the Sub-Treasurer at once set about securiiig transportation for the goM and silver. The pro[)ortions were V IE P.ATTLE OV 'VUV. SWASH. 107 in I 1 be .tlie 1 loo uiU- /lons, 1.8th baril- lie in t) IV- :'aase, ity or thill -5 aeicly taken I 1>. 'Ul- iniiloii \\ the aiitie, such .-'' \ s vast ins to lit was 111 the o New ^ciiniig IS were ahoni one-third gold and two-iliivds silver; and tlie total vveigiit of the iwo metals was tound to exceeil .■>,00i') tons. It ' was found almost impossible U) secure men atid teanio enough to iransjiorL ibis enormous amount oi nieta'. Tlie ilighi of the inhabitants bad taken so manv liorses and truidcs tVoni the l(jwer part of the city that it was lotind necessary to tele- graph to all iieighborinL; places ; and Newark, and Mlizalutth and 8taten Island, and the, near-by portions of Westchester County, Were scoured fur horses or ox teams, oranytliingthat coi Id draw a load of monev. There wei-e heavv ti'ueks and brewery wagons in abundance, which had been .deserted for lighter vehicles by their owners and drivers, so that the only imperative need was animal power in drag the loadf.'d vehicles. The su[)})ly of horses, nnd(vs, and oxen liaving been exhausted, it was necessary to fall !>ack on men, and the strange spectacle was seen of a procession of heavily loaded trticks and beer waggons being draggp, fact soon made itself apparent in the sudden breaking out of wdiat might be called an epidemic or carnival of crime. Numerous incendiary fires occiirred, and hundreds of residences, which had l.>een abandoned by their owners aud tenants in their mad liight, were broken, into and rifled of then* valuable contents, ,' El 103 TIIR 15ATTLK 01' THE SWA.^lf. by troops of thieves and tramps, win > sceiDed to rise out of tlio oTouiid, us it \v(H'e, l)y magic, and who were so numerous tuid so bold, that thcA' bid utter defiance to the over-worked |>olice. During the days of the bombardment, these outcasts of society, would lounge around Central Park, out of rea'^h of the exploding shells, which were creating such havoc in the lower portions of the city, and then at night-fall, when the lire from the ileet slackened, thev would organize tliemselves into little supper jjartics, and deliberately break into any pri- vate residence whose imposing extorioi' happened to strike their fancy, and proceed to make themselves at home. As long as the bombardment and tlie armistice lasted, the aristocratic regions of Fifth Avenue and Murray Hill, resounded ninhtly with the sonus and shouts of these rough and drunken revellers of both sexes, who seemed ne\er to tire of their unaccustomed surroundings, and exhibited the most remarkable diligence and perse\erance in seajching for mansions (as yet midisturbed) whose larders and wine-cellars were liberally stocked. These little parties were sometimes broken up by the police ; but probably less than half of them were interrupted in this way ; as they W(^re so numerous in all parts ot' the city, and the police were s. » thorougldy over- worked and exhausted, that it was impossible for thein to afford ariything like adetpuate protection to the property of the absentees. r CHAPTKJi X. THE i;(jmijai{|,lmi-:nt. . I)l:im.\g the interval between the return of the Thilish lleet, on the loth of May, and tlie time tixed by the Admiral for t,he commencement of the bombardment, an active inter- change <»f messages had been going on by cable between the Governments of the T'nited States and Great liritain. inas- much as the minister of eacli post'd li\ Clivat I'litain. Tliey [lictured the eifornious desl. action of })ioperty >vhie]i tliL' lionibai'dinent of all onr principal coast cities would involve, am' altlioui;h tliey conceded the tj'uth of the assertion of their opponents in the debate, that there could be^ut one ultimate, result to the war, if fought to its natural teiinination, and that Canada was practicall}' ours alread}', yet they claimed that as a n\ere matter of dollars and cents, it would be cheaper to pay even tilteeii liundred millions of dollars, than to go on with I he war; wiien the enormous amf)unt of properly inv(-lved, and the vast extent of Canadian terriliry to l)e overrun, were taken into consideration.. The orators t^^'om the west, however, took the high and lofty ground of " millions for defense, etc.,"' and numerous propositions were made to establish navy yards at various points in the interior, on navigable rivers a hundred nnlcs or more from the coast, and also on the great Lakes ; thus indic- ating that their authors had an eye to the " main chance," and were willing to vote for the " old Hag and an ap[)ropria- tion," provided the appropriation was to be e>;pemled in their own states. The debate waxed hot, and it was with the greatest dilliculty that several personal encounters among the members and senators were prevented. A membi^r from one of the so called " Granger States " even went so far as to intima .hat he would rejoice to see these soul-less monopnhsts and capitalists of the eastern cities brought down a peg or two. They had for }cars been sapping the foundations of the country's prosperity by vast combinations of capital, and had levied extrava- gant tolls on everything that the farmers of the Great West 'llli', HATTf.E 01" TllK SWASH. Ill l)f)iij.']i^ and S(il<], 1 1ms iucrensi i^j the r»)st of I heir livinsf, wliilf (.liiiiiiusliinu tlic jirodiu't «»f tliL'ir labour. (M ('nurse he was not iinpalriDtic (MI'mi^Ii k* rcjuict; at bclioldini: a foi'eijrti fue u[»on American soil, nor did lio antici]nit<' -tnv sacli result tVoni iht' present wnv, wJiich would oertainly (mkI Ity e.stab- lisliin*^- tlic stars and stripes a.s the sole National I'hnMoiu of the North American (^)ntinent. " Nevertheless, while we of the Clrcat West send <»ui' laviwiiy sojis mid hrothers to the haltle-tield to wrest a portion oi: its ill-g(itlen teni'iory from the so-ealhitl I>iitish Empire, it i> noi loo ni'ich to ex])ect our fri<'nds in the Kasl to l)ear tlnir prt>per share of the hiu'dens of tliH eoiitest. Patriotism has its i'e.sponsil)ilities and its duties, and tliese fre<[uently involve the sacrifice of life and propertv. and' 1 wouhl be the last man t(» depiive my eastern friends of one iota of the ])atriotic satisfaction wliich they will experience, when some of their ill-gotten ^i^ains are sacri- ticod on llieir country's altar," — and a lot more rubbish of the same sort. To which a New York member replied, by niakin^ sarcastic allusions to the " honest Grangers," who Jie said )uul for years been going down on theii- knees and begging the capitalists of the great eastern cities, to send their money west and invest it, in railways, water-works, gas-works, anrl other publie im- provements ; or to lend money to western farmers on their farm mortgages ; arid ihen, as .soon as they had fairly gotten the money out there, they had in\ariably tivied to steal it — or to conllscate it through forms of law — which amounted to the same thing. Tiiey passed laws limiting the price of gas and water to such low figures that many of the gas and water companies were bankrupted ; they organized state boaids of Railway Commissioners who assumed to fix [)assenger and freight rates at figun ^, which would scarcely pay operating expenses; and having discovered that seveial hundi-eds of 112 'J'lli: llATTLK UK THE 8\VAsH. I! uiillioijs of ddllniN of ua.'sleni (;iii>iial liaports our coididenee men? Visitors from the country, wIkj want to play a '.skin game' where they tliink tliey have a ' sure thing.' Hdw do our 'green goods' men Hml their custom^u'S ?" " Ijy mailing their circulars, (jtlering to sell well executed counterfeit money at ten cents on the dollar, to 'lionest' tillers of the soil in all jKirts of the country. Show me a man who is constantly ])r.uing about the ' tyranny of capital,' an I the 'grinding of honest toilers' by cor])orate greed and in^lividual usury ; and I will show yona niiin wiaoisat he^art asiM.undiel and a knave ; and wliO vvj never pay even a just ilei.»t, if he can sneak out oi it." Of cour.se these speeches were i;iitirely foreign to the subject under discussion, l)ut I introduce thes(i luief extracts merely to sliow to wliat extent sectional feelings and prejudices nm, 'as well as to explain to a certain (^.xtent, the almost incredible failure of Congress to act promptly, and prevent the vast destruction of property wliich the bom'oaniment of our sea- port cities would involve. I These discussions were continued day and night (for Con- gress sat in almost continuous session) from the loth to the 18th, without any result being arrived at. The memJ^ers and senators were flooded with letters and telegrams from all threatened points, begging them to act at once ; to pay the indemnity demanded ; take Canada, and bide our time for a TIIH IJATTI.K OF TIIH SWA^II. IJ.:) DJect nil), Llible vast sea- ICon- the aiul all the tor a iitial sottleiiieiil wiili Great lUitaiii. r>ut o\vin,L;' to tlieolijee- tioiis of the V/estein ami Central Stattvs, luithiiiLj could be {u;C!Jin])lished, and when the sun rose on ihe nioniini'' of Ow KStii oi' May, it wa.-s a loiv^one conchiNinii that New Yorlc and ili'Koklv^ii were to sut't'er all the honors of a hombanliuent, unless (as was Iiighly iniprobaljle) theliriti.sh Athniral ^!i(.>uld see fit to further extend the time of probation. This he utterly refused to do; and having on the two previous days silenced th(i forts on Long and Staten Islands, and easily n"[iul.scd a feeble attack by the unarniureil cruisers " .Vtlanta," "lialti- more," " lioston;' and " I'hiladelphia," an. I a score or so of torjjudo boats, he pre[iared, on tjie morning of tha 18th, to force his way through the Narrows into the Upper l^ay, v, here he would be within easy range of the two cities. He had satis- fied himself that the torpedoes, witii which the Narrows were supposed to be thickly phinted, would not be able to prevent liis lieot from passing through. ]\Iany of these, torpedoes had been cut loose and destroyed by hib torpedo destroyers ; and the olUcers of these little boats assured liim that thev luul eleai'ed ;i narrow ehamuil, whicii thev had marked with dimiimtive bu(jvs ; and that if he would take his tltet in, in single file — each vessel following as closely as possible in the wake of the one immediately preceding her — the whole fleet could unquestionably pass through without damage. This suggestion was adopted, and before ten o'clock oi the morning of the 18th, the whole IJriti^h lieet, with Uie •■\cep- tion of the " City of New York," was safely riding at anchor in the Upper Bay. The " City of New York " was o(ni buoved bv th(! torpedo destroyers, and m-ttiii"' directly over two lurue torinnloe'^, she was partially blown np, and sunk in the deepest part of the Narrows in about a hund Hid feet of water. * . 'Ifer destruction caused great rejoicing among ail classes of Americans, who had protested loudly bat vainly against tliis unpatriotic use of the liritish Hag. liut after all, the owners of tiic vessel were not so much to bh^me for it as Connress was. As the fleet proceeded up the ll.y and i-ame to anchor be- tween Bedloe's and Governor's Islands, its niovenients v/(>re watehfjd with intense interest by a larg(3 crowd, which had assembled on the seawall of the Battery. As the hour of noon approached, however, this crowd tliinned out ra])idly, and at twenty nn'nutes of twelve o'clock — at which timi', it liad been announced that ttie trains on the (devated railways would cease riuming, — there were not more tjian a dozen persons visible along the whole water front of the Battery. At ten minutes before twelve, a shudder of apprehensi(jn ran through the few rernainiuL!- denizens of the two cities, as they heard the ominous boom of a heavy gun. It was, however, not im- TiiK ha'itlk of tuk swash. 113 luul '^ ill thul ; bt'V Uu'.ir li ihe* 1 1*^1" J with wh it'll All \\\)y bout li ,sses of St tills ss was. lldV 1)0- s v/ere cli liad f noon aiitl at it had Is woiilii Ipersous A-t ten ihrougli heard hot im- iii(j(l"iit()ly followed ]\y imy otTTcrs; ;md as was subseqiU'iitly jiscLiiiiiiied, was only a lihudv cnrtiids;e, linnl as a ]>ndiininary signal to tlic rcist of the tleel to hold tiieiii>^elv«'s in readiness to connncnce liviui^' in tj;n minutes. It was lii^e the piepaia- tnry i^un hiffore startiug a njgutla. Kvei} ihin;^ was a]»pai'OiJt]y t(i he dniu! in exact aeeordauee with a pvoHramnie })reviously agreed upon, and the hoinhardnient was to commence with true "man of war " prt-eisiun and ceremony. . Tons of t lie ]>resent ji'enoration, wlm have never experi- enced any of the horrors of vvai', it seems aVmost incredible that civilized" and Christian men, ccaild thus coldly arranL;e the fU tails of the destruction id life and iirojieity on such a ■ vast scale, am! calmly count the seconds on their watrjies as they ticked away a few remainiuL;' moments which sepa.rated the two great cities fi-om destruction. rromjitly at noon, the guns on the ]»ortside of the ilag- ship Hashed the signal to tlierestnf the fleet, and tlie v.'ork of destruction commenced in earnest. The lire at liist seemed to be directed against the tall buildings in the lower part of the city, which wei'o in ]>lain sight and aflbrded excellent •marks for tlu' gunners. Ihit a's tliese became }'apidl} bat- tered down into masses of ruin, tlie (.runs were elevated a little, so as to throw the shells fuither u])town, and the area of distruction was thus vastly widenetl. During the first days liombarilment, there seemed to be a tacit undei'stauding among the artillerists (probable the result of a general order on the su» Ject) to spare the Brooklyn Bridge, and although many jtrojectiles canuj very near to the towers and support ig cables, and some almost grazed the structure itself, vet it remained intact on the eveninu of the ISth. On the morning of the PJth, however, when the bom- bardment was renewed, these orders (if any such had existed m i I ■ * \b Mm 116 THE BaTTI ':: OF THE SWASH. Oil the previuus day) hiid evidently been cuniitennauded, for nearly the whole fire of the fleet seemed to be coneeiitrated on tlie towers and the cables, and in less than half an hour after the opening of the seccjnd days cannonade, the massive gianite towers gave way, and tlie whole magniticent structure fell into the river beneath, wdiere for many months itremain.id an absolute Imrricr to navigation through the East Uiver and liOng Island Sound. The Brookl\-n Navy-yard was also thoroughly riddled dur- ing the second day. The i'>ritish gunners had evidently been studying their charts over night, aiul had gauged the distance and direction ofc" the yard so exactly, that before luion on the l!)th, they had thrown over five liundred shells into the yard itself, or its immediate vicinity. Nearly everytb.ing infhimmable took lire and was consumed, and all of the buildings in the neigliborhood were more or less 'damaged. ' ' One rather anuising feature of the bombardment occurred here. A j\Ii'. .Iliggins liad an immense soap manufacturing establishment almost adjoining the Navy-yard and (with the ingenuity and enterprise, which then, as now, seemed to cl]aracteri/e that particular industry in the invention of novel advertising devices) had erected on his premises a gigantic fac-simile g. a soap-box, the sides of winch being- transparent, were brilliantly illuminated at nigiit witli powerful electric lights. This box, being elevated on an iron framework more than 100 feet high, made a most striking and conspicuous display, plainly visible for a long distance up and down the East liiver, and was un(|uestionable very successful as an advertisement. One of the first shells which was intended For the .\avy-yard, went CRishing through this counterfeit soap box on the morning of the 19th, shivering it to atoms ami as a matter of course, putting an end to its career as an advertising' device. THE ILVi'TLE OP THK SWASH. 11 r .1, for rated liour issive ficeiit oiiths 1 the [ (lur- ; liceu stance )11 tlu', 13 yard ;uined, or lc:^s cuirei. I taring (with liied to oil <>t" nises a boiiiL!.' with 111 iron liikiiiL^ iiiance \(.u'y tliellH isliinir L" r> e 19th, iiiL> an IMenTiwhile, aflairs in tlie husiness ami residence quarters of tlie two cities were in a deplorable condition. Fires Were raging in every direction, caused by the exploding shells, and although the police and firemen stood their ground bravely, and were most efhciently aided by such troops f>f Vdlunteers and militia as still remained iir town, their ellorts werij entirely futile in staying the progress of "^ the tlames, and' ir, seemed as though any further bombard- ment would be a mere waste of ammunition, as such portions- of the cities as lia*! not b^eii already shattered by the shells, seen i^ doomed to certain "lestruction bv fire. * • The whole of the lower part of Xew York was a confused heap of ruins. The palatial business structures, inanv of which rose to an enormous height, and which had been such a source of pride to the citi/ens, had all l.)e-n demolished, and the streets in the dowt-i- portion of ilie eily were ren- dered almost impa-ssilde, by the delnis whiclr lay scattered about in confused piles throughout their entire length. The numerous safe deposit vaults, which occupied the base- ments of many of these mammoth structures, were Iniried so deeply, that several week's- excavation were re<[uired before they once more became accessible. , In short, the destruction was about as complete as it could well he, and the British Admiral c )nld at least ha\'e th^ satisfaction of feeling that he had carrie'l out his instructions to the very letter. i'iA r' CHAPTER XI. TlltC AHMlSTiCK AND Ti:HAT7 Ov I'EACK. Ar.ouT 5 o'clock on the afternoon of tlie lOtli of Mvij^ tlie torpedo boat " Stiletto " was sent (town from Youkers, where the American fleet was lyin^^. witli a Hag" of truce, requesting a cessation of hostilities, peU'Jing soine fresh negotiations between th.e two governments. The exact nature of tliese negotiations ,Avas not known to the ofticers making the yequest, but their representations were sucli as to induce the British Aitmiral to accede to theii' wishes, (('specially as he had already done about all the damage that he could) and an armistice for ten days was agreest lluiiu tlioir olUiMiil jiusitiuns ; oiul several ainioniict'd their will in.ci'ii ess to ehange tlieir votes, iti case the ([lUistiou could l^e aLiain 1>ronnlit up. "With tliese accessioii><. however, the measure still laekcnl -a inrijoritv. and m all r»rob,ibility \\'(»iild have failed of [tassa^e, if it liad not been for tlie ^Imiwd and inueiiious invention of a J'n.ston joiirnalist, who published a detailed description (said to have been received from a Canadian deserter) of four formidable iron-clad ^nnhoats, which were said to have been conveyed in sections, by rail, from Montre:d to a place called (^)lling- wood, on Georj^ian Bay, with the utmost secrecy, durino' the precedini^' summer and autumn ; and which were now nearly ready for action, and within two or three wrelN's. (;r a month, at the m(.)st, would boml)ard all of our lalvc cities, from Duluth to ?,ufnilo. This f^tory subsequently pioved to l)e a complete falaica- tiou, l>ut it served its purpose admirnMy ; tor the senators and con,L'ressmen from all the States bonlering the Great Lrdves, hastoied to announce themselves as favoral)le to a compromise, o]i any reasonable basis.- Xow that the enemy was knocking at their own doors, and pressure was brought to bear on them by their own constituents, thev seemed to view tie situation from an entirely different stand ])oint from the one which they had formerly occupied ; and unaniin- nivaisly " Hopped" over to tlie " peace at uny ])rice" paity, as the advocates (^f settlement had been contemptuouslv clirist- ened by tlieir opponents. An act was rushed thiough both houses of Congress, authorizing and directing the President to appoint three com- missioners to confer with a like number to be appointed by the government of C5reat Britain, to draft a treaty of peace between the two countries, in substantial accordance with the terms heretofore olfered by the representatives of Her Britannic Majestv's government. V mm !S 120 TIfK liATTLE OF THK SWASH. k ■ A furthr-r cessatioii of lioslilitjes, peiidino- tlio inpotinc,^ of these cotninisftioiuirs in Paris, took place, and the two lirilish fleets then on iheir way to the United States wei • instnicted, liv C'ldije, to rendezvous at Halifax, and await -further oniers. The negotiations were confduded much more promptly than 'such negotiation'^ usually are. The only seiious qnc^stion of dirferen(3e grew out ol the insistence by the British commis- sioners, tliat the TInited States should assumes the indebted- ness of the 1 )ominion of Canada, Tiiis was at len,u:th ai^reed to by the American representa- tive^, and a treaty of peace, whicli w:\s subsef[uently ratified by both .g'overnments, was a,i,rreed upon, by which CJreat T^)ritain ceded to the United States all of its Canadian and West Indian possessions, except the Islaiid of Barba.does, which was to be retained as a military and naval station ; and in return for this cession of territory, the United States ap^reed to assume the indeljtedness of Canada, amounting" to. about 5^:'»00,000,0()() ; and to pay to Great Britain, as " ]»nrchase money," $1,500,000,000. The phrase" purchase money," instead of " i^enalty" or " war indemnity,.' was inserted at the urgfiut request of the American commissioners, without seriou'^' objection bv tlieii- British associates, I'he latter, doubtless, thought as long as they got the money, it made no 'difference wliat mime they gave it. Thus ended one of the bi-iefest, and at tlie same time one of the most momentous wars tliat ever was waged, fts brcvitv was obvious, fts importance grew out of the fact that it changed the N'ationality of half a continent, and totally rev- olutionized <»xisting methods of Xaval warfai'e. England's triumph, it is true, was complete, and British jubilation was intense, hut both were only temporary ; and this apparent success was but the commencement of the downfall of the British Empire. That heterogeneous combination of different TlfK MTTLE OF TJfE SWASH. 121 • one |(;vitv lut it vev- wag Lveut tho iveiit races timl Xatiuiialitius, tind hii.ht'Vto "ruleiitisli threats ec^ased to alarm anyl.tody ; and thenceforward England (jxerted oidy sucli in- lluence in European councils as her military strength entitled her to — wluch was very tritliiig. * In the great Continental war which made such ladical changes in tlie maps of Enrojie and ^Vsia, she took practically no pail ; and wJiile (Jermany al)Sorbed Gciinan Austria, and thus realized the dream of Bismark's life — (lernian unity, — • and N'ionna Itecame in name, a>^ well as in fact, a German City ; and while liussia stuzed the Danubian ])rovinces and European Tuikt^y and Greece, thus possessing lierself of Con- stantino[)le, and of her long coveted outlet on the Mediter- ranean, England was compelled to look iilly on, and pbiy the role of a disgusted spectator. To the loss of prestige as a Xaval powei', which the Battle of the Swash occasioned, can also be directly attributed Eng- land's subse([uent loss of India and Australia ; the former by liussian con(piest, and the latter by declaring itself an inde- pendent nalion, Tims do the most momentous lustorical events often-times hinge upon appanmtly tri\ial hai)penings, and the fate of iS'ations and people yet unborn, may be changed by a skirmish of outposts, or the bombai'dment of towns on the opposite sid(i of the world. li II ^^^^^^W^^^^^^^pw CHAriEl?. XII. Wi CONCLUSION. Tlie treaty of peace was £>reatly objected to by such of the Canadians as had favored a continuation of Ihitish rule, and the more bitter of these attempted to organize an " Inde- pendence party." Their numbers, however, were conqjaratively insignificant, and altliough they jnade a show of organizing an army foi- the purpose <.^f opposing the United States troops, and acliieving the independence of Canada, they took good care not to risk a conllict with the vastly superior forces of the Americans, and in less than a month, such uf them as had not deserted surrendered, and all further traces of opposition to American occupation disappeared. On the 4Lh <»f July, ISOO, whicli was the one hundred and foiir-teenth anniversary of American Independence, the United Stsi;es took formal possession of Canada ; and the prosperity of that vast section of the Xorth American Contineirt may be said to date from that eventful day. • The war now being concluded, and the ipiestions wldch had for more than a century proved so vexatious, being perman- ently settled, the people of the United States had plenty of leisure time to count up the cost of the " economy" which their rulers had been treating them to, ever since the end of the Civil War. As has already been shown, these demagogues, while pratin 122 THE r.ATTI.R UV THK SWASII. 123 a'jout the sur})lus,an(l the tanft*,a!ul the dowu-troddeu laboring liiaii, ami the eriiae of sjn'iidiu^^' thi' peophi's money for any- thing hilt river and liarhor and pulilie building jobs, and ex- . orbitant preininnis on immature bonds, liad permitted the United States Xavy to go to deeay, from ni(^Live> of '^rrono- 'iHjf f had utterly refused to (iiTei' even decent rates of com- pensation for the carrying of foreign nnnls in American ships for tlie sake of ''rcD/utiii// :" had declined to encourage the estabhshment of an auxiliary naval force, by the payment of I nn annual rental for tiie privilege of employing swi'^t Ameri- can built steamshiits as cruisers in time of war, because by not doing so, the treasury would save So,000,Ot)0 or SI 0,000,- . 000 a year, and these statesmen could continue to pose before the country as cliampiows and apostles of "■ cconoinji ;'' and had nealected vear after \ear to fortit'v the seal>o:ivd cities, notwithstanding the constant and oft-repeated warnings ut- tered by military and naval experts, intelligent and thought- ful writers, and far-siglited statesmen of both political parties; because, forsooth, when vear after year the River and Harl)or ■ Bill and the I^ublic Ruihlings BUI had been intlateti to the largest possible figures that would be likely to escapii a presi- dential veto, they found that they could not spend any money • on fortifications without exceeding the appropriations made by their predecessors, and would thus render themselves liable to be considered by their constituents as lacking in the great essential element of " ecoiKvni/." Well, these economical statesmeri had had their way — and their day — and their constituents n/nl iH'iHter.-^ — the Prop/i' of the Uitifni States — said to them, " (jleutlemen, render an ac- count of your stewardship. Let us see what your loud pro- fessions of 'economy' for the jiast twenty-five or thirty years amount to. Let us have an itemizeil account, debit and credit, and see how far your acts have been justified by results." You are clearly entitled to credit for the followina' amounts 1 Ii^^l= ri 124 THE BATTLE 01" THE SU AS[[. Cjiedit. Mail Su])si*liossuv«j(laiiiiuallv V Jt'eiital of Steamships (ii.s.siiiniiin- lOO swift ships at 'S'lOO-UOO eacli) as an aii.xiliary naval force Ade(jnate naval and fortification ap[)r()])rial ions annnallv.... T(jtal annual savin: 5?o,000,n()0 10,000,000 20,000,000 S:55,O00,O0O Total for ten years 5:?;!r)0,000,000 A very iiaiKisojiie exliiljjt, '4t;ntlenien ; now lot us see xha other side of the account. i)EI51T. Amount paid annually to foreiun ships, carry- in,^ American products. . /...,, \ . 8150,000,000 Amount < 00,(t0 0.000 Amount expended by U. S. in war with (heat I'.ritain 100,000,000 Amount of dama-je done to Xew York and Brooklyn l)y liritish fleet ;]00,000^}0 Total $4,170,000,000 Les."'> credits as af)ove Total cost of ten vears of Omgressional O.) 0,000,000 economy" $;;,820,000,0OO THE MATTl.E OF TIIP] SWASH. 125 "There are other items, gentlemen, wliich could easily he made to swell the above dehil l)alaiice, hut these arc suOici- €nt. You may step down and out. The people of the United Sta"-es are the most wealthy and liberal peoi)l(! iu the world, but ten years mure of such "economy" as yours has been would bankrupi us. We wish you nu harm, gentlemen, but we have no fuitlier need of your services." Of course this monologue is not to be taken literally, but it is what the people of the United States practically said, l)y their action, at the elections which succeeded the IJattle of the Swash. It is, periiaps, needless to remark, that for many years sub- se(j[uent to LS'.KJ, American statesmen were not called upon to wrestle with the ditlicult problem of "how to dispose of the surplus revenue." Their "economical'" predecessors had effectually obviated all necessity i'or any sue li discussion; Init the lesson which the peo])le had learned was a most valuable one, and instead of considerinti' themselves the sulfering victims of an exces- sive and burdensome system of taxation, they fully realized that they were the most favored peo])le in tlio world in that respect, and cheerfully supported the iHnv generation of Congressmen in authorizing the liberal expenditures, which in a few years made our coasts and harbors invulnerable; gave us a navy superior to that of any other nation, and placed us once more in the van amono; the maritime powers of the world. At the lirst i>lance, the Battle of the Swash seemed to have' been a most disastrous event for the United States. England got all the glory and all the money, and the United States got Canada and — tlic cxiierience. ]>ut the latter proved to be worth iniinitely more than it cost, in that it exploded the absurd system of miscalled " eeonoipv," which only " saved at the spigot to waste at the bung.' I2r> V TIIK HATTLE OF THE SWASH. Let' us rejoice tliul in this year of m'ace, 1030, we have so ))rofite(l by tlie ermrs of our ancestors, that we now occupy unclialleii.ned, the toreniost positif)n anioii'^ the uiitious of the eartli; and tliai witli oiii" L^O(VOOO,(iOO of inU'IH;^cnt, prosper- ous and contented citizens — each o'le a soverei).;n in lu's own riglit — we can afford to l(^>k witli indifference ujxjn the wars and siruen to injury, and ihey have tlien, too, a commerce wdiich must be protected. " This can only be done by possessing a respectable body of artists and citizen seamen, and establislnnents in readiness for shipbuilding. " If particular Nations grasp at un'lue shares of our com- merce, and more especially, if they seize on the means of the United States, to comert them iiito aliment for their own strength, find ^vithdl•aw tliem entirely from the support of those to whom they belong, defensive and protective measures become necessary" on the part of the Nation whose marine sources are thus invaded, or it will be disarmed of its defense, its productions will be at the mercy of the Nation which has possessed itself exclusively of the means of carrying thera^ and its politics may be intluenced by those who command its commerce. rilE I5ATTLE OF THE SWASH. 127 "The cariia^'o of our own coniiundities. if once estahlished in another ohiinnel, ciuiuot be re.snnit?fl at the nionuuit we ^lesiro. ■ ■" It' we lose the seamen and artists whom it now emjdoys, we Id.se tiie present means of Marine defense, and tinii; will be requisite to raise up others, when disgi'ace or losses shall bring' home to our feelings the evils of liavini;- abandoned them." "he " disgraee and losses "incurred by oni ancestors in this brief bat disastrous campaign, had indeed l)rought "home to their feelings the evils of havim^' abandoned " the great interests thus earnestly pleaded fm* by the greatest statt^sman of his day ; and the absurd folly of ihe so-called " economy,'* which prompted its abandonment, was at length reluctantly conceded by the noisiest and bitterest advocates of free trade throughout the laud. THE END. 1 rATPvIOTIC SrEECTI BY Dii. W. GEORGE BEERS, OF MONTKEAL, IN REPLY TO Tin: TOAST OF '' PROFESSIONAL ANNEXATION" r.EFOiiP: THE DKNTAL SOCIETIES OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, AT SYRACUSE, N.Y., ON OCfOBER ..^5//^ 1S88, At tlie baii'iuct of the Hth, 7tli and 8th Districts Dental Societies of tlie State of New \'oik, held in Syracuse recently, when 250 members from all parts of the State attended, including many ladies, several judges aiul clergymen, Drs. Willmott, Cccsar, lioberts and Snelgrove, of Toronto, and Dr. Beers, of Montreal, were present in reply to the strangely worded toast, " rrofessional Annexation," Dr. Beers spoke as follows : — Mr. Chairmcm, Ladies ami Gentlefnen, — I must confess to a good deal of embarrassment in replying good to a toast which is intended to be botli professional and political, but I have been spc^cially asked to do so by the Chair- man, and if I should offend anyone, as I must say exactly what I : r 130 T think, T can only offer to settlR on the spot by inviting you, as the boys say to " Come out in the alloy ! " T have neither the presumption nor the vanity to iniaf,nne that T am able to do justice to the personal and professional courtesies which Doctor Jona.aan has always bestowed upon his Canadian friends, as well as to the magniticent ignorance — sometimes ill-natui'e —which Senator Jonathan has recently lavished upon his Canadian foes. But I can assure you that not even the professional liars who supply the Kew York Herald with Canadian news, or the wily politicians who eat forked light- ning for breakfast and dynamite for diimer ; not even the in- sane malice of men wlio hate Canada, as they may hate Cyprus, because it belongs to Britain ; not even this can lessen the admiration Canadians have for the many noble and gener- ous traits of character which belong to their American cousins, I am sure I speak, too, for my brethren from loyal Toronto, when I say that we have too often been under oieep profes- sional obligations to the kind naiireofthe cousin we still, from custom, call " brother," not to know, that, however we differ politicall}'', you RESPECT OUR NATIONAL CONVICTIONS as you wish your own respected; and tliat as you cjioose to hit at us Iiaivl, you have enough of English fair play to take a drubbing back, and to allow the possibility of Canadians lov- ing and defending tlie fame and good name of the Dominion, quite as much as you love and defend that of your IJepublic. No one more than loyal Americans would despise the poltroon who carries his patriotism in his pocket : the disloyalty of the political parasite who would make patriotism a house of cards, and dollars the chief end of a people ; intriguers who hiss out secession or annexation when they fail to get their political . 131 crimes or crotclicits eiislirined ; men wlic^^c huugtir for notoriety und [)ower is a fever of their existence. 1 am sure that you could have nothing but contempt for any free people who measure their allegiance purely by commerical standards, and who, fearing to face the difficulties which meet every nation, turn peddlers instead of protectors of their national birthright. Just a? you had and have your croakers and cowards, we have ours, but, Mr. Chairman, Canada is not for sale ! Tiiere have been [)rop]iets like Goldwin Smith since the days of Elizabeth, who ha\'o predicted England's decline within their time, but all the colonial greatness of England has been developed since the time of Elizal)eth. We liave, as you have, bitter partisans in the press and in politics, who deliglit to foul their own nest, wlio revel in the rain that destroys the crops, and who sin- cerely believe they can change the climate if they '.:ould cliange tlie Government. We have a few of tliose wiseacres of society who assume to possess a ,monoply of foresight, and who, like Caius Caligula, think the world would have been better made could tlioy have been consulted. But tliesc peo- ple no more represent tlie convictioiis of Canadians than O'Donovan Kossa or your tire-eating politicians and papers re- present those of true Americans. I have no desire to hurt anybody's feelings here, but I hope I may be allowed to say something to remove the infatuation too prevalent in the States that CANADA FAVOHS ANNEXATION. Were we to judge you as you judge us — by tlie vaporing of the croakers, what value could we put upon your union, and would we not feel like agreeing with llossiter Johnson, who in his " Short History of the war of Secession," just publislied in Boston, thinks he sees in certain nat'onal circumstances the 132 threatening eloiii-eiits of a second civil war ? For years be- fore tlie last civil war you had fire-eaters whose arrogance and vanity knew no bounds ; who were advised l^y the Canadian press to study the elements of discord in the Soutli instead of hankering for new fines in the North. It was just the same when years before tliat, Georgia and Carolina appealed to arms and defied the general (.xovernnient. Surely two threatened disruptions and one terrible civil war in the history of a cen- tury should be enough. But last fourth of July I was near enough the " Re-union of the North and Soutli" on the battle- field of Gettysburg, to see the ex-Confederates wearing the starred and barred badge, with the inscription upon it. That was the'flag of treason and rebellion in 1861, and it is the flag of treason and rebellion in 1888. I lead the protests of General Wagner, General Gobin and the (^biartermaster- General of the Grand Army of the Republic, against tlie gusli and glorification of rebels because they had been rebels. I heard one officer boast that Southern privateers had destroyed $400,000,000 of your property, and had driven a quarter of a million tons of your shipping to make transfer to the British Hag. I heard another gloat over the fact that they had nearly capture(l Philadelphia. I heard scores declare that they had not been beaten but starved. . Keflecting upon all this, and hearing at this very hour the discordant echoes from that quarter, it strikes me that if Senators like Mr. Blaine are sin- cere in their effusive professions of patriotism, they could find a good deal to monopolize their genius down there in Dixie without meddling in the politics or the future of Canada. Canada minds its own business, and does not worry itself over yours, though you have coddled and dry-nursed her enemies, and when she was at peace with you, allowed a horde of your citizens to invade her. Frankly, I may say that while I be- lieve Canada 133 HAS BEEN A FAIR NEICIlliOR, too often she had not found her cousin one. If for once, in the Treaty o( Washington, renienibering Maine, Oregon and San Juan, she did not let your diplomatists get the better of her, she felt that she had given you at least a reasonable quid pro quo. During the civil war we allowed your armed troops to cross from Detroit to Niagara on ('anadian territory on ihe Great Western Itailway ; but during the IJed Iliver rebellion of 1(S69, your (rovernment refused leave to one of our vessels to go up the Sault Ste. Marie canal, and arms and ammuni- tion were transhipped at considerable delay. When tlie St. Albans raiders, unknown to us, entered your territory from Canada, your (lovernment was asked for its l)ill of damages and it was paid. When the Alabanra claims bill was present- ed, it was paid so W(;ll that, years after every possible claim was settled, your (lOvernment retains a large l)alance which should jiave been refunded to Britain ! What about the danuiges done to (.'anarla, in (';inada, by your citizens during the Fenian raids, most of them wearing the uniform of blanches of your national troops ? Xot a cent has been paid. You expected Canada to know tliat a few ([uiet and strag- gling Southerners intended to raid St. Albans; you thought that England should have knijwn that a solitary cruiser in- tended leaving one" of her ports to i)ray upon your commerce. r>ut what a splendid display of reciprocal consistency, that thousands of armed men should openly muster and drill in yom' chief cities for months ; openly occupy your border towns and villages, and attempt to invade us, and your (luv- ernment comparatively oblivious ! In the face of these facts, it is not easy to swallow the statements, or Itelieve in the honesty of public men who talk of the exactions and encroach- ments of a people of 6,000,000 upon a people of 00,000,000. :i ' 134 CANADA CANNOT JJE COEKCED, or forced into union with sucli examples of political liypocrisy, Tlierc was a time, twenty voars a<>'0, when we were discon- nected provinces ; when Canada proper contained only o70,-):S8 S(|uare. jniles ; when we had few railways ; when stagnation seemed to mark ns ; wlicn we liad no winter ontlet of our own to the sea ; when our great North- West was a great nnknown. Even then annexation was unpopular. Tht;re had not been ,iough accomplished then by Canadian states- men to make their rivals envious, and your own statesmen did not dream that we could build a railway to connect the Mari- time and the older provinces, or that witli a population of oidy 6,000,000, we would dare to span the continent with another, a woik not accom])lished by the States until ihey had 50,000,000. But can you be deceived into the bcdief that con- federated Canada is now '* for sale," when since Confederiition twenty years ago, our revenue or consolidated fund lias im- mensely iucreased, wlien our shippiug and its tonnage lius more than doubled — young Cauadti. standing hftli on tlie list of nations, having more vessels than old France, Spain, Italy or Jtussia ; when the assets of our chartered banks the value of our imports, and the extent of our exports, tell a story of (jur marvellous progress ; wlien, instead of about 2,000 miles of railway in 18G7, we have now over 14,000, giving us a greater length of mileage than any other part of the Empire, except- ing the United Kingdom and India ; when the Canadian Pacific railway has establisiied a line of steamers between Vancouver and Jlong Kong and Japan, and our great Cana- dian line has become of Imperial impoitanee , when we have develojied our inexhaustible fisheries, thanks to your abroga- tioJi of the Ixeciprocity Treaty,' so that we have 7o,000 hardy men sailing our vessels and otherwise engaged in the business^ 135 and for 1.887 we value those fisherii^s at $20,000,000 ! Can you wonder that annexaiion, as a serious sul)jeci, has received its doom, and that in spite of the intoxication of senatorial con- ceit on the one side, and the croakinr'- of malcontents and political tramps on the other, Canada is loyal to the Mother Country, from whose stout old loins both of us sprang? Con- federated Canada, respected Canada, loyal Canada, progressive Canada, is a personal and political insult to the sore-head parties who opposed Confederation, and who wouhl welcome \ ANNFA'ATTON TO TURKEY OR RUSSIA were we neiglibors, or rejoice at annihilation rather- than live the agoniziTig life of seeing their predictions de- stroyed. There were millions of your own citizens glad to do their worst to dismeml)er your union ; there were thousands who gave their lives to wreck the Kepuhlic tiiat their own State interests might be promoted. Yet \\\um a few oljscure cranks in Canada declare in favor of annexation, you think they speak the sentiment of a sober people who do not find it necessary to indulge in the spectacular or the rhetorical that you may see and hear the trutli. You choose to ignore the treason of many a Southem newspaper to-day as you did twenty-five years ago and you exalt as gospel the partisans of the Canadian press who are incapable of telling the truth. Personally and professionally, I am sure any dentist who visit s you forgets he is not an American, and I am sure we try to make Americans coming to Canada forget th(;y are not Canadians. You have big and hospitable hearts that were in- tended for hospitality and not for quarrel. Personally and even commercially we can find so many points of common agreement that we sliould overlook the few where we must agree .^o differ. Politically, I realize I am a foreigner here 136 If, ii s-' the moment T cros=; the lino. T am at home wlien I land at Liverpool, at Glasj^ow, ni Dublin, at Iievmnda, Xew South Wales, Victoria, (>),iieenslnn(l, New Guinea, Jainaica, Bnr- ba'loes or Trinidad. Politically T have a share in, iind am ])i'()ud of, the glorious old liai;' which waves over New Zealand, Austrnlia, Gil)raltar, Malta, Houl; Komj;, West Africa, Ceylon, 8t. Helena, Natal, British Honduras, J )orainica, the Bahamas, Grenada, Barbadoes, India, pjigland is an old an ax)t master in annexation. Since she lost tho^thirteen colonies here, she has annexed colonies far greater in area and population, of far more value to her than if they were joined to her three king- doms, while Spain, Portugal, Holland and France have lost theits, and there is little or nothing left for any other nation to annex. I need no other political passport to the rights of a British subject, and the citizen of a great realm, comprising 60 territories and islands, than ni}' Canadian birthright. T do not measure my national boundary from the Atlantic to the Pacilic, l)ut from the Bacific to the Caril)bean Sea. UNDEll THE llEIGN OF VICTOKIA no Canadian need be ashamed to belong to an Empire wliich embraces a fifth of the ha1.)itable globe, and to know that his own Dominion forms nearly a half of the whole ; an Empire five times as large as that which was under Darius ; four times the size of that under ancient Bome ; sixteen times greater than Franee ; forty times greater than United Germany ; three times larger than the ITnited States, Australia alone nearly as big as the States ; India nearly a million and a quarter of S(iuare miles ; Canada, 600,000 square miles larger than the States, without Alaska, and 18,000 square miles larger with it ! An empire neartly 9,000,000 of square miles, with a population of 310,000,000. Sharers in such a 137 realm, lieirs to such vast and varied privileges, " Canadians are not for sale." rolitical annexation nuist then remain a bug-a-boo for disap])ointed politicians on our side to play with, and a bubble for certain Senators on tliis sidt- tu blow to decoy their innocent fanatics at home/ Ihit there is an annexation we favor, that of brotherly friendship and political good-will. Ycni have 54,000,000 the start of us. Are you the CToliath. afraid of Canada as a ])(>litie;d David ? Canada has been a good neighbor. When Lincoln and Garfield died, the Domin- ion was in mourning. Whenever any of your men-of-war come into our ports, the citizens rejoice, and give their men the hospitalities of the cities. There are constant reciprocit;^' treaties being made every day in the year between us at the altar of Hyuien. At many of our banquets the toast of the President follows that to the Queen. At most of our public gatherings your flag entwines (Uirs. From most ot our pulpits prayers are offered for your ruler as well as for ours. That is the* sort of alliance that we do more than you do to promote. We want, too, fair commercial reciprocity, but we .^lall not take commercial union for it, or bend our necks or our knees for either. Whatever betides, we can both be loyal to our own political con\ictions, we can both be fair, even to our own national and natural prejudices, and wJiile Canadians may neighborly pray " Cod bless the Jtepublic," may you not in as friendly a spirit reciprocate with " God Save the Queen." h\ I *r'^,^^^ . 5t^ ''i'£l V'' II' !i ( « r, Pif Books Published by J. THEO, ROBINSON, MONTREAL. JOHN WARD, PKEACHER. 15v Margahet Dkland. The literary Kensatioii nf the day. 320 Pages. Price 25 cents \ THE BATTEE OV THl^: SAVASH and CAI'TCKE OK CANADA. Bv Samup:!. P>arton. Price 25 cents. THE MYSTERY OE MARTHA AVAPNE. A Tale of Montreal. By Arthur. Oamju5ELL. Price 25 cents. JOHN BODEWIN'S TESTIMONY. 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