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GIFT OF 
 
 "A *N 
 
THE POWER OF DESTINY 
 RE 
 SPAIN AND THE PHILIPPINES 
 
 ERASMUS DARWIN FRENCH 
 

THE POWER OF DESTINY^ j* 
 REVEALED IN OUR WAR WITH 
 SPAIN AND THE PHILIPPINES j* 
 
 BY 
 
 ERASMUS DARWIN FRENCH 
 
 J899 
 
PRINTED BY 
 
 ERNEST K. FOSTER 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 All Rights Reserved 
 
Hmerica in Besttnp 
 
 5panisb*Bmerican War. 
 
 Cbe pilgrims. 
 
 I. 
 
 The song that began on the ocean, 
 
 When the waves and the spray were in foam 
 And the Pilgrims, with hearts of emotion, 
 
 Bade farewell to the land of their home. 
 
 But the joy that was blended with sorrow 
 Was brightened with gleams of delight 
 
 They would land on the shore on the morrow, 
 For the land was already in sight. 
 
 Soon the Pilgrims were thankfully landed 
 They pitched their white tents on the shore; 
 
 And their courage was not to be stranded, 
 For injustice might reach them no more. 
 
 But the clouds gathered darkly before them 
 
 (The tyrant is ever unjust); 
 He heard of their wrongs, to ignore them; 
 
 For in strength not in right would he trust. 
 
 340140 
 
6- 
 
 Then the arm of true justice extended, 
 Defied the dark power of conceit; 
 
 And the hearts of true patriots blended, 
 To face danger, but never defeat. 
 
 Then quickly was raised a small army, 
 Every saber was brimfull of soul; 
 
 Every man left at home a fair charmer 
 Which nothing but love could control. 
 
 With Washington famous commander 
 
 Forever determined and true, 
 And Putnam and Greene above slander, 
 
 And the fights that brave Marion went through. 
 
 The foe met with greater disaster, 
 When Gates took their army in hand, 
 
 No vise could hold firmer, nor faster, 
 And Columbia held the fair land. 
 
<3reat IRebeUion. 
 ii. 
 
 America! the chosen one indeed! 
 
 From foreign tyranny forever freed; 
 
 No chain shall bind thee, save the chain of self; 
 
 No tyranny distort, save tyranny of pelf. 
 
 March on! though halting with thy heavy load; 
 
 Time will relieve, for straight must be the road. 
 
 Distorted by the great unsightly pack 
 
 The weight of chains, the slavery of the black 
 
 The surging power of Destiny unseen 
 
 Will crowd thee on, and thy fair vales of green 
 
 Shall blush with redness when the blood shall 
 
 flow, 
 And fires of wrath throughout the land shall 
 
 glow. 
 
 But drink the bitter cup, it must be done 
 Wrong is entailed, but righteousness is won; 
 Wrong in the fabric of departed years 
 Is cleansed by blood of man and woman s tears. 
 No matter that the thousands must be slain; 
 No matter should the nation part in twain 
 Omnipotence itself is in command. 
 March to the front, and raise the soldier s hand; 
 Tis not man s war alone eternal years 
 Marked out the bloody path, despite man s fears. 
 Progressive life that stained the track of time 
 Is but the bloody mount that all must climb. 
 America, the child, must learn its task; 
 Justice must be sincere without a mask; 
 The gulf between the slave-bound and the free 
 
Is wide and deep what must the struggle be? 
 Call out the men to fill the awful chasm; 
 Arm for long siege not for a transient spasm. 
 The South exclaims, "Arm to defend your riglt, 
 If fate decrees, be in the thickest fight; 
 Fight for your homes, your children, slaves and 
 
 wives ; 
 
 Heed not the cost; ten thousand precious lives 
 May well be sacrificed to gain our cause; 
 We ll rend the country, execute our laws." 
 Not thus, the Northern heart in force replies. 
 "This Great Republic must not sacrifice 
 Its strength, its unity, its power; 
 Tis built for time; shall this impassioned hour 
 Destroy the nation that all nature made?" 
 No; the foundation has been deeply laid; 
 The mind that orders Orion through space, 
 Mapped out the Universe; and it can trace 
 The very line the planet Earth must take, 
 The very boundaries that nations make. 
 The heart of God is in these wondrous schemes, 
 All framed in wisdom not to fade like dreams. 
 Go from the North and learn war s cruel art; 
 Go from the South, for you must bear your part 
 In the advancement of a growing world, 
 Although your great iniquity is hurled 
 In fire and battle from your favored land; 
 Then peace and plenty comes at your command. 
 Leaders of men responded to the call; 
 Great Generals gave their time, their fame, their 
 
 all. 
 The scales were trembling, hopes and excitements 
 
 high. 
 
"We must be victors!" was the earnest cry. 
 Now unseen Wisdom in the realms of love, 
 And more occult than worlds or suns above, 
 Moved man s emotions; every thought of soul 
 Sprang from the fount the source of all control; 
 It moved the motive of the hearts of man, 
 As instruments to carry out the plan. 
 And from that source the silent orders came 
 To North and South to light the mighty flame 
 That whirled with quick dispatch and into line 
 The bravest men upon the track of time. 
 With Grant and Lee to hold with skillful hand, 
 The restless armies under their command^ 
 Naught could arrest the plan so deeply laid 
 Nature is ruler and must be obeyed. 
 The Southern waves broke into foam and spray; 
 For Northern walls were firm along the way; 
 Receding then their forces to renew 
 More terrible the struggle to pass through. 
 The East and West rose like a sudden storm 
 Defying danger at the nation s morn. 
 Each side claimed justice as the point of view, 
 And to their principles they must be true. 
 Fighting for justice, how could either fail? 
 Perhaps pure Destiny must turn the scale! 
 And surely Destiny was in command, 
 Ready to bless and give the helping hand; 
 Ready to bless when man had learned to see 
 That in fraternal love all must be free. 
 Man is not maker of the laws of fate; 
 Earth may be bright or may be desolate; 
 Dark ignorance must yield to coming light 
 Knowledge gives vision to the inner sight; 
 
10- 
 
 And nations must, like men, learn to be just 
 Ere they may hold a place for higher trust. 
 The nation, crippled but redeemed in soul, 
 Bound up her wounds, but kept the Union whole; 
 And thus a step was taken in the plan 
 Marked out by Destiny; but not by man. 
 
 Cuba. 
 
 America! 
 
 The fiery trial of thy strength is past; 
 The great Rebellion, an expiring foe; 
 Thy land is broad; thy garnered stores are vast; 
 Well has thou shown devotion to thy flag, 
 And shining thoughts go out from patriot hearts, 
 Evincing love of liberty, of land and home. 
 And the unseen intelligence that gives 
 Vitality and life and power to man 
 Is still thy guardian to lead thee on 
 To victory more signal than the past. 
 Thy darkest nights foreshadowed coming day 
 That added splendor to thy brilliant deeds. 
 Thus shall it ever be: we lead thee in 
 Full strength and bright prevision of the years 
 That wait thy coming to eternal fame. 
 "What! On to conquest! Is not war a curse?" 
 Yes! On to conquest! Let the plow cut deep, 
 And kill the poisonous roots that draw the life 
 Prom higher fruits that please and bless man 
 kind. 
 
 Let the obstructions that impede the way, 
 That the triumphant power of good, must pass, 
 
-II 
 
 Be swept and buried from the face of earth. 
 
 The voice of nature cries for full redress, 
 
 The bodies of the dead and starving poor 
 
 Rise up light massive clouds in sight of heaven; 
 
 Borne high by awful pangs of agony. 
 
 O! who shall don the soldier s garb to crush 
 
 The heartless and relieve humanity? 
 
 America! the vast intelligence 
 
 That holds the spheres is urging you along. 
 
 You hesitate; you hate the clash of war; 
 
 The broken hearts of women melt your souls; 
 
 And crying children bid the last good-bye. 
 
 These pictures come before the manly heart, 
 
 As if to stay the arm of Destiny; 
 
 But the pulsations of subjective life, 
 
 Filled with intelligence innate and wise; 
 
 Is weaving well the complicated net, 
 
 To humble and entrap the tyrant power. 
 
 Cubans have cried, "O let our people go," 
 
 For Spain the mother robs her children of 
 
 The hard-earned sustenance they amply earn. 
 
 The cry resounds throughout the realms of 
 
 thought, 
 
 And the demand goes forth for quick redress; 
 Then all subjective life the very heart 
 And energy of every living thing 
 Responded to the call; and love renewed 
 Her brilliancy and power, and wisdom, too; 
 And pointed to the land that freed her slaves, 
 And bade her rise and break poor Cuba s chains, 
 And drive the Spanish monster from the Isles. 
 Prepare for war. Haste, for the day of doom 
 Is crowding now the door that holds in check 
 
12- 
 
 The bloody scenes of war that soon must come. 
 
 The occult forces are in evidence; 
 
 The unity of purpose is revealed; 
 
 Magnetic currents sweep across the land; 
 
 The Avenging Angel waits to guide the storm 
 
 Waiting for man to gather armaments 
 
 Of strength and power, to insure success. 
 
 And what of thee, O, cruel, heartless Spain? 
 
 Hast thou not felt the pangs of conscience burn, 
 
 When calm reflection brought thy crimes to 
 
 light? 
 
 No! for astride the centuries has thou 
 Trodden down the weaker ones of earth. 
 With promises of love, you gave them scorn; 
 With promises of bread, you took their gold. 
 But you inherited your evil traits; 
 And so the ages waited for reform; 
 But ah! the degradation was too low 
 For even Time to wait for you to rise. 
 You jeered the power that sought to render aid; 
 And with an outward garb of holiness, 
 You flaunted out your vanity and pride, 
 Expecting God to save you from defeat. 
 You broke the silent stillness of the night, 
 When the great battleship was rent in twain, 
 And scores of men hurled into sudden death; 
 Such was your perfidy in time of peace. 
 But fate has marked the line and hedged the way. 
 Such willful disregard of human rights 
 Has jarred the chords of the invisible; 
 And unseen energies have scanned the world 
 To find an instrument to crush the wolf. 
 
-13 
 
 America! 
 
 You re wanted now; move on without delay; 
 Your ships are ready and your President 
 Is overwhelmed with patriotic fire 
 That comes from all the borders of the land. 
 Spain has declared for war; and gave command, 
 That Yankee pigs be slaughtered on the sea; 
 And fed to the consumers in the deep. 
 Now orders from our nation s Capital 
 Are flashing through the ocean s silent depths 
 To give command, "DESTROY THE SPANISH 
 
 FLEET!" 
 
 O! what a thrill entrances every heart! 
 These four short words announce a purpose 
 
 strong, 
 
 A sense of power, abiding trust, and hope 
 That justice might control the coming storm. 
 Our battleships are ready, on the sea, 
 And all the complications they contain 
 Are well adjusted by the skill of man. 
 But ere our fighting force had crossed the Gulf, 
 Or grappled with the foe on Cuban shores, 
 A message comes from the far distant East; 
 It brings glad tidings to the nation s heart. 
 Belch forth loud cannons while the people shout; 
 O! ring ye bells; let Echo send the joy, 
 And let the hills and vales prolong the song; 
 Our Admiral our own Great Admiral 
 The order has obeyed in spirit and 
 In letter to the very last degree. 
 Columbia s noble fleet defied the waves, 
 Ignored the darkness and the gloom of night; 
 Defied the fortress of Corregidor; 
 
And skimmed the waters of Manila bay. 
 
 The night wore on the destinies of men 
 
 Were drawing near, the awful, fatal hour! 
 
 The emblem Eagle soon must droop his wings, 
 
 Or Spain must tremble in the shock of war. 
 
 And now, before the sun could shake his smiles 
 
 Upon the dimpled cheek of peaceful day, 
 
 The clash of nations broke the spell of night, 
 
 And peace gave way to the black scourge of war. 
 
 Listen! ye fading stars! O, morning Sun, 
 
 Haste to behold the angry grapple of 
 
 A waning kingdom in a slow decay 
 
 With a republic in the glow of youth. 
 
 Man is the modern mystery of time; 
 
 Now he supplies his vengeance, with a skill 
 
 That makes the empires, and alarms the world. 
 
 Behold him now; his strength, his stolid heart, 
 
 His nerves, restrengthened by the fire of will, 
 
 Hear the report of heavy guns that ring 
 
 The swift incoming of the tramp of war! 
 
 On! on! defy the heat; ignore fatigue; 
 
 Momentous moments! thrice eventful day! 
 
 Pressing the years into a few short hours, 
 
 Pressing men s souls into eternal years! 
 
 The battle rages; and the heat intense 
 
 Is in full contact with the coolest heads. 
 
 Precision is the word straight to the mark 
 
 Let every bullet be an instrument 
 
 Of Destiny to shake the thrones of Kings 
 
 And Emperors! Man s will be done, when truth 
 
 And justice is the object held in view; 
 
 But when the upas of a nation s crime 
 
 Has sent its venom to the realm of cause 
 
Then their iniquity is full; then the 
 Great Law of Judgment from the world unseen, 
 Inspires a greater force that flashes jubilant 
 In every heart and strengthens every arm. 
 Such are the men to pull the pillars down, 
 Adjust the scales and let the wicked fall. 
 On with the battle! See Spain s crippled ships. 
 Her flag, once glorious, now is rent to shreds; 
 Her dead are piled and scattered o er the deck; 
 And the shrill cry of fire is faintly heard, 
 In the loud thunder and the scream of lead. 
 Scattered and torn and sinking in the flames 
 The warriors spring into the heated depths; 
 And smoke, and waves, and sullen wrath, was 
 
 left, 
 
 As Spain s poor compliment for all her toil. 
 Nor was this all; ship after ship went down 
 The fated fleet was blotted from the sea. 
 Hundreds of men had perished to uphold 
 A kingdom, Destiny has doomed to wane. 
 America, enumerate your loss; 
 The people mourn the absence of the slain, 
 And wait to honor theid heroic dead. 
 Bear the news gently! O, ye deep sea lines, 
 And tell us quickly of the loss we bear; 
 We wait, we listen with impatient ear. 
 The light of glory shines in every word; 
 The news is heralded from shore to shore 
 That one lone man was killed by accident. 
 
 Now sing the song that began on the ocean, 
 Twas then but a hopeful refrain; 
 Now sixty million hearts in commotion 
 To sing of the glory we ve gained. 
 
1 6- 
 
 Time moves the panorama of the world: 
 
 A sudden joy today; then follow days 
 
 Of keen expectancy. What may a day 
 
 Bring forth. The sea waves lap around the 
 
 world, 
 
 Heedless of battles, nations and of men; 
 They waken echos on Atlantic shores, 
 And beat the rocks or the Pacific isles; 
 Tis man that moves with Destiny; tis man 
 That masters the eventful scenes of time, 
 That crosses oceans, overcomes a foe, 
 Or falls in battle on the curling crest. 
 But other ships of strength and speed, 
 Roll in the cradle of the dancing waves; 
 They guard the cities of America; 
 And steam across the gulf of Mexico; 
 And tEey encompass the Caribbean sea. 
 Perhaps a shell might startle great New York 
 And fill its denizens with rage and fear; 
 Or Boston lose her equilibrium 
 Should the Oquendo hurl a bursting shell. 
 But our great Admirals are all alert, 
 And wide-mouthed cannon, eager for the hour, 
 To sink intruders down to sightless graves. 
 But Spain! courageous to the bitter end; 
 Dispatched the Cape Verde fleet the very pride 
 Of all her fighting force upon the sea. 
 The great Cervera, always just and true. 
 Commanded these great arsenals of power; 
 And as they outward moved with graceful pride 
 To measure strength with the Americans, 
 They raised their flags high in the steady breeze 
 As they moved out to cross the Atlantic s waves. 
 
-17 
 
 The Pope gave bounteous blessings to enhance 
 The certainty of quick and sure success; 
 "For Holy Spain should be upheld. Had she 
 Not climbed the heights of South America; 
 Conquered and slain the unoffending tribes; 
 Plundered their temples, robbed them of their 
 
 gold, 
 
 And all for God, the guardian of our work? 
 Move on, invulnerable fleet; strike down 
 The young barbarians that dare presume 
 To clash against the Virgin and our cross." 
 Thus armed with superstition and the fleet, 
 They crossed the solemn solitudes that splash 
 Defiance in the face of man, and hold 9 
 
 His laden vessels like a dancing toy. 
 In time they reached the fair Caribbean sea, 
 Where waters wash the shores of Spain s do 
 main; 
 
 Where Puerto Rico yields her stores of wealth. 
 Opens her doors to the commercial world; 
 And Cuba, the bright kohinoor the gem 
 In the tiara of Antille s crown; 
 The summer child, set in selected place. 
 Where torrid zone may kiss the temperate cheek; 
 The Queen of Nature, ruined by the lust 
 Of rulers, visibly unfit to rule. 
 Cervera knew his strength, his disabilities 
 The fallen prestige of his government 
 Since Dewey amputated Spam s left ana* 
 And more than these, he knew that the strong 
 arm 
 
 Of the pursuer followed close his track. 
 He would avoid collision and defeat 
 
Until some more auspicious time arrived. 
 
 At last he gained a harbor where his foes 
 
 Could not disturb his weary, time-worn fleet; 
 
 And thus, ensconced in Santiago s bay, 
 
 The power of Spanish empire sought to rest. 
 
 But eagle eyes discovered the retreat 
 
 Nothing was more desired than to know 
 
 Where these eluding warriors could be; 
 
 And nothing more certain than their fatal end. 
 
 There was no rest in that beleaguered land; 
 
 America had right to wrest from Spain, 
 
 The land she could not bless with words of truth; 
 
 No right to hold the children she despised, 
 
 And plunged them in the infamy of war. 
 
 America! 
 Take these poor children from their mother s 
 
 grasp; 
 
 Let not thy feet be laggard on the way. 
 The sun is hot on Santiago s hills, 
 Trenches encompass the invested place, 
 And Spanish soldiers wait behind the banks, 
 And every thicket swarms with fighting men. 
 America fears not these obstacles, 
 But rushing orders send the transports on, 
 To bear the precious freight across the Gulf. 
 The blessings of the land are with them, as 
 They leave their much loved homes and native 
 
 shores; 
 
 But the warm life that throbs in every pore 
 Of nature s vast and wonderful display; 
 Is beating full of hope in every heart. 
 How critical the coming of events; 
 But man, the genius, feels the glow of soul, 
 
-19 
 
 That sparkles from the central fount of life; 
 And the entanglements of nations are 
 Adjusted by the cruel arm of war. 
 Boldly our men are climbing the rough hills, 
 And penetrating through the thickest thorns, 
 Meeting the lead that flies from jungles thick. 
 The obstacles are great, but nerve supreme; 
 No thought of a retreat, but ever on. 
 The enemy resists this fearless foe, 
 Contesting stubbornly the fierce attack. 
 But unremitting force will not recoil, 
 Until the city in the hills is won. 
 Meanwhile, the Navy, proud to show its strength; 
 And ready to subserve the country s needs; 
 Is holding in fast blockade, every port 
 Of the unfortunate invested isle. 
 The Fleet, as if by magic hurled upon the sea, 
 Strong to defy the more than heartless waves; 
 Armed to defend the nation to the last; 
 Though on the broad Pacific s endless reach 
 Or seizing spoils along the western isles; 
 Or in bombardment of the threatening forts 
 That guard the entrance of the treacherous bay. 
 Our army on the hills beat back the troops 
 That use their rifles with such dire effect; 
 But the strong chain of force now binds them in 
 The hungry whirlpool of despair and crime. 
 And now again, beneath the ocean waves, 
 Swifter than time the urgent message flies, 
 Directed by the Cabinet the heart of Spain: 
 "Leave your seclusion in the bay, go out 
 And fight the fleet that holds us in suspense, 
 And by the grace of God we ll conquer all. 
 
20- 
 
 Go sink the boasting ships that bear the flag 
 That flaunts the stars and stripes from shore to 
 
 shore." 
 
 Reluctantly, Cervera left the bay, 
 The flagship Colon taking the advance; 
 Then followed the Vizcaya, bold and brave, 
 And the Oquendo closely followed suit. 
 These great machines for fighting, were the 
 
 strength, 
 
 The greatness of the fleet, the nation s pride. 
 As they appeared in view, under full speed, 
 The time seemed heavy with great event, 
 That would deeper sink the monarchy 
 That conquered once a continent, 
 And planted destinies for years to come. 
 And now the fading glory of that power 
 Was buffeting the darkness of despair, 
 Struggling against the waves that soon might 
 
 tear 
 
 The remnants of her glory into shreds. 
 But fate is like the earthquake, that heeds not 
 The wail of cities or the death of men. 
 The opening earth may swallow down its thou 
 sands; 
 
 And living flames consume mortality, 
 But nature marches on, heedless of life; 
 Unmindful of the rise of nations, or 
 The fall of Emperors or Kings of earth. 
 Behold! these mighty ships, immense in form, 
 Keyed to the highest power conceivable, 
 Expressly to destroy humanity. 
 They come like monsters from some hidden den 
 To terrify and crush opposing force. 
 
-21 
 
 But Nature, adequate to all demands, 
 
 Has balanced well her schemes to carry out 
 
 Her purposes, to build complete and firm 
 
 The temple of progressive Life and Love. 
 
 And thus another force is in the plan, 
 
 Ready and keen to mingle in the fray. 
 
 In infancy it crossed the Atlantic waves 
 
 Her school, the forest of New England shores; 
 
 Her tributaries from European lands, 
 
 And now upon this great historic gulf, 
 
 It rises face to face, and arm to arm, 
 
 Defying the once greatest power on earth. 
 
 On comes the battle. Ages culminate 
 
 As these great battleships in desperate haste, 
 
 Plow the deep waters to escape from death; 
 
 For the young Giant of the West was there 
 
 To hurl the bolts that Destiny prepared, 
 
 To check the tide of perfidy and crime 
 
 That long enough have draped the world in 
 
 gloom. 
 
 Cervera s flagship fired the shot that first 
 Sent the loud scream of battle o er the sea! 
 The Indiana welcomed the hot shot 
 That came so near her side of heavy steel, 
 Then opened wide her blazing arsenal, 
 And sent the storm of death in swift return. 
 The battle raged in the full tide of war. 
 Retreating vessels fighting in despair, 
 And the pursuers blowing out the lives 
 Of the defeated; struggling in the fire of death. 
 The best and strongest of the Spanish fleet 
 Were being torn, and splintered by a power 
 More vigorous* than nations even dreamed. 
 
22- 
 
 The Gloucester sent swift reminders on 
 
 To hail Vizcaya in her rapid flight, 
 
 Regardless of the compliment which was 
 
 Returned by the retreating enemy. 
 
 The Indiana and Iowa with 
 
 Their greater guns stained the Vizcaya s decks 
 
 With blood; shattered her comely form of 
 
 strength, 
 
 Until confusion, helplessness and fire 
 Forced the bewildered men to run ashore. 
 The Texas knew the hour was opportune, 
 And did her work with honor and effect; 
 And soon the ships of Spain in desperation and 
 Despair, in their supreme defeat and loss; 
 Dashed their shattered fragments to the shore. 
 Such a great victory filled the soldiers heart; 
 And joy exuberant would explode in shouts. 
 But sadness always veils the light of joy, 
 For death is the sure penalty of war. 
 To see the foe, defeated and destroyed, 
 Jumping from flames into the breaking waves, 
 Wounded and mangled, as they try to save 
 Their lives, as dear to them, as ours to us. 
 No wonder the good Captain Philip said, 
 "Don t shouf, my boys, for they, like us, are 
 
 men!" 
 
 The Colon forged ahead with her full speed, 
 Determined to escape her eager foes; 
 But the great Oregon was on her track, 
 And a hot fighting race of forty miles, 
 Brought Spain s great Admiral and ship to bay, 
 And on the sinking vessel the white flag 
 Was seen to flutter mid the scenes of death. 
 
-23 
 
 The lapping tongues of the consuming fire, 
 Increased the horrors of the dreadful scene: 
 To reach the shore was now the only hope 
 And there to battle with ihe heartless sea. 
 But their great foes were generous to help 
 The victims of this most important hour. 
 The Great New iTork, returning from a cruise, 
 Sunk the two torpedo boats, and then was lost 
 The last remains of Spanish dominance 
 Upon the waters of the western isles. 
 Thus ended this decisive victory; 
 Spain s great display of power her battleships- 
 Have vanished; all the genius, skill and toil 
 Of years have disappeared forever lost; 
 And history will record this victory, 
 And its companion in Manila bay, 
 As the great wonder in the art of war. 
 Spain s loss was heavy sixteen hundred men 
 As prisoners, besides the unknown dead. 
 America, of higher destiny, 
 Important in the drama of the world 
 A factor in the sphere that nations rule, 
 Was left intact to fill her Destiny. 
 
 The song that was sung on the treacherous sea, 
 When the seed of our Empire was sown; 
 
 It was planted in waters deep, boundless and 
 
 free- 
 As boundless and free, be this land our own. 
 
 The harps that were hung on the willows of old 
 May be torn from the withering limbs, 
 
 For the price of our victory can never be told, 
 Nor weighed in our jubilant hymns. 
 
2 4 - 
 
 But we ll raise our glad spirits as high as we can, 
 
 And sing to the top of the voice, 
 For we feel in our souls the Omnipotent plan 
 
 That gave us our laurels and bade us rejoice. 
 
 The people now will render honor, and 
 Great praise to our invincibles in war. 
 Our hearts are quite too full of gratitude, 
 To slight the lowest in the scale of rank. 
 Take the full blessings of a nation s heart 
 You ve earned it in the very jaws of death. 
 Could I engrave upon the marble slab, 
 Names that forever might endure the wear 
 Of elements, and the attacks of time, 
 My efforts would be feeble to express 
 All the deep feelings of a nation s gratitude. 
 But history will engrave the deeds of men 
 That led us through the perils of the past. 
 Who are the heroes of our passing war? 
 Imagination scans the scenes of strife, 
 And every faithful soldier finds a place 
 In the great heart of our dear native land. 
 We sympathize with you in your fatigue, 
 Your hunger, and your dying hour, and all 
 Your sad remembrances of home and friends, 
 To us are sad reminders of your fate. 
 But all will soon be past, and time will bear 
 You on to that immortal land where you 
 Can see your noble work, inwrought 
 On the great structure built for Liberty. 
 The feeble pen can never name you all, 
 But here in this bright morning hour alone. 
 Where most delicious silence reigns supreme, 
 
-25 
 
 Where inspirations fall like heavenly dew, 
 I must record the very names of men 
 Who spent their youthful years preparing 
 For a crisis that would hurl iniquity 
 From toppling thrones of perfidy and power, 
 To change the tropic isles from night to day, 
 From slaves to dignity and self-respect, 
 And from the lethargy of aimless life 
 To the realities of life renewed. 
 I cannot add to fame already won, 
 Nor can I close my verse until I bless 
 My pages with our most illustrious names. 
 
 Hames of a ffew of ur 
 Xeaotng flfcen. 
 
 William McKinley, President of the United States 
 of America 
 
 First for peace, great in war, 
 Loth to strike, out hard the blow. 
 
 Dewey, Rear-Admiral 
 
 Behold that fleet. Behold! 
 It is no more. "The star of 
 empire" joins the east and west, 
 
 Sampson, Admiral 
 
 Thy star was out, but 
 Victory awaits thy coming. 
 
 Schley, Commodore 
 
 Who can say that thou art 
 Sly where cannons roar. 
 
26- 
 
 Watson, Commodore 
 
 Obedient, vigilant and true; 
 
 Coming, and will arrive. 
 Miles, Major-General 
 
 Swerve not to the right, nor to 
 
 The left, you will be needed. 
 Shafter, General 
 
 Your place was critical! 
 
 Who could improve your tactics 
 THEN; 
 
 Not those who criticise you NOW. 
 Otis, General 
 
 The Rainbow fades; 
 
 But stars succeed the setting sun. 
 Lawton, General 
 
 Hold the gateway of the East; 
 
 The morning cometh, and the 
 
 Mists will slowly disappear. 
 McArthur, General 
 
 The gateway opens for 
 
 America, while thou art 
 
 Pushing on the Destinies. 
 Wheeler, General 
 
 Social, fraternal in spirit, 
 
 A strong support in war. 
 The Cabinet 
 
 The changing hues of the evening 
 cloud 
 
 Will disappear at night; 
 
 The darkest shade of the mid 
 night shroud, 
 
 Comes not with morning light. 
 
-27 
 
 The hearts of the people are drawn to many 
 of our Generals and Captains. The different po 
 sitions in Cuba, and many other localities, are 
 filled with men of courage and ability, and the 
 people of the United States should appreciate the 
 service rendered; and not be impatient; large un 
 dertakings require time; evolution moves with 
 measured step; and Destiny will have its course. 
 
28- 
 
 pblltpplne 1[0lan>s. 
 
 The islands of the sea the thousand isles 
 
 That cluster in the gloom of China s night. 
 
 Islands that groaned beneath the yoke of Spain 
 
 That drink the superstitions of the past, 
 
 And pays its tribute to the lustful Priests. 
 
 The people stupefied by opiates 
 
 That drug their souls and throw them into sleep 
 
 Of sad inanity, and dead desire. 
 
 Thousands of years have passed and not one step 
 
 Of progress has been made, and now, at last, 
 
 The call to arms comes ringing from the West! 
 
 Not to disturb the thousand sleeping isles 
 
 That dot the greatest ocean of the world! 
 
 But to abate oppression near our shores; 
 
 And drive the oppressor from the western sea, 
 
 And stop the carnage and the flow of blood. 
 
 America aroused and called her legions 
 
 To the front, to drive the Tyrant from Atlantic 
 
 Seas; to raise a people from despair and death. 
 
 But the incomprehensible designs, 
 
 Forever imminent from first to last, 
 
 Opened the door that locked the Orient; 
 
 America unwittingly walked in 
 
 Was crowded in by unremitting cause. 
 
 The nation now controls the city of 
 
 The ancient islands of the broken sea; 
 
 Our armies penetrate the thorny maze 
 
 They climb the rugged hills to meet the foe 
 
 Securely hidden in the massive rocks. 
 
-2 9 
 
 They swim the rivers and ignore the rain 
 
 They charge the trenches, and defy the guns 
 
 And drive insurgents from their strong defense! 
 
 Not for gold not to invade their rights 
 
 For justice and the rights of every man, 
 
 To stay the arms raised high against their friends, 
 
 Humble the pride that sees bright visions in 
 
 The glare of ignorant mastery, and power; 
 
 Crush out the spark that soon would set aflame 
 
 The fires of war, amid the southern seas. 
 
 Then can America unfurl her flag, 
 
 Over a land of plenty, and of peace, 
 
 And children of the ocean isles find rest. 
 
 America! you must fulfill your trust 
 
 Wisdom has blazed the line signals are standing, 
 
 In the track of time, and the heroic deeds 
 
 Of men for liberty; are planted on the mountain 
 
 tops. 
 
 Of the great sacrifice of life; the way is plain, 
 And we must heed the power invisible 
 That sweeps the sky and burnishes the stars. 
 Shall we obstruct the march of Destiny, 
 Because we cannot fully understand 
 The solveless problem of free will and fate? 
 Because we cannot disentangle all 
 The knots of Time Past, Present and To come! 
 The force that ruled the days at Gettysburg 
 Was the same inspiration that gave life 
 And power to freedom s arms, when Lincoln gave 
 His life at the behest of Destiny, 
 And the great map of the eternities 
 Was spread before the universal mind, 
 And the dark cloud that blotted India s hills 
 
30- 
 
 And blinded China s millions to the light, 
 And lapped its poisonous vapors o er the isles, 
 Was seen by that Omniscient eye that looks 
 Back of the fiery birth of earth s new morn; 
 And onward far, until the clashing worlds 
 Proclaim the end of lifeless matter, and 
 The reconstruction of the Universe. 
 
 America! 
 
 That power and wisdom are bequeathed to man. 
 Your will, your destiny, your armaments 
 Of war, are instruments to check the incubus 
 Of death, from which the world aspires to rise. 
 Will you embrace this opportunity 
 To give your thought, your influence and arms, 
 Your lovers and your sons, to fall in line 
 To raise the standard of humanity. 
 You re called upon to stop the anarchy 
 Of centuries not to enlarge domain 
 By the extinguishment of good, but by 
 The elevating power that will progress. 
 Hold the strong arm, until the child can walk, 
 Then let him go in peace an honor to 
 Himself, his race, his kindred and the world. 
 And you who fight the nation s policy 
 Too sensitive to make a people good; 
 Too modest to extend our great domain; 
 Too conscientious to upbuild by war; 
 Remember that the very land you own 
 Was wrested from the unoffending tribes, 
 By lawless tactics, or the force of war. 
 Too sensitive to bear the present strife, 
 To lay foundation for a greater good, 
 But you could bear to have our splendid men 
 
Retreat and let the mingled races live 
 Thousands of years in anarchy and crime, 
 In idle desperation and despair. 
 But you do live to see the destitute 
 Eke out a life of misery and want 
 The feeble women of our lauded land 
 Working their fingers short, and blinding 
 Eyes proclaim their destiny in death, 
 That you may stalk abroad in fine array. 
 Is this the tenderness of heart that builds 
 A nation, and dispenses love and peace? 
 Tis not alone the nation you oppose, 
 You fight the march of progress that inheres 
 In every atom of the universe, 
 The aspirations of material life; 
 The struggles to arise, to grow, to reach 
 Development in higher, better life. 
 Let us tear off the cloak of selfishness 
 That holds us to our little, narrow sphere 
 Progress and life inanity and death; 
 Not politics, but growth; not lingering, 
 But bravery to accomplish the great work, 
 That came fortuitous for us to do. 
 Sustain the President, hold up his hands, 
 Lighten the great responsibility, 
 That must bear heavy in his weary work; 
 Sustain the army on the distant isles 
 Justice demands the help of willing hearts; 
 The trend of victory since our nation s birth 
 Demands that onward still shall be our way. 
 And more than all, the Destiny that rules; 
 Is meting out the best, where it belongs; 
 The hour, the cause, demand the sacrifice 
 
X 
 
 Will you oppose the march of great events; 
 
 And face the wave of power, that 
 
 Hurled its vengeance on Hasdrubal s hordes, 
 
 And afterward incised the heart of Rome. 
 
 Take these hot burning words as not from me, 
 
 But as the pouring out of nature s soul, 
 
 To give new life unto the needy world. 
 
 ERASMUS DARWIN FRENCH. 
 
 August 10, 1899. 
 
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