For years Spain had oppressed and ill-treated the Cubans until human nature could no longer bear such bitter injustice, and the people rose against it. Spain poured her armies into the island, and the means which she used to put down the rebellion were contrary to humane ideas among civilized people. The United States more than once protested against them. Spain, however, paid no attention to these protests. She did not show in any way what the American Declaration of Independence calls “a decent respect for the opinions of mankind.” Instead, she continued her barbarous course in Cuba until other nations began to feel that the United States, as the nearest neighbor of that unhappy country, should interfere.
ADMIRAL MONTOJO.
At last, during the night of February 15, 1898, the United States battle-ship Maine, while lying in Havana harbor, was blown up. A mine had been placed in the harbor exactly where the battle-ship was allowed to anchor. This mine had exploded, and, as a result, 266 lives were lost of the 353 officers and men who were on the ship.
A court was held to inquire into this awful event, but it was not possible to say where the blame for the catastrophe belonged. It was evident, however, that the state of affairs in Cuba was becoming dangerous to other nations, and was no longer to be borne. The President of the United States, in a special message to Congress, stated plainly that the war in Cuba must end. Congress then passed a resolution to declare war against Spain if that nation did not at once take her army out of Cuba and restore peace there. As Spain refused to do this, war was declared, first by the United States, and then by Spain.
At this time Commodore George Dewey was in command of the South Pacific squadron of the United States. This fleet, which numbered ten ships, was lying in the harbor of Hong-Kong. As that harbor is under English control, and as Great Britain was friendly to both Spain and the United States, she was compelled to treat both nations fairly. To allow the fleet of one of these nations to remain in the harbor would have been unfair to the other one; so Commodore Dewey was notified that his ships must leave Hong-Kong. At the same time he received orders from his own government to go in search of the Spanish fleet and to capture or destroy it.
This fleet, as Dewey knew, was in Manila harbor; and, obeying orders, he at once set out for Manila. The Spanish ships, seven in number, with ten small gunboats, were anchored off Cavite. Commodore Dewey entered Manila harbor under cover of the night, and when day broke on Sunday, May 1, 1898, his ships lay at anchor in front of Manila.
At six o’clock that morning began the famous battle of Manila Bay. By half-past seven the Spanish flagship was in flames, and the commander of the fleet, Admiral Montojo (mon tō´hō) was forced to take refuge on another ship of the fleet, the Isla de Cuba. By noon of that day the Spanish fleet was wholly destroyed, and the admiral and all survivors had fled into Manila. The Americans had sustained no loss of life, and only a slight injury to one of the ships, the Boston.
They next opened fire on the arsenal and fort at Cavite, and kept this up until a flag of truce was shown. By sunset Cavite was under control of the United States, and the Stars and Stripes floated over the town and the forts at Cañcao (kän kä´ō), Punta (pön´tä), and Sangley (säng´li).
