They saw how much it would be to their advantage to form part of our glorious Union. They saw that the United States was destined to become the one great world power.
Even when this great war broke out—the like of which the world had never before witnessed—several large countries of South America, as well as several smaller countries of Central America, were knocking for admission into the Union. Brazil, Chili, Peru and Honduras were among those who wished to enter.
Mexico had come in through the solicitation of the people of Texas, and after her admission the bitter Mexican war of 1848 was forgotten.
And nothing was now heard of the contest against the Filipinos. Aguinaldo was dead, yet in the main square of Manila an imposing monument had been erected to this remarkable military personage who had done so much and yet so little for his countrymen.
The appeal to arms created a tremendous excitement, both in the cities and in the country places.
In New York the whole population went wild, and a grand "war march," as it was termed, took place. The city at that time was built up solid as far as Yonkers, and the marchers proceeded as far as that, while some of the columns went over the four bridges uniting New York and Brooklyn and the two bridges reaching from Manhattan Island to the New Jersey shore.
The decorations were magnificent, and Oscar Pelham and Andy Greggs came down from Bridgeport to see them. Banners were flung from the tops of all the big buildings, including the Empire, which was fifty-six stories high, and balloons were anchored a mile in the air, each ablaze with electric lights, turning night into day.
It was felt that the war would be carried on principally on the ocean, or rather, on the oceans, and for that purpose every available warship was put into service with all possible speed.
Enlistments in the navy were followed by enlistments in the army, until our soldiers and sailors numbered over a million men.
The soldiers were armed with the Miles-Gilford electric repeating rifles, which were known to shoot with great accuracy up to two thousand yards.