Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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o THE LEDGER: GAFFNEY* S. C„ MAY 12. 1808. Ka\ y Department In the Dark Concerning Any Positive Action of Fleet. KNOWS ITS WHEREABOUTS SMITH ISSUES AN ORDER. Postmaster (ionernl (Iiiiints InforiEu* | tion on Contluct of the W nr. Washington, May 10. — Postmaster General Smith today issued the follow ing order: “All officers and employes of the post- office department are hereby forbidden to furnish information pertaining to or in any way bearing upon the condnctof the war to any person or persons not connected with the department, or to any newspaper or other publication, un less authorized to do so by the head of the department.” This order was made for the purpose of preventing postmasters from giving information in regard to suspicious let ters passing through their offices. Such information, it is thought, may in some instances be incorrect and in others pre judicial to the interests of the govern ment. LETTER TO CATHOLICS Patriotic Address Issued by the Archbishops. Reported That Women and Children Are Being Slain by Revolutionists. AWFUL STATE OF AFFAIRS «{ STAND BY THE COUNTRY” Belief In Official Circles That Spanish Squadron Never Intended <o Touch at Porto Itico, but to Diverge Hack to Cadiz. Washington, May 10.—Up to the time Secretary Long started for the cabinet meeting at 11 o’clock he was without information from Admiral Sampson’s fleet concerning any positive action. All inquiries alsmt the navy department were directed toward the whereabouts of this fleet and its pros pects of a speedy engagement with the enemy. While there is little doubt the.t the officials know the approximate local ity of the fleet, it is quite certain that nothing has been received as to the cruising and search for the Spanish ■hips. It is felt that the next few hours will determine beyond further question whether the Spanish fleet, which left the Cape Verde islands, did in fact conic to Porto Rico, or diverge northward back to Cadiz for a formidable concen tration of the strongest ships of the Spanish navy. In the latter event, Ad miral Sampson will have no Siwinish fleet to light, save those smaller craft in Cuban waters. It will leave the course free to the Oregon to make a juncture with the fleet, and also will have Ad miral Sampson's hands free lor atten tion to Porto Rieo or Cula Secretaries Long and Alger had a large number of callers before they went to the cabinet meeting. General Wood ford, our late minister at Madrid, sjieiit come time with Mr. Long. Afterward he was asked to break the reticence he has maintained by giving his views of Commodore Dewey’s achievement at . , . . , , , . Manila, to which he replied: “That I executive of the nation with the advice would be gilding refined gold. ” j of both houses of congress and after Ship For Uncle Sam? : consultation with his cabinet officers, A party of prominent New Yorkers, : but not until after every effort had been The Manifesto Directs All Priests to Pray For a Speedy Restoration of Peace by Glorious Victory For American Flag. Washington, May 10. — The arch bishops of the Catholic church in the United States have agreed upon a letter, addressed to the clergy and laity of the country. The letter hears on the war with Spain and will be read in all the churches on Sunday. It is indorsed by Mgr. Martinelli, the apostolic delegate, and is as follows: “To the clergy and laity of the Cath olic church of the United States, Greet ing: The events that have succeeded the blowing up of the battleship Maine and the sacrifice of 2(50 innocent vic tims, the patriotic seamen of the United States, have culminated in war with Snain and our own beloved country. Commander Montejo Killed by Mob After (Escaping From Cavite—The Spanish Priests Try to Lead Dewey Into Death Trap. London, May 10.—News has just reached here disclosing an alarming state of affairs in the Philippine islands, now at the mercy of the American squadron. A special dispatch from Shanghai ■ays that it is reported there that Ad miral Montejo, the commander of the Spanish fleet, who escaped from Cav ite by running along the shore to Ma nila with his two sons, was killed by the populace of the latter place. It is added that the hospital of San Roque, filled with Spanish soldiers, was set on fire by shells from the Bos ton and that Sisters of Charity were killed while removing the wounded. Massacres are reported to have oc curred outside of Manila, the insur gents batchering even the Spanish women and children. A dispatch from Hong-Kong says: A fresh example of Spanish treachery seems to have come to light. It is said here that the priests and Sisters of Charity of the Cavite hospital, in a pro cession, bearing crosses, etc., petitioned Rear Admiral Dewey not to massacre the sick and wounded, which naturally he did not do. The Spaniards, it is assorted, there- epon thanked the Americans for their RIOTS IN SPAIN CONTINUE. E\on the Women Participate In the Work of Destruction. Madkid, May 10.—The bread riots at Alicante, the seap nt of Valencia, which began yesterday, were continue! all night, the women taking a prominent part in the work of destruction. A riotous mob paraded the streets, demanding eh -aper bread and other necessaries of life. The rioters marched to the factories, whore they were joined by the people who were at work. latter they sacked the Octoroi bureau and burned the furniture and archives. A strong force of gendarmes was sent to the scenee and a charge was made upon the mob, which was temporarily dispersed. But the rioters reformed and attacked and burned all the bonded warehouses, alter possessing tkemselve:; of the wheat in storage. Spanish In Cuba Preparing to Resist the Landing of Our Soldiers. FRESH BUT WEAKER FORTS ARMY MOVING SOUTH Work Being Pushed on Means of De fense Recently Wrecked by Ameri can Warships—Considerable Ac tivity All Along Coast. Kky West, May 10.—The Spanish soldiers are displaying much activity Troops at Chickamauga Park along the line of coast from Bahia Honda, 45 miles west of Havana, to Cardenas, 65 miles to eastward, accord ing to news brought here by the Asso- Ordered to Front. MEANS CUBAN INVASION “Whatever may have been the indi- j- P ou .uanaeu me Amen- . . , , ! humanity and repaid them by inform- vidual opinions of Americans prior to the declaration of war, there can be no two opinions as to the duty of every loyal American citizen. A resort to arms was determined upon by the chief ing them of a narrow channel which, }\ they said, was not mined, while the including O. H. P. Belmont, Schuyler Crosby and Charles A. Moore, had a talk with Mr. Long for the purpose, it is understood, of making a gitt of con siderable importance to the government. It probably will be in the line of a ship, although whether a yacht or a larger craft, was not disclosed. Senator Till man offered the services of a number of expert electricians, now students at Clemsou college. South Carolina. At the war department it was under stood that assignments as corps com manders to the volunteer army would j be announced very soon. President Palma, head of the Cuban ; delegation, arrived here this morning i from New York and is expecting im- j portant advices direct from General Gn- | mez. He received a dispatch last night j stating that a courier from General Go- J mez’s camp had passed through Key West and was now on his way to Wash- j ington with letters from Gomez. The , courier will probably not reach here be fore tomorrow at the earliest. In the meantime Brigadier General | Nunez, who is just tack from heading a party which made a juncture with Gomez, wul arrive this afternoon to i confer with Mr. Palma. It is probable that the advices direct from the Cuban I commander in the field will bring about I further conferences between the Caban authorities here and the officials of tho war department. Mr. Palma today expressed his views on the buttle at Manila, saying it was important in that it furnished conclu sive proof of a fact he had long known, that the Spanish navy was a “paper” navy and utterly incapable of conduct ing modern naval warfare. New Mobilization Points. Changes in the central mobilization points of volunteers from those an- i jiouneed by the war department yester day already have been made in a num ber of cases. They have been made necessary for several reasons, the main one being the decisions reached to licgm ] at once an active campaign in CuIki ami i to send troops to the Philippines. Those from Montana, said Senator Carter, , who was at the war department, would be assigned to proceed promptly to San j Francisco for passage to Manila. There is a lull repjment of 1)50 men fully | equipped and ready for service. It is i said also that a regiment of infantry from Colorado in all probability will be j ordered to the Philippines. Mr. Russell Harrison, who is here looking after the interests of the Indi ana National guards before the war de- | partmei^ today, received a dispatch from the military secretary of Governor Mount saying that two regiments of in fantry and two batteries of artillery were fully equipped and ready to move. Mr. Harrison says this is the best record shown by any state. From Governor Mount came a dispatch saying “any as signment of Indiana troops by the de partment will have mv approval. They are willing to go and I am willing tbev should go where they can do the most good. Our quota is in firstclass condi tion.” Mr. Harrison says the two regiments of Indiana troops and the light battery ' which were ordered to Chickamauga will go instead to New Orleans. \Vars)il|Mi at St. Nicholas. Port au Prince, May 10.—The min ister of the inferior has received a dis patch from Mole, St. Nicholas, saying two American warships are there and that a Spanish vessel is watching out side. The announcements are not fully credited. Immune Bill Pastes Senate. Washington, May 10.—The senate has concurred in the house amendments to the immune and engineer bill and it now goes to the president. broad channel, they explained, was full}’ mined. An investigation upon the part of the Americans, however, re vealed the contrary to be the case, and the mines were blown up by tho sailors of the American fleet. Rear Admiral Dewey, it is said here, finds the insurgents growing dangerous. It is added that he cannot control them. nor can do so. There Manila. enable the Spaniards to is ono Japar.er.0 warship at FIRST STATE TO RESPOND. exhausted to bring about an honorable and peaceful solution of our difficulties with Spain. “The patient calmness, the dignified forbearance, tho subdued firmness of President McKinley during the trying time that intervened between the de struction of the Maine and the declara tion are beyond all praise and should command the admiration of every true American. We, the members of the Catholic church, are true Americans „ . ,, , ,, . ,, . and as such arc loyal to onr country and s P™< lln P to ,he <)f thft natlon for volunteers and it is probable that Colo- I nel James Smith of the First regiment Honor of Precedence Is Now Claimed by the Californians. San Francisco, May 10.—California claims the honor of precedence in re cur flag and obedient to the highest de grees and the supreme authority of tho nation. “We are not now engaged in a war of section against section, or state against state, but we are united as one man against a foreign enemy and a | common foe. If, as wo are taught by 1 our holy‘church, love of country is next to love of God, a duty imposed on us by ! all laws, human and divine, then it is our duty to labor and to pray for the , temporal and spiritual wellbeing of the i brave who are battling for our beloved ' country. Let us faithfully bog the God of battles to crown their arms on land and sea with victory and triumph, and to stay unnecessary effusion of blood j and speedily to restore peace to our be- i loved land and people. “To this end we direct that on and ! after the receipt of this circular and un- ' til the close of this war every priest , shall, in his daily mass, pray for the restoration of peace by the glorious vic tory of our flag. We also direct that ' prayers for brave soldiers and sailors I that in battle be. said every day after A mass. These prayers shall bo said aloud with the people and shall be one hour Father and one hail Mary and the Deprofuudis. “We pray that God may bless and preserve our country in this great crisis and si>eedily bring victory, honor and peace to all our people.” I of California will be tho ranking colonel of the volunteer army of the United States. A recruiting office will bo opened at army headquarters today for the enlist- , nient of S00 men for the Third artillery. Some of these will probably go to the Philippines, while others will remain here to man the defenses of this harbor. Under arrangements with the war department at Washington, the South ern Pacific company is pfbpanng to move about 2,000 troops from Portland and ii.OOO from Ogden The troops will be mobilized at San Francisco prepar atory to removal to Manila, i Arrangements are being made to sup ply the police department of San Fran cisco with Gatling gnus and 400 Spring- field rifles. As there are about 1,700 Springfield rifles and 200,000 Krag- : Jorgensen rifles in the arsenal at : Beui. ia, there will be no difficulty in assuring all the arms required here. Governor Budd will at once proceed to reorganize the National guard of Cal ifornia, which it is proposed to make i much stronger than heretofore NIGHT CALL TO BATTLE. Men of the Flying Squadron Respond With Great Celerity. Fort Monroe, Va., May 10.—The first clear day with beautiful weather that has greeted the flying squadron began this morning. On the ships all is bustle, although the squadron officers disclaim any knowledge of an early movement. New Orleans was not allowed to goup to Newport News for coal, but at 6 o’clock this morning began taking on coal from the lighters alongside and will finish coaling that way. The St. Paul, lieingof lighter draught, will be able to run in dock at Newport News for her 600 tons of coal. The Minneapolis coaled this morning to her full calamity and joined the squad ron later. There was a night call to iiattle on all the ships last night and the celerity with which the crews responded was quite remarkable. No preparations were made and the majority of the men were asleep, but the guns were ready to shoot ou all the ships in less than six minutes. Rlntii the Work of Rebels. Rome, May 10.—The Italian cabinet has decided to recommend to King Humbert that parliament be prorogued. The police are re^torled to have seized correspondence showing that the recent serious riots hi dittereiit parts of Italy were the result of u plan of revelation, but it appears that the movement broke out prematurely. Martial law has been proclaimed in the province of Naples. Miles Off For Tampa. Washington, May 10.—General Miles and staff leave for Tampa tonight to ac- oonivauy the Cuban army of invasion. DISCHARGING HER CARGO. City of Peking Will Be Ready to Sail by Next Saturday. San Francisco, May 10.—Tho work of discharging the cargo of the City of Peking was begun immediately after her arrival and will soon be completed. She will be docked, cleaned and turned over to the government, when she will be prepared for use as a transport. She will be able to take at least 3,000 soldiers and in addition about 2,500 tous of freight. By Saturday it is expected she can be loaded aud ready to sail. Captain Smith aud his officers will remain in charge of the steamship. While in Hong-Kong a cable was re ceived from Washington ordering the American consul to detain the Peking, but Admiral Dewey cabled back to the effect that she would probably be of more use here and that if vessels were required they could be bought in Hong- Kong. After some little cable corre spondence the Peking was allowed to sail with orders to make the best time possible. Carolinians For Clilckamanga. Raleigh, May 10.—The First regi- meat of volunteers, now in camp here, goes to the Chickamauga rendezvous in a few days, possibly within 48 hoars. Acting Commissary Marshall has been ordered by the commissary general to get ready one day’s travel rations and ten days’ field rations for the regiment. The government has not yet clothed or armed the regiment. It was hoped this would l>e done hero. The clothing and arms it now has are national guard property. On the Stock Kxchnnge. London, May 10.—American securi ties opened firm; Spanish 4s opened at 82£j and advanced to 33’4. Yester day’s final price was 32'^. On the Paris bourse, Spanish 4s opened at 82^ u , a net gain of 15 ) 3. Kutlro Infantry Goes to Port Tampa. Cavalry Will Proceed to New Orleans and Mobile—Lively Seenes at the Camps. Chattanooga, May 10.—Tho entire army stationed at Chickamauga park has been ordered to tho front. The First and Tenth cavalry go to New Or leans, the Second cavalry to Mobile, the Third and Sixth to Tampa. The entire infantry goes to Tampa. The move ment begins today. At Chickamauga park today officers and men of the regular army regiments are rushing as they have not been called upon to do since the days of the civil war. The order for the entire army to pack up and go to the front at once was announced at ‘J o'clock and since then things have been moving at a tremend ous pace. The railroad men have been rushing all available cars to the park and as rapidly as they arrive they are loaded with the camp equipment, horses, sup plies, etc. The work of moving the big command during the next. few days, as they are expected to do, is an immense job for the railroads. They had re ceived no intimation of the sudden or ders and had made no adequate prepara tions. The two lines to Tampa, the Southern and the Western and Atlantic, are doing everything po'sible, but the indications arc now that the first troops will not get out before tomorrow morn ing. The first out will probably be infan try division, composed of the Second, Seventh. Eighth, Sixteenth and Twelfth regiments. Five hundred jKisscnger coaches to carry the men to Tampa will be available. Colonel Sheridan of General Brooke’s staff, speaking for tho general at noon today, said: “The order docs not require us to rush to the front; it simply instructs us to get there as soon as we conveniently can. Of course we will move as rapidly as possible, but it will probably be sev eral days before all arc out. There are now (5,000 men with hundreds of horses and a large amount of equipment in tho park and the whole business cannot bo moved within a few hours.” Colonel Sheridan refused to give any opinion about what the order meant. The major ty, however, do not hesitate in saying that it means they will land in Cuba as soon as they can get there. Besides the infantry, the Third and Sixth cavalry go to Tampa. The Second cavalry will go to Mobile and the First and Tenth cavalry to New Orleans. All thevartillery was sent cut several days ago. HALT FOR _J HE WAR BILL Silver Men Will Temporarily Hold Up the Revenue Measure. Washington, May 10.—The war rev enue bill recently passed by the house will be temporarily pigeonholed by the senate committee on finance. The free silv'er Republicans and Democrats constitute a majority of that committee, and are opposed to the issuance of bonds. It was the original intention of these members to practically ignore the house bill and frame an entirely new measure, eliminating the bond feature. The announcement is made tonight that they have reached a determination to refrain from acting on the revenue bill until advices are received from Ad miral Sampson. If he succeeds in de stroying the Spanish squadron, with the result of ending the war, as is ex pected in official circles, the necessity for additional revenue will be obviated and the bill will not be reported or reframed. If a great victory by Admiral Samp son does not terminate hostilities and the contest appears to be indefinite, the Democratic memtiers of the committee will yield and vote to report the house bill with its clause providing for the sale of bonds. There will then be no serious opposition to its . passage in the senate, as eight Democratic senators have agreed to support the measure. ciated Press dispatch boat Kate Spencer As the ships of the blockading fleet 1 have instructions to prevent theerecth 11 ! of new fortifications and have at various points shelled working parties, tho ’ task of strengthening existing defenses and throwing up earthworks is carried on principally at night, save in the im mediate vicinity of Havana. The naiTow escape of the Vicksburg ; and Morrill, on Saturday, when they were decoyed within easy range of the ! Santa Clara batteries, just west of Morro castle, has taught some of tho unaruiored ships a lesson, and it is not likely that that class of boats will ven- ; ture within close range of the modvrn j high power guns again. Along tho coast fresh sand batteries arc beinc thrown un almost every night, but these works ;.ro of a flimsy 1 character and would be reduced by the fire of the big guns Hi a few min* ntea. The officers of the blockading fleet believe Captain General Blanco is wast ing a good deal of energy in the erec- ^ tion of insignificant shore batteries. 1 Tho strengthening of the more formida ble works about Havana is a very differ ent thing. It may be, however, by the erection of these light batteries, which must be abandoned as soon as the seri ous work of the fleet begins, Blanco puts heart in his starving soldiers and imbues them with the idea that a yan- kee invasion can bo repelled at any point. Tho Hornet and the Winslow, now blockading Matanzas, have hail a lively time for several days shelling Spanish ; details at work 011 butteries and tele- j graph lines outside of the entrance of the harbor. There, as at other points, most of the work if. clone at night and each morning sees fresh earthworks 1 thrown up like fresh anthills against the rusty old coast line. On Sunday m< ruing the Hornet found a party putting a telegraph line up from the lighthouse aud signal station, a mile east of Matanzas, to the batteries west , of Point Sabinalla. on the other side of i the bay. The batteries here are said to be of some magnitude, mounting a lew high power guns. To stop this telegraphic activity the Hornet steamed quieily in and dropped a shell in the midst of the workmen. 1 They scattered like rabbits, and the lino grounded then and there Several other telegraphic jiarties have been discour aged in the same way at other points. It is evidently tho intention of tho Spanish to establish communication by wire with all their coast block houses and batteries, with a view, pos sibly of massing troops and guns to oppose a landing whenever threat ened. Hereafter they will probably carry i their w ires behind the first range of 1 hills, where they will be less subject to , , sudden interruption. It is now possible that there are ■ enough heavy guns at the command of [ | the Spaniards to mount them in all tho . new sand batteries springing up, but as [ there is a railway from Havana to Ma- ; ! tanzas, quite close to the coast, the an- ( thorities may be deluding themselves with the idea that they can transport heavy guns to the batteries nearest the , j threatened landing point whenever j their watches telegraph the appearance 1 of the American troops off the coast. MOST ROMANTIC MARRIAGE. I w».r Now Going on With Spain Fulls to Prevent This Wedding. Pensacola, Fla., May 10.—Lieuten ant E. M. Russell, U- S. N., command- , ing the dispatch boat Powhatan, at the Pensacola uavyyard, aud Miss Ban croft of New York, daughter of Major I Bancroft of the United States army, were married here last night. The wedding was a romantic one. Lieutenant Russell was unable to ob tain leave of absence to go to New York to claim his bride and she imiriotically came here to fulfill her engagement with the young officer, who is expected daily to be ordered to sea. British Steamer Is Boarded. Gibraltar, May 10.— The British steamer Narva, from Barcen April 25 for London, has arrived here and re ports having been boarded at 1 o’clock this morning, 18 miles off Eurejia Point, by an armed party from a S.oanish cruiser, which fired across the steamer's bows. The officer in command of the boarding party examined the papers of the Narva and then allowed her to proceed. Fine Sabre For Roosevelt. Washington, May 10.—When Lieu tenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt leaves here to join hi^regiment of rough riders he will take with him a hand some cavalry sabre, which was pre sented to him by the employes of the navy department. The chiefs of the bureaus received subscriptions from tho clerks and others in the department, and the sabre was presented today. Cable to Uruguay Not Cut. New York, May 10.—The Central and South American Cable company announces that cable communication with Buenos Ayres and Uruguay ”vu Galveston” is not interrupted. All the “via Galveston” lines are working us usual. Troops For New Orleans. Indianapolis, May 10.—Secretary Al ger telegraphed Governor Mount today saying the Indiana volunteers had first been asked to Chickamauga, but would be ordered to New Orleans instead. The men of the Second and Third regiments and Battery A, Indiana light artillery, | . tt„_ 4 are to be made ready as rapidly as pos- province of Hupe . sible aud wul probably start tomorrow and several foreign buildings were night. Serious Rioting at Shnsl. Shanghai, May 10.—There were seri ous riots last evening at Shasi, in tho Tho customhouse r'eral foreign bui burned. THE FIGHT t I ON TYRANNY War News Resume Covering AH Events of Fast Week. Key West Squadron OlT. Rear Admiral Sampson’s fleet sailed from Key West Wednesday. There was a strong impression prevailing that tho next news of the floi t would tell of an important engagement of the same character as the Asiatic squadren’s Ma nila victory. Cape Verde Fleet at Cadiz. Nows reached Lisl on Wednesday to the effect that the Spanish Capo Verde squadron had returned to join the Spanish fleet near Cadiz. It was added that the combined fleet of Spain v/uuld shortly start for American waters. / Major Generals Named. The president sent a long list of arrmy nominations to the senate Wednesday. Among the civilians were Fitzhugh Lee of Virginia, Joseph Wheeler of Ala bama, J. H. Wilson of Delaware and Senator Sewell of New Jersey, all to be major generals. Rioting All Over Spain. There was rioting throughout Spain Wednesday as a result of dissatisfaction with the government on account of the reverse at Manila. Intimations were made that intervention by European powers would be welcomed. Sharp Fight With Spanish. The American tug Leyden returned to Key W est Thursday after having landed two parties on Cuban soil, one of them having had subsequently a sharp engagement with Spanish forces. One of the parties consisted of a com mission from Washington to General Gomez, which was debarked on the north shore of Santa Clara province, from whence an immediate start lor the interior was made. The other party, which landed near Muriel, north of Havana, was under command of the Cuban leader, General Baldomero Acosta. Before this company went ashore the cruiser Wilmington shelled some Span ish cavalry assembled in the vicinity, and when the landing was effected Acosta’s detachment charged and routed the Spaniards, who, in their retreat, took with them al»out 60 wounded com rades, but left 16 dead on the field. The party that landed ou the Santa Clara province was fired upon by Span ish cavalry in ambush, and a Cuban land force under General Diaz attacked and drove back the Spanish, who were 200 strong. None of the Americans or Cubans of the expedition were killed or wounded. French Liner In Trouble. The big French liner Lafayette was brought into Key West Friday morn ing, having been captured the night be fore while trying to run the blockade ate Havana. Later in the day, on onlttrs from Washington, she was released. T It was stated that the United States government had given France permis sion for the vessel to make the trip, but in some way the blockading squadron, which made the seizure, had not been notified to that efi’ect. Hence the mis take, which was promptly re< '’’fied by the release of the Frenchman. Report of Dewey Received. Commodore Dewey’s official report of the battle at Manila cu May 1, sent by dispatch boat to Hong-Kong and from, there cabled to this country, reached the navy department in Washington Sat urday. In brief the report stated that the American fleet destroyed the entire Spanish squadron of 11 vessels in a bat tle lasting two hours and that tho United States forces had taken posses sion of the naval station at Cavite. Not one of the American vessels was injured and only about half a dozen of our n en were slightly hurt. The Spanish loss was 150 killed and 300 wounded. Dewey said in his message that he had been unab’e to land at Manila owing to a lack of troops, but that the city was at his mercy aud could be taken at any time. Appointed Dewey Admiral. Immediately after the receipt of Dewey’s report, Secretary of the Navy Long, by direction of the president, cabled Commodore Dewey thanking him for his “splendid achievement and overwhelming victory” aud appointing him acting admiral. Soldiers From the Slope. Arrangements were made late Satur day to send troops from the Pacific slope and Idaho to enable Dewey to tako control of the Philippine islands. Spanish Vessel Seized. The Spanish brigantine Frasquito of Barcelo, bound from Montevideo to Ha vana, and having 011 board a cargo of beef, was brought into Key West Sat urday. The Frasquito was captured off Havana by the United States cruiser Montgomery, Commander G. A. Con verse. Dewey Thanked by Congress. President McKinley sent a message to congress Monday warmly commending Commodore George Dewey and bis men for their brilliant victory at Manila and recommending that the thanks of con gress be tendered them. Both the house and senate promptly passed resolutions in line with the president’s recom mendation. America on the Aggressive. A special cabinet meeting was held Monday. The leading subjects of dis cussion were the measures to be taken to reinforce Admiral Dewey at Manila and the problem of movement on Cuba. The cabinet decided on au aggressive campaign against the Spanish in the Philippines, Cuba and Porto Rico. Dreperaof the Duns. Orders were sent from Madrid Mon day to General Augusti, tho governor general of the Philippine island*, to re sist to the death any attack on Muula.