rehouse of
the merchant, the harvest of the farmer. Jack hails from the inland
hamlet as well as from the seaport town.

The Admiral commanding one of our great squadrons, winning a victory
unprecedented in naval history, is the son of a prominent financial
business man; another, the son of an Irish laborer, working in a ditch
by his father's side, went from it to the Naval academy. Every
congressional district in the Union is represented there by its cadet.

The result is that the splendid body of naval officers who to-day so
highly command the confidence and admiration of the people are
themselves the immediate representatives of the people, and of their
common intelligence, spirit and standards. Our late antagonist had
officers and men of undoubted bravery. But in education, versatility,
ability to plan and do, and to meet emergencies: in short, in what Mrs.
Stowe called "faculty," our superiority was such that the battle was won
the moment it began.

In this connection I remind myself that in Congress the Naval Committees
of the Senate and House are made up also of men from all parts of our
common country. That great branch of our government which nurses the
Navy and provides for it is also representative of all the people.
Indeed, your own great city, with all its tremendous commercial and
industrial interests, has contributed a member of that committee, who
has put his heart into our naval development, rendered signal service in
that behalf, and by his recent voluntary study of naval affairs abroad
has prepared himself for still more valuable work--your able
representative in Congress, and my good friend, George Edmund Foss.

I can the more properly, gentlemen, join with you in your appreciation
of the Navy because, although its head, I am yet only temporarily
connected with it and can look at it from the outside. I sometimes
think, however, that the great public, applauding the salient merits,
overlook others which are quite as deserving.

You cheer for the men behind the guns; you give swords and banquets here
and there to an Admiral--and both most richly deserve the tribute--but
remember that all up and down the line there are individuals whose names
never got to your ears--or, if so, are already half forgotten--who have
earned unfading laurels. No man in the Navy has rendered such service,
however great, that others were not ready to fill the place and do as
well. The Navy is full of heroes unknown to fam