13 ^ BY Champlin JAMES C. FERNALD AUTHOR OF "THE SPANIARD IN HISTORY," "THE NEW WITH FIVE MAPS 1898 FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY ✰✰✰ NEW YORK AND LONDON ♣ PREFACE. "The fateful hours unnoted come; THE events of 1898 have come upon America as a great surprise. Intervention in Cuba has involved what no man dreamed of. Do what we will, result how it may, this is one of the historic eras. Our great nation is being swept along by a world-movement greater than itself. The philosopher must be profoundly impressed by such a crisis, while the devout mind must inquire whether this demand, coming without man's plan or prevision, yet so nearly resistless in its impulsion, be not a call of God. Our continental seclusion was narrowing the circle of our views and of our sympathies. Suddenly we find ourselves a part of the great family of man. Shall we stay with our race? It may be that the outlook could be had without the outreaching-that we might have world-wide interests and sympathies, tho we should have no extra-continental possessions. In fact, this has not been. But with our ships and our sons in the Caribbean and the Philippines, nothing that may happen on the round earth will be a matter of indifference to us evermore. |