The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-13
GEN. LEW WALLACE.
He Talks of the Teachings and Results
of the War.

ne talks Oh the IeACnlngS ana Hebuit6
of the War.
Speech Before the Loyal Legion.
Living is learning" and it is so with all of us.
twenty-five years ago fearful schoolmaster
opened up school in this country, and taught
some terrible lessons-the lessons of war. His
curriculum consisted of kiling How to kill, and
how to Kill the most people, and it ought to have
been sufficient. This terrible schoolmaster open
ed his school in America and had a number of
pupils, and he taught US great many lessons,
individually and collectively, to society to trade
and to the State and Nation. The first lesson
he taught us was this; This country doesn't
want any more war" [Applausel We have
seer enough of that. and, as soldiers, appeal to
you to-night-is there in this great assembly of
soldiers any who will hold up their hands and
say they want to see war again? Cries of mo.
no. Are there ten, are there FIVE, is there onet
[Cries of mol
Well, if you please. now, we will take up the
second lesson. Will there again be another warf
know there are plenty of good people in this
country who assert there will never be. don't
believe theml AS long as ship leaves our port
under our flag; as long as we have diplomatic re-
lations with foreign governments, / think we
may reasonably anticipate the possibility of an
other war;
Well, then. what is our situation9 War can
only be avoided by preparation for war. Onlya
few months ago Germany and Spain had dis
pute little island in far-off sea, and if
the worst came to the worse, Bismarck was
ready to dispatch feet to Cuba Cuba controls
the key of our commerce from the north to the
and not done anything What could we have
donel Are we prepared No! Could all the
armies of the North and South have defended
our coasts No.
Onr government ought to have the right to
have better definition of what treason is 1t can
not now defend itself until the overt act has been
committed. Molmonlsm is rampant in the West,
and is ready to take up arms against the govern
ment If they do, what could we do to defeat
such an uprisings
They have knowledge of the water-places and
the mountain Businesses, and if now half dozen
Apaches can Outright the regiments of regulars
in the West, what could we do to save ourselves
from the sixteen thousand armed Mormonsl The
truest, most certain and best way to maintain
peace, assert again, is to be prepared for war.
There is weak spotin our Constitution, and that
is our definition of the term treason. Mormon
ism Is a reasonable organization.
1t Is only hiding its time. 1t is waiting until
the proper hour arrives, and it will present
united front to us and yet the government can
only appeal to them by moral suasion. u that
really the way to contemplate war2 The weak
est spot in our government-and everything has
its weakest spots its definition of treason,
A man may defend his property, and wby can
not the government of the United States enact q
proper law to take care Of ITSELF That is a les
son that comes to US by the war. The war freed
four millions of slaves. enfranchised them, and
you and 1, and all of u.s. voted afirmativeiy TO
make them citizens. Don't you know and know
that the reason we consented to it was with the
expectation that some one would take these four
millions of poor, foriorn people, and educate
them. Has it been donea That is another lesson
taught US by the war. of which we have failed
to profit How long is this to continued When
is this present policy to cease9 Who should edu-
cate these people? Not the States-oh, no!
If you depend on the States to educate them
they will never be educated. Our duty is now to
use our individual influence to bring this end
about, and We should use all our influence to have
the Congress of the United States do its daty
with respect to these people
AS you love your country, companions and
friends. take up these points and see if the les
sons taught us by this terrible schoomaster in
the days of long past are TO be forgotten.