Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-07-02
AMERICA ABROAD.
Speech Of Hon. n. Natterson at the Lon.
don Celebration Of Memorial Day.
From the L0uisvMs COarier-JoMrsal

dos Celebration Of Memorial Day.
From the Louisville Cbarier-Jomrnol.
On the evening of the 3Oth OF May, in
the Prince of Wales room of the new
Hotel Cecil In London, Memorial Day
was celebrated by grand banquet ten
dered to the Hon. Patrick A. Collins,
consul-general to London, by his col
leagues, the other consuls of the United
States to the United Kingdom. The
Hon. James E. Neal, consul to Liver
pool, presided. On his right sat Mr..
Bayard. the American ambassador.
The company was very large and dis
tinguished, including Mr.. Hannis Tay-
lor, minister to Spain; Hon. George F.
Hoar, of Massachusetts,; Joseph Pull
itzer and many English guests. Henry
Watson responded to the toast on Me-
mortal Day. The following is the full
text OF his remarks:
"a distinguished journalist of Lon
don, holding q seat in the imperial par.
lament, was quoted last winter as saw
ing that before the United States ven
ture upon war with England or any
foreign power, the southern
section Of the Union would have to be
reckoned with. How little he knew
about the situation of affairs and the
state of public sentiment in America.
If on this Memorial Day, officially ded-
icated to the heroes of one armv the
fallen heroes Of both armies who fought
in that stubborn contention could be
mustered upon earth and could witness
the complete obliteration of every sign,
token and issue of domestic strife and
realize, as the living do, the full mean
ing of the conclusive result reached
thirty-one years ago, it may be doubted
II the exualtatiOn .Of the one side. in
sincerity and universally, would ex-
ceed the satisfaction of the other side.
say satisfaction advisedly, for, since
no man can exult In his own defeat. q
stronger expression might not properly
fit the case. But do declare that.
among the survivors of those who
fought SO we'll from Big Bethel in 1861
to AppamatOx in 1865, and their de-
scendents, there is now but one feeling
and that of thankfulness to God that
he laid the weight of his hand upon
the southern cOnfederacy and presery-
ed the life of the American union.
II was over here just after that
dreadful struggle very ragged
rebel, indeed-and was not long dis
covering that such trivial distinctions
as federal and confederate were Greek
to the average European mind. All of
US, sOutherners and nOrtherners alike,
~ ii 0f nc VonEn0c r ~, ~ s.A
and with IL the shortest cut back to the
protecting folds OF the flag under which
was born, and found there the shell
ter SO ample and restful, SO comforting
and SO comfortable, that clung to it,
frOze to it, and have ever since been
advising the boys, old and young, to
follow my example.
with all Difference to my old and
very dear friend, the ambassador, and
to the sentiments uttered by the emf
nent senator from Massachusetts,, con-
fess that am a jingo; but you will be
assured that mean no discOurtesy to
those of our English friends who have
hOnOred US with their presence when
tell you 1t was from England I learned
the lesson and got the cue. Let me
hasten to add that there Ia no possess
ion which England has that America
wants. The world Is quite big enough
for both of US. But nothing is gained
to either by seeking to conceal the fact
that behind the party leaders and the
public journals, here today and gone
tomorrow. there are millions of people
who cannot with safety be ignored, and
vast interests which can only be se-
cured by policy Of firm, enlightened
self-assertion, equally plain spoken on
both sides.
1.-THE greatness and glory OF England
90 without saying. It should need NO
self-seeking funkeyism eager
for social resolution, nor any resonant
lip service delighted to have an au-
dance and rejoicing In the sound OF its
own voice to impress upon intelligent
Englishmen the truth, that no intelli-
gent American desires any other than
the most constant, the most cordial re-
lations with England. There are in
deed shrines here where we Worship;
founts whence we have drawn thirst
quenching gdraugthsof liberty and poetry
and law. But the talk about common
institutions and common language is
cheap talk, and, In some respects; mis-
leading talk. The common language
did not prevent ~ from going to war
on two occasions, and enables US on
every occasion when we happen to be
out Of temper to express ourselves the
more v0lubly and the more offensively.
The common institutions, where they
do not expose to US conflicting interests,
are rather immaginary than real.
We are OF common origin
and blood undoubtedly and
that means that we are fighters,
who may be counted on, each to stand
by his own, and consequently rs this
circumstance has come to be tolerably
we'll understood on both sides Of the
Atlantic, we are hearing q good deal
about new principle of international
ethics, or Jurisprudence, or what you
will, which they call arbitration.
ssWell, am for arbitration / am
for arbitration just as am for religion
and morality and justice and Ill other
things that sound we'll and cost little.
But, who ever heard OF religion or
morality or justice interposing TO pre-
vent the church-yOIr church or my
church form doing, as an aggrega-
tion, what no honest man would will
lingly do q an individual. Nations,
fear ara nO hattar than churches and