The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-19
Herbert Praises Heroes,
Past and Present.
The Charleston of 1865 and
What 1t IS at This Day.
Difference In Reception Given Uncle
Sans Naval Fleet.


served their annual banquet with Sec
rotary Herbert as the guest OF honor.
The secretary, Admiral Bunce and his
stan, the captains and the executive
officers or the warships, and the governor
OF South Carolina, were the invited
guests. Covers were laid for 200 guests.
After the last course. President Nc
Chan Of the Chamber OF Commerce made
a short address OF welcome. and con-
cluded by introducing Mayor Smyth.
who responded to the toast. Charles
toms Greeting to Her Honored Guests"
The next toast was "Our Country"
drunk standing by all present.
Our Country's Navy" was responded
TO by Secretary Herbert. lie was given
the closest attention. and was frequently
interrupted with enthusiastic applause
Mr. Herbert said in part:
am proud. fellow citizens, to call to
mind that l am by birth q Carolinian,
but / am more gratified still 10 be re-
minded by the toast which you have
proposed and TO which / respond of the
broader fact that YOU and are Ameri-
who live under the flag that is carried by
'our country's navy"
How marvellous are the romances OF
American history. Ii Is but a genera
ton ago when fleet floating the Stars
and Stripes lay off Charleston harbor.
You greeted that flag with shot and shell
and torpedoes. Tonight another fleet
bearing that same flag lies off your har-
Dor and you welcome it's gallant officers
TO this magnificent banquet. and not all
the search-lights in that fleet could find
in this city OF Charleston a single enemy
TO the union of the states.
All OF US here this evening, wherever
we have stood during the Civil War. love
20 recall the deeds done around Charles
ton in the brave days from 1851 TO 1865.
whether by Federals or Confederates.
They were Americans all, and IL is with
pride that Americans remember that the
heroism and devotion displayed upon the
waters and In the fortifications around
Charleston were but splendid exempli-
fications OF the self-sacrlflcing spirit
that animated men and women through
out the whole north and the whole south
during the four years, of our bloody Civil
War. Here the Confederates were de-
veloping the torpedo with wonderful in
genuity. and IL was left for the garrison
at Fort Sumter 70 teach the world that
fort need not be surrendered because
II has been reduced TO rubbish by the
c1emy's artillery. The Federals on their
side were developing and testing 10 the
utmost the turreted man-of-war, and
were demonstrating that brave men in
the discharge OF duty could not be de-
noralized by the presence OF a ney and
terrible weapon planted where no eye
could see. and no human sagacity could
guard against II. L have no time to
particularize, but there was one exploit
here that deserves 10 take its place
among the classics. Victor Hugo ex-
tolls as beyond comparison the contemp-
tuous answer given by the French OFF,
Ger TO the English general. Piston, when
nc rode up and asked the surrender OF
q hollow square OF the Old Guard that
was melting away under a deadly fire
from all sides. and writer's never tire Of
telling us OF the discipline and devotion
OF the Roman soldier as illustrated by
the remains Of a centurion dug out from
the ruins of Herculaneum, where, stand
ing erect at his post. he had been over
whelmed by the lava: but beyond and
above these there seem 20 me to stand the
heroism OF Lieutenant Dixon and Cap
tain Carlton and the five men who. with
a little torpedo boat, sank the Housa-
tonic in these waters. Five times this
boat had sunk before she could be
brought to bear upon an enemy-each
time all her crew. except one az one
time ane three at another, had perished
beneath the water; but there were al
ways volunteers TO man the little craft
The SIKH crew was successful. They
sank the Housatonic, but for the sixth
time the torpedo boat went down with
her crew, When. after the war, the
wrecks WIRE being removed, the little
beat was discovered on the bottom about
100 yards from the Housatonic. Every
man was at his post. III there he any
thing to surpass this know not where
to find il in the literature OF past ages.
but 1t has its parallel in the sinking OF
the Confederate ship Albemarle by
Lieutenant Cushing In the waters OF
North Carolina In 1864, and his miracul-
Gus escape.
Our country's new navy, which typi-
fes the might and ma jesty OF the union
OF the states. was built up by the Joint
efforts Of those who had supported the
Confederacy and those who had helped
10 maintain the Union. That navy is
something TO kindle pride and patriotism
In the heart OF every American citizen.
Its ships. its guns. It's torpedoes are
s1ual TO any in the world. Its officers
represent every congressional district In
tho land. they represent the bravery and
devotion that made such respondent
records for tho armies and navies OF the
Confedcracy and Of the Union. The
coolnoss and courage OF tho officers Of
the new navy were typihed recently by
the nerve with which the captain OF the
Maine handled his chip when there was
O cry of MAN overheard" In the midst
pf that terrific storm. and OF young
Gherardi. who took charge Of the rescu-
ms boat, and who. when II was found
Impossible 20 lift that boat again from
the tempcs,uous billows that were
threatening mcmentarily 90 engulf Il.
was the last 90 bc lifted from n by rope
10 tho deck ~ the vessel As for the
tailors of our navy. the heroic impulses
that animate them proclaim that they