The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-15
LOYAL LEGION BANQUET
COMMANDERY INDORsEs THE MONU-
MENT REGENTS COURSE.
VicI<sburg Military Park Revolution
w. w. Parsons Criticises Some of
the School Histories.

A very delightful evening was passed by
about $50 members of the Loyal Legion at
the stated meeting held at the Propylaeum
last night. Gen. j. III. Stibbs, of Chicago,
was the special guest of the Legion.
Thirty years ago General Stibbs was assoc
ciated with Gen. Lew Wallace in the court
martial that tried Writ Until the en-
campment at Buffalo they had not met for
thirty years, when old associations were re-
newed and General Wallace invited General
Sstibbs TO the December meeting of the Lee
gion. He is a capital story teller and an
inimitable recitationist, and last night was
almost worn out by the repeated demands
made on him for more of his humorous Of
ferings.
An interesting address was made by Prof.
Parsons, president of the State Normal
School His forcibe expressions with re-
gard to the manner history is msrepresent-
ed in the ordinary school histories was
greatly applauded, and the members of the
Legion seemed to be in thorough accord
with his ideas.
Resolutions with regard to establishing a
military park at Vicksburg and indorsing
the board of regents for carrying out the
original designs of Bruno Schmitz, archi-
tect of the monument including the re-
moval of the subsidiary statues to the seq
ments of the Circle, were passed. There
was some discussion of the monument res
olution, offered by Col l. N. Walker, Rev.
ID. r. Lucas and one or two others oppos-
ing it. A number of companions indorsed
the resolution in short speeches. Captain
Rigby, of Iowa, who is working for the
Vicksburg military park, spoke on that top
ic rather briefly.
Applications from three original officers
and eldest sons of two deceased officers for
membership were acted on favorably. The
new members are Francis B. Ainsworth, of
Indianapolis Charles B. Cooper, of Ander-
son; Ulysses ID. Cole of Rushville: William
Gavitt, of Evansville, son of, Major John
Smith Gavitt, and David II. Miller, of
Franklin, son of Captain Scott Miller
A feature of the meeting last night was
the large number of young men present.
The members by inheritance are taking
great interest in the meetings Samuel
compton. chairman of the reception COM
mittee, was assisted by Frank Martin, Will
liam B. Pollard Thomas L. Silt and Rob-
ert M. Fletcher all inheritance m embers.
After the business meeting and speechmak-
ing the members enjoyed an inviting repast
That had been prepared.
THE VICKSBURG PARK.
The resolutions regarding the Vicksburg
military park were as fOIlOWS:
Whereas, The operations that eliminated
almost simultaneously at Gettysburg end
Vlcksburg, in July 1868, not only mark the
turning point in the war of the rebellion
put also constitute an epoch in the history
of our country, and both should be comment
GRATED in the most impressive and enduring
manner possible; and.
Whereas, The establishment of a nation
al military park at Vicksburg will be an
appropriate monument to the great COM
mander whose genius planned the Vicksburg
campaign and brilliantly carried it to a sue
cessful issue; and,
Whereas, The Commandery of Indiana
mas an especial interest in this proposed
national military park. for the reason that
troops from Indiana participated with dis
tlngulshed gallantry in the operations it is
intended to commemorate; therefore,
Resolved, That the Commandery of Indi-
ana or the Military Order of the Loyal Lee
gion Of the United States of America in
oorses the Dill TO establish a national mill
tary park to commemorate the campaign,
siege and defense of Vicksburg, and respect
fully petitions that it be passed by the pres
ent Congress,
Resolved, That the companions of the
commandery, in making this request, recog-
nize that Congress has been liberal in es-
nelds of the war of the rebellion; but to
gettysburg, Antietam,. Chckamauga and
Shiloh now appropriately commemorated in
this enduring manner, they ask that Vicks-
burg be added.
Resolved. That the commander, the re-
cOrder and Companions Gen. George f. Nc
Glnnis, Col. l. n. Walker and Rear Admiral
George Brown be constituted a committee
to promote the prompt passage by Congress
of the Vicksburg park bill.
Resolved, That the recorder of the COM
mandery be and is hereby instructed to send
copy of these resolutions to Companions
William Mckinley, President of the United
States; Thomas b. Reed, speaker of the
House of Representatives; Joseph r. Haw-
ley, chairman of the Senate committee on
military affairs, and John A y. Hull, chair
man of the House committee on military
affairs.
MR.. PARSONS'S PAPER.
Mr.. Parsons first expressed the honor he
felt at being permitted to address the COM
mandery on an educational topic. Veteran
soldiers who had fought for such noble prin-
ciples, were not Indifferent to the great prin-
ciples of education on which the future well
fare of the country rests. After an introduce
tory, he said:
''Al philosophical and speculative rea-
sons aside, the practical interest of the mod
ern state in the education of the individual
centers in the great fact of his citizenship.
AS a member of q free state whose security
and prosperity rest on the intelligence, NOR
alty and patriotism of its citizens, every in
d1Vldual must possess at least the rudimentS
of education and the principles and habits
of moral life. So much, the very existence
and happiness of the state require. The state
undertakes the education of her youth, alike
as her duty to humanity and d necessary
means of perpetuating her own existence
and of advancing her highest interests.
1t Is, thels the nlgn mission or the PUBLIC
schools of the United States to confer upon
the masses that degree of intelligence and
learning and that training in the principles
and habits of moral conduct necessary to in
telligent, helpful, patriotic citizenship in the
Republic. The highest test of the efficiency
and worth of the public schools must be
the manly and womanly character which
they produce. By the efficacy of their moral
teachings, by the correctness and stability of
the moral habits they engraft upon the life,
and by the purity, loftiness and strength of
patriotic sentiment and purpose which they
engender, must these schools be finally
judged. Never has there been time in the
worlds history when character and conduct
counted for much as now. The overShad-
owing need of the hour everywhere is "a
higher standard of manly and womanly
at this hour is not intellectual acumen and
power. but manliness, womanly character,
patriotism, reverence. No other institution
or agency in modern society, the home and
family excepted, so efficiently teach the
virtues of promptness, industry, obedience
to law and rightful authority, truthfulness,
honesty, politeness, patriotism and public
share of it's time and energy to the cultiva-
ton of the virtues, retinementS and ameni-
ties of life.
THE VIRTUE OF PATRIOTISM.
"Pre-eminent among these graces, refine
ments and moral excellencies which the
public school must seek to implant in the
heart and life of the child is the virtue of
patriotism. And 1 imply this term not to de-
note a blind, sentimental, enthusiastic and
exaggerated estimate of American institu-
tons; but to express a sincere, hearty re-