The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-28
wArrERsox ON THE WAR.
Patriotic Address to the Volunteers
of Kentucky,

Of Il eutuciSN.
Louisville. Ky. May 27.-Hon. Henry
Watterson delivered ,he following pauio-
tic address to the Kentucky volunteers to-
day:
MIR. Watterson said IN part:
you are about 10 make history. II may
prove that this Will not prove history
merely repeating itself. For the first time
since the crusades war has been levied
for no cause of a purely material kind and
with no selfish purpose.
Il scarcely ike the shibboleth, 'Remem-
Der the Maine 1t seems 10 me too re-
vengeful TO be quite worthy. 7 do not for
get The circumstances 10 which il owes its
origin. The scene of that awful tragedy
under the shadow of MORO Castle IS vet
before my eyes. ! can see as I close them
the faces of our murdered sailors and the
ghastliness OF death upon them. But /
also see the myTiads of starving men, wo-
men and children ruthessly sacrificed 20
feed the lust and 10 fiji the pockets of pro
fessional plunderers masquerading as Gu
ban officers and gentlemen. Behind them
l see three centuries of wantOn pillage, Of
frightful corruption. Of cruelty unsur-
passed in human annals
The time was long ago come for some
great power TO stretch forth its hand TO
interpose its authority and to say to the
world. This barbarism shall proceed no
further
What power except that of the United
States was to do this2
Time out of mind these atrocities have
been perpetra ted before our eyes. Whilst
Spain has required US to spend millions Of
money policing our coasts against the fill
busters she has shown herself unable, or
unwilling, in our protection, to police one
OF her own harbors.
WAS this TO go on forever? You your
selves are the ones to answer the question.
au are going to fight a battle waged by
man. for man.
You are going, therefore, in the name
of that Christ who died for men.
You are going to fight a battle for the
glory of God and your native land.
You are going, therefore, under a flag
the symbol at once OF freedom and Lu-
mainly and having Gods blessing upon
1t, has never yet known defeat.
Look to 1t that you carry yourselves
as soldiers equally of the cross and of the
flag
mo man can be a good soldier who is
not at heart good man. Self possess
ion in the presence of danger Is the tru-
est courage and he is the bravest soldier
who keeps his head who knows perfectly
the right thing to do, and who does it
when frightened out Of his boots. his legs
sense of duty which viii make you men;
duty TO the flag above you; duty to CON
stituted authority; duty 20 country and
honor, and to those dear ones at home VINO
will follow you with ever fearful but
with ever Frightening eyes\
Il believe in this war I believe with
all my mind and with all my soul. il
ever there was justified war il is this.
Though it should rob me of lives that are
dearer to me than my own life l shall
believe it conserved in holy spirit sane,
titled by heaven and directed toward the
advancement and the enlargement of a
benign civilization.
In these warlike spectacles, every
where manifest, it has already united as
nothing else could have unlted-emauci-
pating both sections of the Union from Tie
mistaken impression that we ever We're
or ever could be anything else but one
people.
In the brilliant achievement of that
typical Green Mountain boy on the other
side of the globe, il has already exploited
US as a naval power, and as you yourselves
shall show II will presently demonstrate
us as a military power before whose le-
giOns the enemies of liberty and humanity
will do we'll TO look before they leap.
Surely these are denominations de-
voutly 10 be wished. They are worth all
the war has cost US or win cost US. l know
what war means
obedience, submission is the first and
perhaps, the hardest of the soldiers du-
ties. If officers seem capricious. or tyran-
meal during duty II will come around all
right. If the powers seem partisan or I'M
fair, do your duty. BE sure in the long
tun-the man who does his duty passes
beyond the reach of wrong; for as there
is a God who saith, Vengeance is mine-I
will repay, so the people, whose voice Is
the voice of God. viii visit upon those that
would convert the places of trust when
they chance to hold. into places of private
or political advantage, d punishment as
complete as 1t Is certain, as blighting as It
is overwhelming.
In the nature of the case. but few OF
you can hope 10 attain TO great commands
or 10 acquire exceptional distinction IN
the end most of YOU must lay aside your
Uniforms and resume the habiliments of
civil life. But there Is no one Of you who
cannot do his duty, ana doing his duty
cannot be proud and happy. A neghbor of
mine came 10 see me the other day to ask
me to exert my supposed influence in get
ting his son a commission. ] assured him
that / had no influence. But said l. 7
have TWO sons carrying muskets in the
ranks-sons whom l dearly love-but for
whose advancement l shall not put forth
the slightest effort. It is enough for me 10
know that they are serving their country.
and If il pleases God to bring them bacl,
TO their mother ana me safe and sound I
shall bless his name as long as l live
In that prayer, let me include each and
every one OF you; though / would rather
see my boys, and each and every one of
you lying by the side of that brave and
lovely sailor lad whom North Carolina ha-
just given up as heavens first sacriice
upon the affairs of the nation and man
kind, than that one feather should he
plucked from the eagles wing or a sylla-
bic OF reproach be justly cast upon the
name and fame Of our dear Kentucky
EXPEDITION TO MANILA.