The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-04-06
ROSE TO THE OCCASION.
Alger Leaves a Sick Bed to Pres
pare .or War.



Enough. Surviving Veterans 90 Drill IN !,
Army OF $4,000 Men In Two Weeks
what senators Mcmillan and Burrows
Say OF the Gathering War Clouds-Wili-
lam Alden Smith Declares in Favor OF
speedy Intsrvsntioa I'm Behalf Of Cubs.
washington. April 6.-"while IL was
difficult to drill great armies at the be-
ginning of our civil war;" says Secre-
tary Alger. st will be easy enough to
drill great armies now. You may re-
member that at the beginning Of our
civil war we had only the West Point
graduates to depend upon for drilling
raw recruits. and they were assisted
by survivors OF the Mexican war. These
drill masters were about equally d.
vided between the north and the south.
But today we have not only our
West Point men and the sergeants Of
the regular army. but We have veter-
ans of the civil war. all Of them capa-
BILE of drilling raw recruits and put
ting them in condition to take the
field, without great delay.
THE boys who spend four years at
West Point learn all about the science
of war, and they secure broad educa-
lions, but as drill masters they are not
one whit superior to the boyst who
fought four years. wearing blue ana
grey uniforms. I believe that we have
enough surviving veterans In Michigan
to drill an army of $4,000 men inside OF
two weeks. / believe that the veter-
ans north and south could drill and
make effective an army of 1,000,0O men
within a period of a month. and make
good soldiers of all OF them"
should BE Proud Of Alger.
Every Michigan man should be proud
of General Alger for his splendid de-
termination Of character Although he
WAS seriously i'll for two months, and
was critically i'll a part OF the time
as soon as a great national crisis came
upon us he arose to the occasion, con-
ouered the disease by exercise OF viii
power and went to the war department
every day to supervise the work Of
preparation for hostilities. The officers
and bureau chiefs Of the war depart
ment speak Of him and OF his WORKING
capacity in terms Of esteem and en-
dearment.
This afternoon, in his office, Genera
Alper said: 1T is especially crafty
ing not only to me but to the president
and 1 believe that the whole countr!
would be pleased, to see the letter
from old soldiers rendering their serv
ices. Even James Longstreet, the Oh
0ehtinp character upon whom tn
relied writes that although he is al
most so years old, he would gladl
take the field for this country, and n
states his belief that he could rende
good service.
"Moreover. I have received lette
from the son of General Grant, mod
estly expressing his desire to serve HI
country in the army He says In n
letter that he has seen military service
He was with his distinguished soldis
father I'm the memorable siege OF Vicks
burg. in the Chattanooga, WILDERNESS
Spottsylvania and Richmond can
paigns.
Served In Indian Campaigns.
"He also went to West Point, serve
four years, and was graduated IN io'
He then served in several frontier IL
dian campaigns, and was also STA
officer at army headquarters under II
command of General Sherman ar
Lieutenant General Sheridan. +
saws: The records of the war depar
ment will show where and in what CT
nacitv I am best fitted to serve. al
am ready to accept any assignee
which may be given 10 me NY 'ne
rotary of war
from the son of his old command
with great feeling. He also SAID:
have received a number of person
letters from Michigan soldiers, some
them having reached the scriptural a
of three score years and ten, who 81
that they are ready and Wiling
fight for their country. 1 have also
ceived personal letters from Democra
and Republicans in Michigan, sayi1
that. although they served In Michlg
regiments in their boyhood, they a
now less than 60 years old, and belle
that they can render good service
the field"
Michigan Ready for War.
..Tbere is no mistaking the feel
Of the people of Michigan" says Sc
ator Burrows. my correspondent
shows that they are all ready for WI
and have been for some time. ~
sonally. / am sorry to see these W
clouds gather. have prayed from
first that there might be no war.
cost of human life, the sunerings
bereaved wives and children, the c.
of treasure to the country, all TN
must be considered. But when war
forced upon a peace-loving country,
ia gratifying to see the spontanet
patriotism of the people. Michigan v
foremost of the northwestern states
the civil war. and her people wili
be backward on this occasion nor
any occasion when the federal cove
ment needs the services of her SONS
Senator Mcmillan says: mo G
servative man In either the senate
the house of representatives has
sired war with Spain or with any o.,
country. 1t is a shame that the Uni
states should be confronted with 81
an emergency, without having a m
Formidable navy. Nevertheless, we