The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1898-06-14

editor or the Louisville courier
Journal addressed the Kentucky
troops. He said in part
"You are about to make his
tory. 1t may prove that this
will not be history merely re-
peating 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. | scarcely like the
shibboleth Remember the
Maine 1t seems to me to be
too revengeful to be quite wor-
thy. | do not forget the circum-
stances to which it owes it's or
igin. The scenes of that awful
tragedy under the shadow of
Moro castle is yet before my
eyes. | can see, as I close them,
the very faces of our murdered
sailors with the ghastliness of
death upon them. | also see the
myrids of starving men, women
and children, ruthlessly sacrific-
ed to feed the lust and fill the
pockets of professional plumber
ers masquerading in Cuba as
Spanish officers and gentlemen.
Behind them I see three centur-
les of wanton pillage, of fright
full corruption of cruelty unsur-
passed in human annals. The
time has long come for some
great power to stretch forth it's
hand to interpose it authority
and tosay to the world. "This
barbarism shall proceed no fur
ther.'' What power except that
of~the United States was to do
this ? Time after time these at
rocities have been perpetrated
before your eyes. Whilst Spain
has required us to spend millions
of money policing our coasts
against filib listers, she has shown
herself unable or unwilling, in
our protection, to police one of
her own harbors. Was this to
go on forever +? You, yourselves,
are to answer the question.
"You are going to fight bat
tie 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 which is
the symbol of freedom and hum
anity, and, having Gods bless
ing upon it, has never yet known
defeat. Look to it that you carry
yourselves as soldiers equally OF
the cross and the flag.
mo man can be good soldier
who is not at heart a good man.
Self-possession in the presence
of danger is the truest courage,
and he is the bravest soldier who
keeps his head, who knows per-
fectly the right thing to do, ano
who does it when, frightened Out
of his boots, his legs would fain
carry him away. 1t is the sense
of duty which will make yor
men; duty to the flag above you
duty to the constituted authority
duty to country and honor, and
to those dear ones at home who
will follow you with ever tear
full but ever Frightening eyes.
Il believe in this war. [ be
lieve in it with all my mind anc
with all my soul. If ever there
was justified war, it is this
Though it should rob me of lives
that are dearer to me than my
own life, shall believe it con.
ceived in holy spirit sanctifiet
by heaven and directed toward
the advancement and enlarge
ment of a benign civilization.
In these warlike spectacles
everywhere manifest, it has al
ready united us as nothing else
could have united us-emancipa-
ting both sections of the Unior
from the mistaken impression
that we ever were to be anything
else than one people. In the
brilliant achievement of thai
typical Green Mountain boy or
the other side of the globe, it has
already exploited us as nava
power, aud as you yourselves
shall show. it will presently do
monstrate us no less a military
power, but at whose legions the
enemies of liberty and humanity
will do we'll to look before they
leap. Surely these were con,
summations devoutly to be wish
ed. They are worth all the wal
costs us or will cost us. I know
what war means.
"a neighbor of mine came to
me the other day to ask me to