The evening times., 1898-05-28
WAR sANcT1F1ED By HEAVEN.
Speech of Henry Watter.on to the
Kentucky Troops.

Kentucky Troops.
Lexington. KY. May 2s.-Ten. thou
sand people came into Lexington yes
terday to witness the civic and military
pageant, followed by a review by Gov
ernor Bradley, of the companies Of
troops now here. and to hear the ad-
dress to the troops by Henry Waiter
son. When the parade and review were
ended. 300 school children sang Amer
lea" W. c. P. Breckenridge then in
troduced Mr.. Watterson, who was Civ.
en- an ovation
In his address to the soldiers Mr..
Watterson. among other things. said:
For the first time since the Crusldes,
war has been levied for no cause Of a
purely material kind and with no sell
fish purpose. 1 scarcely like the shib-
boleth. Remember the Maine 1t seems
to me too revengeful to be quite worthy.
l do not forget the circumstance to
which 1t owes its origin The scene Of
that awful tragedy under the shadow Of
Morro Castle is yet before my eyes. I
can see. as l close them. the very faces
of our murdered sailors with the ghast-
illness of death upon them.
But also see the myriads of starv-
ing men. women and children ruthlessly
the pockets OF professional plunderers
masQuerading as Spanish officers and
gentlemen Behind them 1 see three
centuries of wanton pillage. of fright
ful corruption, of cruelty unsurpassed
in human annals
You are going to fight q battle waged
by man for man. You are going, there
died for men, You are going to fight a
battle for the glory of God and your ma
tive land You are going, therefore, un-
der flag which. the symbol at once
of freedom and humanity. and having
Gods blessing upon it, has never yet
known defeat. Look to it that you car
~ yourselves as soldiers equally of the
Cross and of the Flag.
Il believe in this war. believe in 1t
with all my mind and with all my
soul. If ever there was a justified war
it is this. Though it should rob me of
lives that are dearer to me than my
own, 1 shall believe it conceived by the
Holy Spirit, sanctitied by heaven and
directed toward the advancement and
enlargement of benign civilization.
In these warlike spectacles every
where manifested, it has already united
US as nothing else could-as emancipat-
ing both sections of the Union from
the mistaken impression that We ever
were, or ever could be, anything else
than one people.
In the brilliant achievement of that
typical Green Mountain boy on the oth-
er side of the globe, it has already ex-
plotted US as anaval power, and. as you
yourselves shall show, it will presently
demonstrate US no less a military pow
er, before whose legions the enemies Of
liberty and humanity will do well to
look before they leap.
In the nature of the case. but few
Of you can hope to attain TO great COM
mands or to acquire exceptional dis
tinction. But there is no one of you
who cannot do his duty. and. doing his
duty. cannot be proud and happy.
"A neighbor of mine came to me the
other day to ask me to exert my sup
posed influence in getting his son a
commission. / assured him that l have
no influence.
But said I, I have two sons carry
ing muskets in the ranks. sons whom
I dearly love. but for whose advance
ment l shall not put forth the slightest
effort. 1t is enough for me to know that
they are serving their country. and il
it pleases God to bring them back to
their mother and ME safe and sound
/ shall bless His name as long as I
live
In tkat prayer let me include each
and every one of you, though l 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 mas just given up as heavens
first sacrifice upon the altars Of the
nation and mankind. than that one
feather should be plucked from the
eagles wing or syllable of reproach
be justly cast upon the name and fame
of our dear Kentucky"