The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-05-04
NDIANA'S MILITIAMEN
Presented With a Battle Flag by
Ex-President Harrison.
HIS FIRST WAR UTTERANOB.

Five Thousand volunteers Addressed
by the General, who Congratulates
Them and Wishes Them Godspeed.
Better or Than Soldiers of 1S8I-82.
Indianapolis, May 4.-Yesterday af-
ternoon at Camp Mount, where 5000
Indiana volunteers are assembled, Cen
eral Harrison made his first public ut
terance of the war in presenting a flag
to Battery A on behalf of society la
dies. General Harrison said:
Some of my young lady friends
called upon me and asked me to say u
few words in connection with the pre-
sentation TO this battery of the flag
which they had prepared. My engage
ments were such that l have been neg
ativing all invitations to make public
addresses, and might have denied the
ladies-though my desire to please
them was very strong-but l could not
deny myself the qualification of a
word of greeting, of commendation,
and a sodspeed to you and to all of
the brave young fellows who have so
promptly answered our country's call
to war.
"As Indianans we are proud of you.
You will take the field under the very
best auspices. Your officers and men
have attained a high efficiency in drill.
You have already a high esprit de
corps You have been first in peace,
you must not-cannot, will not-be
second in war. You have attained great
efficiency in dismounting your own
guns and now you are to try what you
can do in dismounting the enemys
guns
You have as a trained and organized
militia a great advantage of the vol
unteers Of 1862. Our foes now are
not, thank God those of our own house
hold. That was a war for the life of
the union: this a war for humanity
| That for ourselves; this for the op-
pressed Of another race. We could not
| escape this conflict. Spanish rule had
become effete. We dare not say that
we have Gods commission to deliver
the oppressed the world around. To the
distant Armenian we could send only
the succor of faith that overcomes
| death and the alleviations which the
nurse and the commissary can give.
but the oppressed Cubans and their
| starving women and children are
knocking at our doors; their cries pene-
trate our slumbers. They are closely
within what we have defined to be the
sphere of American influence. We have
| said, Look to us, not to Europe, and
we cannot shirk the responsibility
and the dangers of this old and settled
American policy. We have as nation,
! toward Cuba, the same high commits
| sion which every brave hearted man
has to strike down the ruffian who in
his presence beats a woman or a child
and will not desist.
I'VE have declared in the face OF the
nations of Europe, who are now divid-
ing continents much as hungry boys
might divide a melon, that we have no
purpose to seize and appropriate Cuba.
! We go to set her free, to give to her
own people that which we have claim
ed and established for ourselves-the
right to set UP and maintain a govern
ment suitable to their own necessities
controlled by their own suffrage. We
covet from her, as from all nations of
America, only the Office of good neigh
bors and the fair and natural ex-
changes of commerce. We do not deny
dominion to Europe in order to seize ii
for ourselves. But we may justly, ]
think in the West Indies and in the
has won so splendid a victory, hold
some little unpeopled harbors where
our cruising warships may coal and
find a refuge when in stress.
II do not doubt that speedily
though no man can set the times which
God plans-that this great work to
which the United States has addressed
itself will be completely and promi-
| N tt1l a q
you, my friends, that you are to have
part in it.
"These women send you to the sue
cor of the starving and oppressed
women of Cuba. They cannot carry
the flag into battle, but they bring II
to you who can. And to its Significance
and glory as the national emblem they
add the beauty of their love, and theiI
charge is that you bear it in honor and
bring it home in triumph"