The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-06
FLAG FOR THE SECOND.
Imposing Ceremony and Address by
John l.. Griffiths.


The Second Regiment, Col. Harry B.
Smith, was yesterday afternoon presented
by the Caroline Scott Harrison Chapter of
the Daughters of the Revolution with silk
American flag of regulation size, with a
bronze eagle spreading its wings on the
point of the staff and gold fringe and braid
galore. The present was accompanied by
an address by John L. Griffiths in the am
phitheater at Camp Mount. in the presence
of the regiment. the ladies of the chapter
that presented the flag and number of
visitors. The cold wind beat the rain into
the amphitheater through it's open front.
but it did not dampen the enthusiasm of
the crowd nor prevent Mr.. Griffiths from
standing with barred head as he delivered
his address. At every one Of the patriotic
utterances and the expressions of praise
for the leaders of the army of America,
both volunteer and regular, and the navy,
especially Admiral Dewey, which marked
nearly every paragraph of the speakers adj
dress, the amphitheater rang with cheers.
The staff officers of the regiment were
lined up in front of Mr.. Griffiths, who stood
on a chair as he spoke. He talked elo-
quently for about ten minutes. In the
course of his talk, he said:
Never was a hoier war waged than the
one we are now prosecuting. 1t is an ire
pressible conflict, clash of opposing civ
iizations, a trial of strength between An
glo-Saxon ideas and institutions and those
of the Latin races. 1t is a war of hui
ions of light against the forces of dark
ness. 1t might, perhaps have been post
poned, but 1t could never have been avoided.
The destruction of the Maine was only a
tragic incident in the march of events.
Political conceptions and practices as an
tagonistic as those OF Spain and the United
States could not flourish indefinitely only
seventy miles apart. Sooner or later the
struggle for supremacy must have come.
Spain, since the seventeenth century, has
been steadily losing, her power and pres
tige. The great tides of modern civilization
have swept by her, making little, IL any, i'm
preston on the pride and ignorance and
superstition of her people and rulers. She
lives to-day wholly in the past welded to
old traditions and the memory of her for
mer greatness She Is one, of the saddest
examples in history of moral decadence.
1t IS the moral sentiment so marked in the
Anglo-Saxon which has made England and
America strong and vigorous powerful and
regnant'
Mr. Griffiths stepped down from his chair
amid a roar of applause and before il sub
sided the flag was placed in Colonel Smith s
hands as he stood with barred head to re-
ceive it, He thanked the ladies of the
chapter for the flag in graceful words and
as he closed Adtutant George w. Powell
turned To the boys of the regiment and
called for three cheers and tiger for the
colonel. They We're given with an accom-
paniment of stamping of feet on the floor
and hand clapping which shook the ans
phitheater. As II subsidized Colonel Smith
successfully asked the boys for cheers for
the chapter of ladies that had presented the
flag, for Mr.. Griffiths, for General Mckee.
for Colonel Ross, who formerly commanded
the regiment. and for the First Regiment
Band, which furnished the music for the oc-
casion. and II seemed that the breath nee
cSsary for the roar that went up was hardly