The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-06-01
watterson's Patriotic Address.

WatterS0ns 8 Patriotic A0ureSs.
The address at Lexington last week
by Colonel Henry Wattcrson to the
volunteer troops Of kentucky les de-
scribed as the most eloquent effort Of
this brilliant speakers career. lie
said;
'Nou are about to make history. 1t
may prove that this will not be history
merely repeating itself. For the first
time since the Crusades war has been
levied for no cause Of purely mater
ial kind, and with no selfish purpose.
[ scarcely like the shibboleth, 'Remem-
revengeful to be quite worthy. | do
not forget the circumstances to which
it owes it origin. The scene of that
awful tregedy under the shadow of
MORO castle is yet before my eyes.
! can see, as / close them, the very
faces of our murdered sailors, with
the ghastliness Of death upon them.
But also see the myriads Of starving
men, women and children, ruthlessly
sacrificed to feed the lust and to ill
the pockets Of professional plunderers
masqucrading in Cuba as spanish otti-
GERS and gentlemen. Behind them |
see three centuries of wantun pillage, of
frightfu corruption, Of cruelty unsur-
passed in human annals. The time
long ago came for some great power
to stretch forth it's hand, to interpose
it's authority and to say to the world,
This harbarism shall proceed no far
ther.' What power except the United
States was to do this? Cuba is our
next door npighbor. Time out of mind
these atrocities have been perpetrated
before our eyes While Spain has re-
qurcd us to spend millions of money
policing our coasts against the fill
busters. she has shown herself unable,
or unwilling, i'm our protection, to
police one of her own harbors. Was
| this to go on forever? You yourselves
| are the answer to the question.
"You are going to fight "A battle
| waged by man for man. You are going,
| therefore, in the name of that Christ
who died for men. You are going to
| fight battle for the glory Of God and
| your native land. You are going, there
! fore, under a 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 carry yourselves as SOL
diers equally of the crCGs and of the
| flag. No 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 perfectly the right thing
to do and 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 you men; duty to
the flag above you; duty to constituted
and to those dear ones at home who
will follow you with ever-tearful, but
with ever-brghtening eyes.
Il believe in this war | believe in
it with all my mind and with all my
soul. II ever there was a justified wal
it is this. Though it should rob me OF
lives that are dearer to me than my
own life, | shall believe it conceived
in holy spirit, sanctied by heaven
and directed toward the advancement
and enlargement of the benign civili.
zation. In these warlike spectacles
everywhere manifest, it has already
united us, as nothing else could unite
us emancipatinE both sections of the
union from the mistaken impression
that we ever were or could be anythinl
else than one people. The brilliant
achievement of that typical Greer
Mountain boy on the other side Of thu
globe has already exploited us as ;
naval power, and as you yourselves
shall show, we will presently demon
strate ourselves no less Il military
power. Surely these were COnsumma
tions devOutly to be wished. They ar
worth all the war has cost us, or will
cost us. l know what war means
Obedience. submission, is the first ant
, perhaps the hardest of the soldier
, duties. If officers seem capricous. o
tyrannical, do your duty. 1t will com
around all right. If the powers tina
, be seem partisan, or unfair, do you
duty. The end will justify you. b
sure that, in the long run, the man VIII
a does his duty passes beyond the reac
, of wrong
70 in the nature of the case but fe,
( Of you can hope to attain to grea
$ commands or to acquire exceptions
g distinction. In the end most Of 20
$ must lay aside your uniforms and re
2 sumo the habiliments Of civil life Blu
Y there is no one Of you who can not d
- his duty, and, doing his duty. ca
n not be proud and happy, \ neighbo
5 of mine came to me the other day t
ask me to exert my supposed inhuenc
in getting his son a commission.
assured him that | have no infuenc,
=, But said |, 4 have two sons carry
I, ing muskets in the ranks sons whOl
. | dearly love--but for whose advance
ment | shall not put forth the slghtes
effort 1t is enough for me to kno
a, that they are serving their countr,
- and if it pleases God to bring theI
= back To their mother ana me safe an
sound | shall bless His name as Ion
as / live In that prayer let me in
- clude each and every one Of yol
+ though | would rather see my boy
II and each and every one of you, lyir
= by the side of that brave and love
= sailor lad whom North Carolina hf
10 just given up as heavens first sacr
n flee upon the altaTs of the nation an
v mankind than that one feather shou
| no nj