The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-03-05
DEpEw ON MINE DISASTER.
An Eloquent Address at the Benefit Con-
cert Mt the Waldorf-Astoria Last Night
RoR mo RaIsad

New York, March A concert for
the benefit of the widows and orphans
of the men killed in the Maine disaster
was held at the Waldorf to-
night. The attendance was large, many
representative society people being pres
ent.
One of the guests was Marquis Tiexira,
"a nephew of Dom Pedro, late emperor
of Brazil, who gave check for $1OO.
The receipts amounted to about $1,000.
The feature of the evening was an elo-
quent speech by Chauncey Depew. The
hoxes were filled with patronesses of
the concert. They numbered forty. DR..
Depew said.
l fear a speech will be a false note
In the exquisite harmony which is to
be given by the artists who have vol
unteered their services this evening.
But the call to participate and intro
duce the exercises Of an occasion like
this is too imperative to be questioned
or denied. 1t is singularly approprl-
ate that art in one of it's most agree
able forms-music-shou pay tribute
to the memories of the heroes who
went down with the battleship Maine,
and call together the audience which
contributes to the support of the fam
lilies Of those who died.
The Great Apostle gave as the vir-
tues Faith, Hope and Charity, and the
chief Of these is Charity. Charity is
broader far mere helpfulness to those
in distress. The tragedy which calls
us together has given it a patriotic as
well as benevolent significance. BY
the exercise of it's spirit the judgment
of the country is suspended until there
are ascertained. BY the exercise of it's
spirit we not only do justice to the
dead and care for the living, but we
believe until the fact shall prove 9TH
erwise that the crime which might be
possible is so unworthy Of brave
people as to be utterly improbable
Notwithstanding that our strength
is upon the land and our territory so
vast, we have always had national
fondness for the sea. There has been
little hitherto in our conditions or our
relations with the nations of the world
to call for the enormous naval arma-
ments which they deem necessary for
their well being or their safety. But
nothing so stirs the blood and fires the
imagination of Americans as victory
upon the water The Continental Army
of the Revolution, the little force
which conquered Mexico the deeds of
valor by Federal and Confederate SOL
diers in the Civil War arouse our pride
and enthusiasm. There is, however,
an element of romance about the bat
tleship upon the ocean which ilicits
deeper and keener interest The fac
of 60
understood, but the sailor meets not
only the usual hard dangers of
battle but also the peri1s of the deep
His ship Is his country and GUS. He
must keep 1t afloat with the flag fly
ing, against both the destructive fore
es of nature and the power of the en-
emies of his country. Tt is the glory
of the American Navy that it has new
er disappointed either the hopes or
the ambitions of our people. It's record
is brilliant with victories which keep
alive the national spirit and promote
patriotism. Many Of us have wandered
through the great galleries of Europe
and fingered in the salons, where upon
the walls were pictured the battles
and the naval engagements which
had saved the country or increased it's
power. We have no national gallery;
we have no salon Of battle pictures,
but every American boy has painted
for himself Paul Jones sweeping the
ocean with his little sloop in the Revo-
lutionary war, the frigate Constitution
Old Ironsides bearing down all before
her and giving for the time the sea
power to the American navy, Porter
civ coi1iv1cr oh No c,to Of
shot and shell past the batteries of
Vicksburg and Farragut, dashed to the
slroouds in the bay at Mobile, winning
hew laurels for American seamen. And
our blood moves at the narration of
the incident as holly as did that of our
fathers In the midst of the strife when
we read of Commodore Perry abandon
ing to the enemy his helpless ship, go
ing in his little boat to another and
with her reconquering his flagship and
causing the surrender of all the vessels
in the enemy's fleet.
The tragedy of the Maine has it's
value. Sad as are such occurrences
they reveal that idealism has not been
Killed by the materialism of our times.
We all Of us knew men who are chips
and sawdust. Their lives are exhaust
ed in ceaseless efforts to get more of
that of which they already have more
than they need. They serve their pur-
pose on the material side Of the coun-
trys growth, but they are not the ma
ton. The same spirit which fired the
farmers shot at Lexington that echoed
around the world, which stood behind
the breastworks on Bunker Hill, which
pledged the perile fortune and life in
the Declaration of Independence, which
left office and pulpit, and farm and fac
tory, and store and counting room to
serve the Union, animates to-day the
American people. Let the national
honor, or the national flag, or the ter
ritory Of the nation be assailed and the
hot pursuits of money, which is our
characteristic is abandoned and we are
4 all soldiers and sailors. We are apt to
believe when peace has prevailed long
enough for generations to be in active
life which know not war and sacrifices
for country that the active principle
of patriotism which gives all for coun-
try is paralyzed or dead. Paul Revere
and his midnight ride, Nathan Hale
and his youthful sacrifice, the thou
sand incidents where brigade or a
regiment or a company or a. soldier OF
sailor has stood at the post of duty
and welcomed death to save the day
are the history of the past, but the
marine, standing at his post, undisturb-
ed after the frightful explosion
awaiting to report and receive orders