The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-29

ADOO TALKS WAR
His Stirring Address at a
Maine Memorial Meet
ing in Orange.
HEARS RUMBLINGs OF A CONFLICT
Thinks the Men Who Lost
Their Lives in Havana Har-
Dor Were Murdered.
HEARS RUMBLINGs OF A CONFLICT
rspecial to .sThe Jersey city News."l

Especial to 1.-THE Jersey City News
TRENTON, March %, 1S9S.-An impress
sive service in memory of the sailors who
lost their lives by the sinking OF the
battleship Maine took place Sunday even
ing in the Grove Street Congregational
Church, East Orange, when a stirring adj
dress was delivered by William MeAdoo'
of East Orange, former Congressman
from New Jersey, and Assistant Secre-
tary of the Navy at the time of the build
ing of the Maine.
The big auditorium was filled and
chairs lac to be placed in the aisles 10
accommodate the people.
Especial interest attached to the SER
vice for the reason that Fred E. Kinsey,
a petty officer of. the Maine, who was
killed in the catastrophe. was at one
time a member of the Sunday-school OF
the church. His former teacher and the
other members of the class attended last
nights service in a body and were visi-
bly, affected. After Mr.. McAdoo's address
a collection was taken up for the dead
sailors widow and orphan child, and the
plates overlooked with silver and bank
notes.
In introducing Mr.. McAdoo. the Rev
DR.. Charles Hall Everest, pastor of the
church. said:-"Not since the Civil Wal
has any event so startled this nation as
the loss of the warship Maine with $50
lives. The feeling caused by the loss has
been intensified by the suspicion that the
destruction of the ship was the result of
malice. heralding the thunder of war.
THE issue is one of the most momen-
tous the world has ever seen. The spec
tacle is unique in history; that of great
nations on the verge of war, not to ac-
quire territory or to settle disputes over
boundary or leadership, but for the priv
ilege of feeling sorry for, of striking off
the letters and freeing a people from the
tender mercies of a nation which found
fitting monument in the Spanish inquisi-
tion.
IF such is the issue, we are here to-
night to honor the memory of the first
victims sacrificed in this history-maklng
epoch. While we deplore war, we can in
this conflict con%scientiously and prayer
fully invoke the aid of the Lord OF
Hosts"
Mr.. McAdoo's address was an able and
moving effort. Calmly and without at
tempt at oratorical effort, he sketched the
scene of the disaster and pleaded for pa
triotism and honor IN an an t ealn ns+ant ann
1O41tlo tAAA4A @Ac
of every person in the church until MS
last word.
Referring to Kinsey, he said;-"This
ished in Havana Harbor, was murdered,
either by criminal negligence or premed-
itated malice: deliberately slain as they
lay sleeping in the supposedly friendly
harbor of a friendly nation. On that ter
rible night there lay in van Harbor
one of the finest ships of her kind in the
world. She was a masterpiece OF lngenu-
itAF and had hp6n o9raf1l1V and cQnSclen-
tiously built.
s.At 9 o'clock the ship bugler sounded
taps and as the men heard 1t, IN so
many cases for the last time on earth,
they turned into their hammockS, tired
ard worn from the drills and labors OF the
DAY. and in a few minutes were sound
asleep. From the time she entered the
harbor the Maine had practically been in
a state of siege. Realizing the danger of
hostilities between the two nations, her
officers were unusually vigilant, and you
may rest assured that Captain Sigsbee,
one of the most careful, methodlcal and
honorable men in the navy, spared neither
the exercise of diligence or caution.
IF the ship was blown up by fiends,
no better time of the day or night could
have been selected for doing the BASTARD
~ deed. | have never believed for a mo-
ment that the Maine could have been
blown up by a. interior accident. The
Naval Court of Inquiry was composed OF
men of the highest character and compe-
found, and /, for one, am satisfied to ac-
cept their report as final and conclusive.
This gloomy, wet Sabbath is probably
one of the most momentous days in his
tory. For fifty years there has not been
a day so fraught with danger and upon
the issue of which SO much depended.
The President and the members of the
Cabinet w in their keeping the honor
of the country, because when Congress
meets tomorrow and the President gives
his views or the subject, the die will
probably be cast for peace or war.
N good man dies in vain for a
righteous cause. and Fred Kinsey's name
will be preserved in the history of this
country. His death was not in vain.
We see the tragedy and are appalled,, but
beyond are splendid results. He died for
the flag just as much and his death was
just as heroic as though war had been
declared, and for his death the nation
is already being repaid with magnificent
results, the most important of which is
the bringing out of the good qualities of
the American people.
Among other results achieved from
the tragedy in Havana Harbor has been
the death of s-ectionalism. This was seen
in Congress and the United States Senate,
when with one voice the Presidents re-
quest for an appropriation of $50, 200, 900
was met with the ready reSponse:-sNot
fifty, but one hundred or five hundred
millions, if it is needed There was no
North, no South, no East, no West. What
q reply was that to Bismarck's statement
of a few years ago that this country
could not fight a foreign nation, as her
guns were trained on the South.
lutS CdtdSlEOQ4t has dist SlOWi1 tudI
the plain people rule. Great business in
terests were properly frightened at the
thought of wal and the disasters to COM
merce which would attend. In France or
the Latin countries of Europe or South
America there would have been an i'm
mediate outburst, but the American peo-
pie thought it over, calm, cool and col
lected, studied each bit of evidence and
weighed it. Then when it was decided
that the horror had not been accidental.
the National pulse was quickened and
seventy million of people stood behind the
President, ready to she'd their blood for
the National honor.
Il would not preach war from this
pulpit of peace, but your pastor will bear
me out in the statement that a nation
must be courageous. The Israelites were
at their best when they were fighting,
when the Hebrew race retained its virifity
and manhood. I find nothing in the Bible
that counsels peace at any price but ]
do find God telling his chosen people that
they should Withstand their enemies, and
that the sword of war would be blessed
by Him. While we are a peaceful people,
we are a people of great heart and quick
conscience, and behind both is a strong
right arm ready to strike Town enemies
and vindicate the honor of the country
when the cause is just and right"
Mr.. McAdoo paid high tribute to the
officers and men in the navy and army
and the digniiied manner in which the
survivors of the Maine had conducted
themselves since the blowing up of the