The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-01
CARDINAL GIBBONS ON THE MAINE
The PreIate Finds No Cause for War
in the Disaster.

Baltimore, Feb pa solemn requiem
mass for the repose of the souls of those
who lost their lives with the destruction
of the battleship Maine was celebrated
at the Cathedral here this morning Car
dinal Gibbons made an address and read
the services for the dead. A number of
naval and military officers were present,
including those of the militia and naval
reserve. The Cardinal said:
1--WE do not realize how ardently we
love our country until some crisis occurs
which awakens our devotion to her and
arouses our admiration and gratitude for
those who have died in her service. Such
crisis has quite recently occurred, for
we have assembled here this morning to
assist at a holy sacrifice offered for the
souls of the brave officers and men who
have lost their lives at the post of duty
I'VE are also called together to give ex-
preston to our heartfelt coincidence and
sympathy for the bereaVed relatives of
those faithful defenders of their country
whom the nation mourns. see before
me the representatives of our army and
navy; see the representatives. of our ex-
cellent state militia and our fellow-cltl-
zens at large. You represent sorrowing
nation, for every home in our broad coun-
try feels the loss as a personal one.
TO much praise cannot be bestowed on
the president and on the members of his
cabinet and particularly on the Secretary
Of the Navy and his able assistant. as
well as on the houses of Congress. for the
calmness and tranquility, self-control and
self-possession which they have exhibited
during the fearful ordeal through which
the country has been passing the last few
days. 1t needed only spark TO kindle
a great conflagration and the patient and
dignifed bearing of our executive bodies
are all the more conamendab,e in view of
the mischieYous and intemperafe utter
ances Of some sensational newsnan4rs
This nation Is too brave, too strong too
powerful, and too just to engage in an I'M
righteous or preciptate war Let MS re-
member that the eyes of the world are an
u.s. whose judgment we cannot dasniso
and that we will gain more applause ana
credit for ourselves by calm deliberation
and mastery inactivity than by recourse
to arms.
Thrice is he armed who hath his omar
rel just hope and believe for the honor
of humanity that the destruction Of The
Maine was caused by an accident ana IN
that case Spain capnot be responsible
But, suppose some hendish Cuban occa
stoned this fearful loss of life in order IN
embroil our nation in war with his mother
country In mat case Spain should not
be held responsible. And even had Some
fanatical Spaniard perpetrated this atroci-
Gus crime, there would be no necessity for
recourse TO the arbitrament of the sword
THE only circumstance that would
warrant active hostilities would
be evidence that The Span
ish government connived at fhe
placing of torpedoes or explosives In me
harbor of Havana to destroy our vessel
But l do not believe and no sane man
can believe, that chivalric nation would
be guilty of such inhumanity.
These brave men did not die, indeed on
the deck Of ship with weapons in their
hand. Nevertheless we must regard them