The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-06-07
HENRY WATTERSON ON THE WAR,

WatterSOn to the h~ellluckA
Ten thousand people were 2alleFeu ~
lexington. and amid surroundings car
cnl1ted 10 inspire amy real orator, MI.
Watterson made one Of the hhest
snccchcs heard in this decade. lie llaa
TWO sons in the ranks carrying ilneS'
ana that was an additional incentive
TO clooponce. We can make space Only
FOR an extract from the Grafton. MI
Wattcrson said i'll part:
You are about to make history. y
may prove that this will not be history
merely rppeating itself. For the 1lfsi
time since the C~ruSadeS, War mas Deeli
levied for no cause Of It purely malefid!
kind and with no selfish purpose. l
scarcely like the shibboleth "Remembel
tbu Maine" It seems to me toe revenge
ful TO be quite worthy. do not 1orset
the circumstances to winch II owes Us
origin. The scene of that awful Tragedy
under the shadow of MORO castle Is !tt
before my eyes. | can see, rs l close
them. the very faces of our murdered
sailors with the 9haStlineSs OF dealh
upon them. But | also see the myfladS
of starving men. women ana children,
ru1hleS>ly sacrificed to feed the lust allu
to fiji the pockets Of professional pun
dererS maSuucrading as SPANISH Officers
and gentlemen. Behind them | see three
centuries Of wanton pilla@e, OF frlshtlul
corruDtion. of cruelty unsurpassed III NJ
man annals. The time was long ago
come for some great power to Stretch
forth its hand. to interpose It's authority
and to say to the world. inns barparlSih
shall proceed no further.
What power except that OF the
United States was to do this? Cuba Is
orr next door %ncighbor. Time out OF
mine these atrocities have been perre-
trated before our eyes. While Spain mas
reuuircd us to spend millions OF money
policinu our coast against the hllbuStef-
,.rS. she has shown herself unable or IN
willing. for our protection. to pollce one
Of her own harhorS. Was this to 90 on
forever: You yourselves are the answer
to the question. You are going to 1l@h1
= battle waged by man for man. You
are GOING therefore in the name OF tllat
Christ who died for men. You are 60
INC 10 fight a battle for the glory OF
God and your native land. You are 60
ing. therefore. under 4 FLAG. when, inc
symbol mt once of freedom and hunlail-
*. and having Gods blessing upon it.
has never Vet KNOW II tl'lt't. i-''N w =
that you carry yourselves rs soldiers
equally of the cross and of the flag.
40 man can he a good soldier who
is not ut heart a good man. S~clf-posses
sion IN the presence Of danger is the tru-
ISL courage and ne is the hraycSt sol
der who keeps his head. who knows
acrfectly the right thing to do and Who
does it. when. frightened ont of his boots,
his Ices would fain carry him away. II
IS the sense of duty which Will make YOU
men: duty to the flag above YOU: duty TO
constituted authority: duty I" country
and honor and to those dear ones ri
home who Will follow YOU with ever tear.
full but with ever Frightening eyes.
Il believe in his war. ! believe IN It
with all my mine and With all my soul,
If ever there was a justified war. it i
this. Though il should rob me of lives
that are dearcr to me than my own. !
shall believe it conceived by the Holy
Shirt. sanctified by heaven and directed
toward the advancement and enlarge
ment Of a benign civilization. In these
warlikc spectacleS everywhere manifest
ed. it has already united rs rs nothing
else could-aS emancipating both section.
of the Union from the mistaken impress
| sion that we ever We're or ever could
be. anything else than one peonl"
I'm the brilliant achievement Of thar
typical Green mountain boy OH the other
side of the globe. it has already ex
plotted us as Il naval power, and. rs you
yourselves shall show. it will presently
demonstrate us no less Il military power.
before whose legions the enemies Of lib
erty and humanity will do well to look
before they leap. Surely these are con
l SummationS d~evoutly to be wished. They
are worth all the war has cost rs. G
will cost us. | know what war means.
coincidence submission. is the first
and perhaps the hardest OF the soldiers
duties. If officers seem capriciouS. or
tyrannical, do your duty. 1t Will come
round Ill right. If the powers that he
seem partisan, or unfair, do your duty.
; The end will Justify you. BE sure that.
III the long run. the man who does his
duty passes beyond the reach Of wrong.
for. as there is Il God who saith Ven
[ geance is mine-I Will repay" 50 is there
! 4 people whose voice is the voice Of
God. who viii visit upon those thai
would convert the places of trust which
they chance to hold into places Of pri-
1 waite or political advantage, Il punish
. mcnt as completes as it is certain. as
bnghting as it is overwhelming.
In the nature of the case but few
OF YOU can hope to attain TO great com
itsliQS. OF 10 acquire exceptional dIStinc-
ton. In the end most of Won must Inv
c aside your uniforms and resume th,
/ habiliments of civil life. But there is ne
5 one OF YOU who cannot do his duty. and
t DONG his duty. cannot be proud and
happy. \ n~cighbor Of mine came m f.
me the other day to ask me to exert my
t supposed Influence in getting his son !
commission. ! assured him that I h,v.
no influence. But said I. I have two
sons carrying in1sketS in the ranks-eon,
| dearly love-but for whose advance.
lneht l shall not put forth the SLIGHTEST
effort. 1t IS enough for me to know tb,t
they are serving their country. ana + :
ple'ses God to bring them back ia tboi,
mother ana me safe and sound. sb,u
| press nus name rs long as | live,
' in that prayer let me includo oool
ana every one of you. though v-o,,,l
rather see my boys. and each and avoan
one of you, lying by the side If 49,
brave and lovely sailor lad whom NantI
carolina has just given ND as heo ron.a
, lF>t sacrlilce upon the affairs of tha -
ton ana mankind. than that ono fool
, should be plucked from the oooIo,e ~
OF i sEllable OF reproach be iustlr 90.
upon the name and fomo nf '