The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-02
HENRY WATTERsoN ON THE WAR.

I
! Watterson made one of the finest
speeches heard in this decade. He had
| two sons in the ranks carrying rifles,
and that was an additional incentive
to eloquence. We can make space only
| for an extract from the grafton. Mr..
| Watterson said in part:
you are about to make history. It
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 material
kind and with no selfish purpose
scarcely like the shibboleth Remember
the Maine" 1t seems to me too revenge
full to be quite worthy. | do not forget
the circumstances to which it owes its
origin The scene of that awful tragedy
under the shadow of Moro Castle is yet
before my eyes. l 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 fill the pockets of professional plum
derers masquerading as Spanish officers
and gentlemen. Behind them | see three
centuries of wanton pillage, of frightful
corruption, Of cruelty unsurpassed in hui
man annals. The time was long ago
come for some great power to stretch
forth its hand. to interpose its authority
and to say to the world, This barbarism
shall proceed no further.
What power except that of the
United States was to do this? Cuba is
our next door neighbor. Time out of
mind these atrocities have been perpe-
trated before our eyes. While Spain has
required us to spend millions of money
policing our coast against the filibuster-
ers. she has shown herself unable or nm
willing, for our protection, to police one
OF her own harhors. Was this to go on
forever? You yourselves are the answer
to the question. You are going to fight
Il battle waged by man for man. You
are going therefore in the name of that
Christ who died for men, You are go
ing to fight battle for the glory of
God and your native land. You are go
ing, therefore. under Il flag, which, the
symbol at once of freedom and humani-
ty, and having Gods blessing upon it.
has never yet known defeat. Look to it
that YOU carry yourselves as soldiers
equally Of the cross and of the flag.
NO man can be a good soldier who
is not at heart good man. Seif-posses-
sion in the presence of danger is the tru-
est courage and he is the bravest sol
der 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 authority; duty to country
and honor and to those dear ones at.
home who will follow you with ever tear
full but with ever Frightening eyes.
II believe in this war. believe in it
with all my mind and with all my soul
IF ever there was a justified war, it is
this. Though it should rob me Of lives
that are dearer to ME than my own,
shall believe it conceived by the Holy
Spirit. sanctified by heaven and directed
toward the advancement and enlarge
ment Of benign civilization. In these
warlike spectacles everywhere manifest
ed. 1t has already united us as nothing
else could-as emancipating both sections
OF the Union from the mistaken impress
sion that we ever were or ever could
be. anything else than one people.
''In the brilliant achievement of that
typical Green mountain boy ON the other
side of the globe. it has already eX-
plotted us as Il naval power, and. as you
yourselves shall show, it will presently
demonstrate us no less a military power.
before whose legions the enemies of lib
erty and humanity will do well to look
before they leap. Surely these are con-
summations devoutly to be wished. They
are worth all the war has cost us, 0rl
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 viii come
round all right liz the powers that be
seem partisan. or unfair, do your duty.
The end will justify you. Be sure that,
in the long run, the man who does his
duty passes beyond the reach of wrong;
for, as there is a God who saith Ven
geance is mine-I will repay" so is there
Il people whose voice is the voice of
God. who viii visit upon those that
would convert the places of trust which
they chance to hold into places Of pri-
yate or political advantage, a punish
ment as complete as it is certain, as
bhghting as it is overwhelming.
"In the nature of the case but few
Of you can hope to attain TO great COM
mands, or to acquire exceptional distinc-
ton. In the end most of you must lay
aside your uniforms and resume the
habiliments Of civil life But there is no
one of you who cannot do his duty. and.
doing his duty cannot be proud and
happy. A neighbor of mine came up toI
me the other day to ask me to exert my
supposed influence i'll getting his son "A
commission. ! assured him that ] have
no influence. But said l, i have two
sons carrying muskets in the ranks-sons
] dearly love-but for whose advance
ment | shall not nut forth the slightest
effort. 1t is enough for me to know that
they are serving their country. and if il
pleases God to bring them back to their
mother and me safe and sound. / shall
bless his name as long as / live
I'm that prayer let me include each