The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-14

pointed OUT that IA lllS IthiAtfoAtS $50
were r. B. Hayes and William Mckinley,
two future Presidents; Stanley Matthew's,
Justice of the u. S. Supreme Court;
Robert p. Kennedy, Lieutenant Governor
of Ohio and a member of Congress; James
M. Comfy, Minister to Hawaii; Russell
Hastings. Consul General to Bermuda;
William S. Rosecrans, Major General and
member of Congress-: Harrison q. Otis,
whose political action was he turning
point in a Presidential election and who
is now a gallant officer leading the
American forces in the Philippines.
Doubtless many enlisted men Of this regi-
ment likewise attained distinction in civil
life.
Lincoln's sagacity, as General Greeley
pointed out, favored the formation of the
Army Signal Corps, in which branch OF
the service the resourcefulness of the
American soldier is specially prominent.
Who can forget that the Signal Corps in
sending it's message from Kenesaw Noun
tain over the heads of the enemy saved
the great military depot at Allatooma and
kept our army from disaster through
Sherman's terse words, Hold the fort,
l am coming The Signal Corps first
brought on the field of battle the electric
telegraph, and there floated in American
air the first war balloon of the world
Passing to the work of the Signal Corps
in the latter war, General Greeley empha-
sized his belief that the resourcefulness
of the American soldier remains I'M
equalled in the world through that in
genuity and genius that has kept this
country in the front rank of industrial
sciences.
when hostile critics urged the over
ruling of my decision he continued, ito
keep open under censorship the Havana
cables, the Signal Corps was gathering
through them information of inestimable
value. The very day Cervera's fleet en-
tered Santiago it's presence was communl-
Gated by the Signal Corps to the Presi-
lent of the United States and reports OF
it's continued presence were followed by
the change of plans which made Santiago
the centre of action and it's campaign the
eliminating point of the war. Sagacious
provision and resourcefulness for the first
time put an army in foreign countries IN
direct communication with it's War
Department and a photograph of the
White House war room bearing the
legend, within five minutes of Cuba was
the truth and represented the actual con-
ditions." (Applause.)
sAn expert said that with the limited
facilities of the Signal Corps a cable
could not be laid on the Cuban coast, but
when the Chief Signal officer sale it must
be done, Colonel Allen, of the Signal
Corps, successfully laid the first deep sea
war cable ever installed and operated.
Under the same difficulty and apparently
impossible conditions, the telephone lines
of the Signal Corps connected the rifle
pits of Santiago from San Juan hill to
Aguadores in Cuba. With like tenacity
of purpose and resourcefulness of action
the Signal Corps lines stretched along
our army's front and advanced with lead
ing columns when Manila fell, and within
.forty-eight hours the press associations
bringus word that in the Philippines an
American telegraph operator is now
Corps works night and day to the honor
of his country and the glory of the Eng
fish speaking race" (Applause)
In speaking of his own modest part in
the signal service, General Greeley said
II said to President Mckinley that ]
AAA o6t ~ -
a telegraph censorship, and he told me to
go ahead in a tom which meant: You
tax all the responsibility, and I'll a k
all the glory, Iaughter.) ] went on
and / went to John W. Griggs and asked
him for advice, and he said, Go on, do It,
and / came to New York. ] faced the
cable companies and I put up a big bluff
and / told them the situation and they
agreed to aid me, and I was successful.
Now, when / got to Havana, Blanco
asked me for permission to send a tele-
gram to Cervera and to Queen Christina
and l allowed him to do it as a matter
of courtesy" Applause.)
General Greeley closed his speech with
the remarkable achievement of his Signal
Corps, which transformed a brass kettle
into a switchboard, and by means of this
ingenious arrangement the country re-
ceived news and was greatly indebted to
the Signal Corps of which the General
was the distinguished head.
That's the regular programme" said
Phelps, after a vote of thanks
had been accorded to Genera Greeley,
but while l have some things up my
sleeve there are others who have better
things up theirs. l refer to the local
'Poohbah, Observation-Disclosures, Col.
Dickinson. (~Langhter.)
I'm the words of Simon Peter on the
Mount the City Treasurer began, ct
is good to be here'-(Roars of laughter)-
but I beg to be excused from speaking"
You are known by you works" re-
torted the chairman, and there was an
OLher yell renewed Wnen he SAID That after
such an eloquent address from Colonel
Dickinson all other words fell fiat. The
chairman then introduced Supreme Court
Justice Gilbert Collins.
II didn't Think Mr.. Collins said, THAT
you would play me such a trick. / am
not going to make the experiment of
making an extempore speech without,
as Mark Twain says, preparation / am
asked / suppose to help out and prevent
this occasion going to waste" fLaughter.)
Justice Collins then addressed himself
to the toast assigned to Congressman r.
Wayne Parker, why We Low Lincoln"
The speaker said because there was some
ing about Lincoln's personality which APP
pealed to every heart. There had been
great benefactors of the race and nation,
continued Mr.. Collins, who did 10 in
spire affection. Even Washington did not
inspire filial affection, although he is
normally known as THE Father of His
Country The speaker doubted whether
the Germans loved Bismarck, yet he was
the man of Blood and Iron who had uni
fed his country. In America John Quincy
Adams and Andrew Jackson were adj
mired only, but Lincoln was loved be-
cause of that human element well ex-
pressed in the words of the Latin poet:
II am a man and nothing which pertains
to humanity is foreign to my nature"
Mr.. J. A.. Dear spoke, about Lincoln's
early life and gave incidents of his IAN
vas with Douglass. Lincoln then as
serted, Mr.. Dear said, that Freedom vas
the law and the rule of this country and
that slavery was an excrlcence. Another
service Lincoln performed was when he
pronounced the memorable Gettysburg
speech, in which he laid down the grand
principle that this government was of the
people, for the people: and by the people,.
To clinch his speech, said the speaker in
closing, there was not q more humans,