The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-11
A GREAT SPEECH
Delivered by Postmaster General
Clas. Emory Smith
AT HAMILTON. CLUB BANQUET
Chicago, in:celcbra,ion of4appomat.
tox Day"-Hc Responds to the Toast
"The Union"-Tho Ccmenting Of the
Sections Through the l.stowar-The
Presidents Policy in the Philippines
Defined.

( CHICAGO. April 1O.-At the banquet
at the Hamilton Club tonight, celcbrat-
Ing "Appomattos Day." Postmaster
General Charles Emory Smith respond
ed to the toast THE Union" speaking
as follows: "The apple tree Of Appom-
attox. even II 1t belongs to the beautI-
ful romances Of history, never bios
somed SO fair and full as to-day. Its
flower and Its fruit were never SO fine
and fragrant. The Union which Ap-
pomattox re-establlshed and cemented
was never so strong and glorious. Its
sacred bonds have now been welded,
not merely by the mutual pledge Of
devotion. but by the fire OF heroic SER
vice, side by side, under the common
flag. on distant soil, for the noble
cause OF humanity and civilization,
and they never before bound up SO
much of national pride and hope and
high aspiration.
You have blended the names of Grant
and Lee In the tributes Of the evening.
The greatness and the magnanimity OF
the one and the valor and endurance
OF the other are the common heritage of
the American people. Separated for
n time by divided sentiment and allie
glance. we are one to-day In loyalty.
In conviction and in patriotic purpose.
The great chieftains .illustrious pro-
ducts OF the same national school at
west Point. met at Appomattox with
mutual respect and honor, and in their
generous and chivalrous coming to.
gether typifled the spirit of a reunited
country. That historic hour dates n
new Union. which Is now a true Union
Of hearts and of hands that none can
sever. :
-Four days ago I stood deeply
moved witness as its conservation was
sealed In precious blood and sacred
dust. The war Of the past year has
been full OF revelations OF nobleness as
well as of success. Never before did
triumphant nation send the living SOL
dlers OF Its vanquished Zoe back to their
homes at Its own cost. Never before
did a nation undertake to bring all of
Its heroic dead. even to Its unidentified
defenders, back from fields beyond the
sea to be buried on their own soil. The
scene at Arlington last Thursday, on
the picturesque heights overlooking
the national capitol, was as unprece-
denied as 1t was impressive. There
were the serried lines of open graves
and waiting baskets, each draped with
the American flag. There were 10000
mourners. for all the people were
mourners, watching with reverent mIen
under the bright sunlight. There were
the President and his associates
standing In the solemn presence with
uncovered heads. The prayer was said;
the requiem was sounded: the last sa-
lutte was fired. and the fallen heroes of
the nation. equally OF the north and the
south, the first thus Jointly honored
Since the civil war, were laid to rest,
side by side, In the great national GEM
ctery, to be cherished with u nations
devoted care.
This was suggestive hour. It links
the past, the present and the future.
Yesterday was the thirty-seventh anRi-
versary Of Appomattox. Tomorrow.
VIII be the first anniversary OF the Pres
dents memorable message on Cuba,
which opened new chapter Of history,
Within ten days will come the ami
vesary OF the declaration Of war. That
war was 60 marvellous In Its triumphs
and SO swift in Its momentous and far
reaching in Its conclusions, we have
lived so fast and SO much, we have en-
tered upon such new and mighty ques-
tons, that we can hardly realize it Is
not yet a twelve-month since the OPEN
Ing gun Of the conflict, laundering the
quiet order Of Dewey, signalled new
star OF hope and promise in the East,
and new giant among the world DOW
ers.
Appomattox ushered in the peaceful
and wonderful development OF thirty
years which brought the nation to q
point where. in Its own progress and
in the progress Of the world. 1t must en-
ter upon wider sphere; and the ines
capable duty OF last year became the
unsought but unavoidable means, I'M
der an overrullng Providence, OF realIz-
Ing that national necessity.
The obligations and the mandate OF
that national duty cannot be disputed.
Two weeks ago stood under the sunny
sky Of Cuba. l saw some Of the VII
lagos and palm-thatched huts, where,
under the cruel order Of concentration,
thousands Of hapless Cubans were
hcrded, like sheep for the slaughter,
to die OF disease and starvation. 1t
was deliberate holocaust OF extermin-
alton. Two hundred thousand human
beings were literally starved to death.
II our government had not interfered
when 1t did. half million men, wo-
men and children would have persisted
and their blood would have been on
our skirts. When the President sum-
moned Spain to withdraw. he left open
the pathway Of peace and Justice. But
when Spain bllndly refused. q command
greater than national ease, n duty high
er than any material interests, 4 voice
from God and from man left no course
but to enforce the withdrawal and res
cue OF a doomed people.
The atrocities OF Bulgaria reused the
eloquent voice OF Gladstone, stirred
the stout heart of England and recas,
the map OF the Balkans. The later
horrors of Armenia found Europe d.
vided and balanced with jcalousies, aud
she stood dumb and palsIcd In the
presence OF that awful massacre But
the great republic could not remain ST.
lent or impotent with the h!deous
wrongs OF Cuba Mt our own doors. we
should have been false TO humanity
and recreant to civilization had we
failed to stretch forth our saving. arms.
The cool. digpassionate verdict OF hIa-
tory, will pronounce 1t the most oblir-
atory and the most righteous OF wars.
rs 1t was the most faultless In its
direction and the most astonishing and
overwhelming In It's success.
Granted the war. where could We
have stopped short OF where we now
stand? Point who can to single step
taken thus far which was not the ineyl-
table sequence, tho Irresistible coNclu-
slon, Of the first decision? Less or tl,f-
ferent We might have done, and plung-
cd Into mistake and disaster. More
we might have done. and violated faith
and produced division. But review
the events Of tho year in the light of
after-wlsdoIh. and tell me who cnn
what movement of war or negotiation
Of peace. what term of settlement or