Daily inter mountain., 1899-08-28
Was Extended to the Penn
Sylvania Boys.
THE PRESIDENTS TALK
He Thanked Them and All Other VOL
unteerS for Their Great Work in
the Philippices-N0thing Too Good
for the Returned Soldiers,

Pttsburg, Aug. 2S-The returned Tenth
pennsylvania regiment of volunteers was
warmly welcomed home today. Presi-
dent Mckinley made the chief address of
the day and said in part:
GOV. Stone and Fellow Citizens: am
slau to participate with the families,
trlends and fellow citizens of the Tenth
pennsylvania volunteers in this grand
reunion. You have earned the plaudits,
not alone of the people of Pennsylvania,
put OF the whole nation. Your return has
peen the signal for a great demonstration
or popular regard from your landing in
the Golden Gate on the Pacific to your
homecoming and here you find a warmth
OF welcome and a greeting from Joyous
hearts which tell better than words the
estimate of your countrymen and their
high appreciation of the services you
have rendered the country. You made
secure and permanent the victory of
Dewey. You added new glory to Amer
lean arms. You and your brave COM
rades engaged on other fields of conflict
have enlarged the map Of the United
States and extended the jurisdiction of
American liberty.
But while we share in the joy that is
ours there remain with us softened and
hallowed memories of those who went
forth With you. NOT found in your ranks
today. Your noble colonel. devoted to his
men, beloved by his command and re-
spected by his superior officers gave his
life to his country with many others of
his comrades. The nation sorrows with
the bereaved. The heroes died for their
country and there is no nober dea th
Our troops represented the truth and
conscience, the pure and patriotism of
their country. Whether in Cuba, Porto
Rico or the Philippines or at home await
ing orders, they did their full duty and
all sought the post of greatest peril.
They never faltered.
1.-THE eighth army corps in the Philip
pines has made a proud and exceptional
record Privileged to be mustered out in
April when the ratification of the treaty
of peace was exchanged, they did not
claim the privilege-they declined it.
They voluntarily remained in the service
and declared their purpose to stay until
their places could be filled by new levies
and longer if the government needed
their services and they understood it was
not to be in camp or garrison, free from
danger, but on the battle line where ex-
posure and death confronted them and
where both have exacted their victims.
They did not stack arms. They did not
run away. They We're not serving the in
surgents in the Philippines or their SYM
pathizers at home. They had no part or
patience with the men, few in number
happily, who would have rejoiced to have
seen them lay down their arms in the
presence of an enemy whom they had
just emancipated from Spanish rule and
who should have been our firmest friends.
They furnished an example of devotion
and sacrifice which will brighten the
glorious record of American valor. They
have secured not alone the gratitude Of
the government and the people, but for
themselves and their descendants an i'm
perishable destiny They may not fully
appreciate and the country may not the
heroism of their conduct and it's import
ant support to the government I think
do and SO l am here to express it.
'"rhe mighty army of volunteers and
regulars numbering over 1000, which
last year responded to the call of the
government with an alacrity without
precedence or parallel, by the terms Of
their enlistment We're to be mustered out
with all the regulars above $1,000 men,
when peace with Spain was effected
Peace brought us the Philippines by
treaty cesson from Spain. The senate Of
the United States ratified the treaty
Every step taken was in obedience to the
requirements of legislation. 1t became
our territory and is ours as much as the
Louisiana purchase or Texas or Alaska.
A body of insurgents in no sense repre-
senting the sentiment of the people Of
the islands disputed our lawful authority
and even before the ratification of the
treaty by the American senate were at
tacking the very forces who fought for
and secured their freedom. This was the
situation in April, 1899, the date of the
exchange of the ratificati tions, with only
q, 900 regulars subject to the unqueston-
ed direction of the executive and they for
the most part on duty in Cuba and Porto
Rico or invalided at home. after their
severe campaign in the tropics. Even
had they been available it would have
required months to transport them to the
Philippines.
'Practicaly a new army had to be
created. These loyal volunteers in the
Philippines said: We will stay until the
government can organize an army at
home and transport them to the seat of
hostilities.' They did stay, cheerfully,
uncomplainingly, patriotically. They suf-
fered and sacrificed: they fought and fell,
they drove back and punished the rebels
who resisted federal authority and who
with force attacked the sovereignty of
the United States in its newly acquired
territory. Without them then and their
aid the flag would have suffered it's
shame. The brilliant victories of the
army and navy in the bay and the city
of Manila would have bea. won in vain.
our obligations to civilization would have
remained temporarily unperforTed.
chaos would have reigned and whate
government there was would have been