The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-03

Inc army In the East, as 4 testified be-
fore the investigation commission in Wash
ington. had everything the War Depart
ment could furnish. We lived well and we
did our duty. and we have no apologies TO
make or recriminations to offer. This most
outrageousy abused administration has
done more for the army than any other
administration that over existed. II there
were any canned speeches here tonight
they are better than some of the refriger-
ated speeches that we have read. If had
canned speech to develop on this subject
l assure you il would not SMELL
General Merritt referred TO the present
secretary of war as the best secretary of
war the world has ever seen. He added: mo
secretary was ever more abused Secretary
Stanton stood through his abuse as the most
fearless secretary that ever lived. We have
now another secretary who has made few
er mistakes and been more abused than any
Of his predecessors. He has had the conf
dence of all except a few malcontents.
Through him has been attacked the Presi-
dent of the United States. He is almost
sick at heart at the weight of unjust OBJ
loquy that has been heaped upon him. but
with no promises to make or platitudes to
indulge in, he is conducting an honest ad-
ministration.
Il was born a Democrat-I don't think
I'll ever get over it. / am proud TO belong
to that political faith Ga voice: You're
Republican, but don't know IT'D. but hope
the time will come when therell be no diff
ferences between Democrats and Republic
ans, at least manifested against those who
rule the government. / talk as a soldier.
L don't commit myself to any complications
that may lead to trouble with Germany,
but l hug myself for being an American
citizen"
WHEELER, DEPEw AND KING.
General Joe" Wheeler talked along SIM
liar lines. He reviewed the circumstances of
the mobilization of the army during the war
and asserted that history will record that
the United States humbing Of Spain was
without parallel. General Wheeler asserted
that he had heard no complaints about
rations. The only question was whether the
benefits Of American civil and religious lib
erty should not be given the people whom
Providence had placed under our control.
Senator Depew said he was an expansion
list. but not ali imperialist in the commonly
accepted sense of that word. AS to the
Philippine campaign he declared that the
Fflipinos were not to be tyrannized over
by the United States, but were to have
some one like General Sherman to tell them
Go home, stop raising hell and 60 to rails
ing crops" The senator concluded with the
loudly-applauded sentiment that the spirit
of true Americanism would carry the
Nation through the perils of expansion.
General King, who spoke next, said, in
part:
1T seems to me to be very great mis-
fortune to the country that since the con-
clusion of hostilities at Santiago the war
has not ceased, but has been transferred to
the press and the people. How well the
press can carry on war and tel how battles
should be won (after they have Leen foughu
was illustrated in a higher degree in the
war of the rebellion than during the last
war, and the military genius of the average
layman who never shouldered a musket or
smelled gunpowder save as exploded in the
Chinese firecracker or the Fourth Of July
salute would put the great strategist Jomini
in the shade. The chief end of the war was
not the glorification Of men, but the accom-
plishment of things. The object of the war
was to release an oppressed people from the
domination and spoliation of a corrupt and
despotic rule. 1t came upon US unexpected
ly, and. in consequence. without adequate
preparations. A false economy had limited
standing army of scant 5000 men. With
marvellous rapidity this force was increased
to 10000. There were delays and discom-
forts, mistakes and blunders sufferings and
distress. but all of them trifiing when COM
pared with those of the war of the rebellion.
Out OF it all came the army and navy with
record unsullied and in many respects un-
paraileIed in history. There was glory
nd baf yaa NH bor
to this one to that one should be at
tributed the greater NEED of praise.
"Out of the struggle our grand army and
navy and the men in high places who di-
rected their movements have emerged with
out a blemish upon their escutcheons save
the one unfortunate who fell victim to his
ingenious and exhaustive formulation of a
definition of variegated prevarication which
would have made Horace Greeley green
with envy. 1 strongly deprecate this abuse,
and especially that which has been heaped
upon an honored guest Of this evening the
secretary of war. L have known him since
We served together in the great war. and
have watched his career with affectionate
interest. Pure in every relation of life, So
cial and political, those who would at
tribute wrong motives to him are wholly
ignorant of the character Of the man. AS
all things come to him who waits. SO will
his full vindication come and come very
soon. The war of the rebellion had its
scapegoats, and to-day their memory is
revered by every careful reader Of history;
and So too, will all those now slandered
stand forth in the clear light of events.
judged by the grand results they have ac-
complished and not by the fulminations of
partisan malevolence and Misrepresentation.
Act together now, and If needs must be
you can talk afterwards. The government
must and shall be sustained, and the watch
word of the hour to every true American
should be: My country, may she always be
right, but right or wrong, my country"
General Breckenridge paid tribute to the
navy by saying that the greatest brunt OF
the war fell, not on the army, but on the
navy He said: 1T does not seem TO me
that any body of men ever performed SO per-
fectly the duty assigned them did the
American navy in the late war;"
After the photographing OF the scene by
the fiashlight process the banqueters ad-
Journed.
SONS OF THE REVOLUTION.
All Members Who Fought In the Late