Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-09-28
BoIstering a Bad Cause.

1t is a singular circumstance that
our newly fedged Imperialists, in all
that they say or do, are unable to keep
themselves within the limits of truth.
Their cause is so wretchedly bad, so
un-American, so devoid of everything
that has any resemblance to decent
fairness, that nothing but falsehood
can in any manner apologize for its ex-
istence. There is Assistant Secretary
of War Meiklejohn, for instance, who,
in his speech to the returning heroes
of the First Nebraska Regiment of Vol
unteers, at Lincoln last week, felt
called upon to misrepresent and Insult
not only the entire American nation,
but the very men he was addressing.
In the course of his remarks he said:
1.-The dignity of warfare, the glory
of soldier. depends upon the cause
for which he fights. The only thing
which can deprive you of your we'll
earned honor and distinction among
the nations of the earth is to declare
that you fought for an ignoble and un-
righteous cause. He who says that of
you, sons of Nebraska, wartonly de-
sires to deprive you of that which has
been given by the acclamation of the
world in order that be may temporari-
ly derive some benefit for himself.
Your defense and the cause you de-
Tended are one and inseparable. Let
him who undertakes such a mission
beware lest he place himself in the in
famous category headed by that prince
of traitors-Benedict Arnold"
Mr.. Meiklejohn knows very well
that the First Nebraska enlisted to
fight for freedom, for humanity,
against the intolerable tyranny of me-
diaval Spain, as it was imposed with
barbarous cruelty both upon the Gu
bans and the Filipinos. And he also
knows that when the cause for which
these gallant Nebraskans enlisted was
victorious, and the chains of slavery
had been broken from the limbs of
redeemed people, every man of them.
without an exception, refused to re-
enlist for the purpose of subduing and
re-enslaving the very people they had
shed their blood to set free. The fact
that these men, during q portion of
their terms of enlistment. we're forced
by the criminal aggression of the syn
dicated powers in temporary control of
their Government, to fight against their
principles in defence of the flag, is no
credit to the Administrations; but Mr..
Meiklejohn seems to have been too dull
of comprehension to understand this
feature of the case.
How can he and those like him con-
denim Benedict Arnold for betraying
his country, and at the same time de-
nounce Aguiualdo for refusing to do
what Benedict Arnold did? How can
Arnold's intolerable crime become
virtue in the person of the Filipino
leader? Is not his sturdy defense of
his country against the invading ar
mics of foreign foe vastly more com-
mendable than the un-American offer
that was made to him by Mr.. McKin-
ley's so-called peace Commission" to
betray his country for an annual PEN
sion of 5000? Does not his dignifed
refusal of that bribe place him in the
category of worthy patriots; and does
not the offering of it by the Mckinley
Commission fix an indelible stain upon
their reputation, or the reputation of
the higher powers that required them
to make SO disgraceful an offer? By
the unanimous verdict of mankind, the
offerer of a bribe is regarded as being
on the same moral plane with the one
who accepts it. The American people
have never separated Arnold from Sir
Henry Clinton and Major Andre in
their condemnation of the formers
treason. The British officers were,
and are, hated for offering the treason
able bribe equally with Arnold for ac-