Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-03

"s"pposing ~ Little Beef Did spoil;
What of II 80

DhlROlT, MICH, May 2.-The Michi-
gan Society. Sons OF the American Revo-
muon, entertained the visiting delegates.
omciais OF the order. and distinguished
sues's tonight. at dinner unequaled
hitherto In Michigan by any similar event.
IN respect 10 elaborateness of menu and
decorations, or the distinguished char
ae'er OF the guests OF honor The occa-
S'"i was made notable by the presence
~ secretary Alger Senator Chauncey
NJ Depew, Major-General Joseph Wheel
ca MaJor-General Wesley T. Merritt
General Horatio A. King, Inspect tori Gene
raj j. G. Breckinridge, and many others,
who rendered distinguished service in
49, s,mnisn and civil wars.
A feature which was OF peculiar irter-
esq was a speech by General Wesley Mer-
ritt warmly defending Secretary Alger.
ite declared Alger the best Secretary Of
War the world has ever seen.
@itrr TWO hours discussion of the menu
ex-senator Thomas NJ. Palmer, president
OF the Michigan Society. as POSTMASTER,
began the speechmaking with witty
a. IN When he mentioned the
name OF Secretary Alger, the banqueters
...a ,nerreG enthusiastically.
After the reading Of several letters of
rebIet, secretary Alger was called upoI
He said i'm part:
ALGER'S SPEECH.
within the last year we have again
been called TO arms, and upon April 1G,
1895 under the first call for volunteers,
900 patriots were sent into the field
while a million men offered their services
At that time, owing to the persistent par
simOny Of Congress in making appropria-
tons for munitions of war. we had no
provisions Of war, we had no equipment
for war, but we had men, and we had
the manufacturers who. sooner than those
OF any other nation on earth could equip
that army, an army which. including the
volunteers Of the first and second calls.
numbered approximately 10000. and this
army was marshalled into camps ana
equipped: $1,000 OF them were sent TO dis
tant islands, 10000 miles apart battles
were fought, victories were won without
a single reverse and without the loss Of a
gun or a color; and all this within 1l3
days from the declaration of war TO the
singing OF the protocol
"SuppOsng they had little beef spoil
ed: what of il? If they had had no beef
at all they would have had more than
General Joe Wheeler and l had in that
other war.
"The people of the United States are
an unselfsh people. They have never
sought territorial accession. except to
The flag of this nation has been hoisted
over Cuba. Porto Rico, and the Philip
pines. in lands whose people have for
centuries been oppressed by Spanish
misrule. Whatever else may be- we can
be assured as it has been realized in
Porto Rico and the Philippines, there 1t
will remain one Of these Islands we hold
in trust: the others are ours.
There Is not heart in the breast of
any true American tonight whose pulsa-
lions do not quicken with pride over the
achievements Of our army and navy. The
volunteers and the regulars. in the Philip
pines have won for themselves the ra-
tons crown. They are the sons and
the heritage Of our people. And l hope
and trust that congressional action shall
give such recognition Of their services
AS shall show to them and the world our
appreciation of their valOr. The nation
mouTns for the families who Will never
again hear the footballs across the
threshold Of those they loved; but that
Is the sacrifice they offered, the sacrifice
they have made
Generals Merritt and King both made
speeches defending Secretary Alger.
WHEELER AND DEEPEN.
General Joe Wheeler reviewed the cir
cumstances Of the mobilization of the
army during the war, and asserted that
history will record that the United States
humbling OF Spain was without parallel
General Wheeler asserted that he had
heard no complaint about ratiOns. The
only question was whether the benefits
OF American civil and religious liberty
should not be given the people whom
Providence had placed under our control.
Senator Depew said he was an eXpan-
sionst. but not an Imperialist In the
commonly accepted sense OF the word.
As 10 the Philippine campaign. he de-
clared that the Fiipinos were not TO be
tyrannzed over by the United States.
but were To have some one like General
sherman to tell them: GO home, stop
raising h, and go to raising crops"
The Senator concluded with the loudly
applauded sentiment that the spirit Of
true Americansm would carry the nation
through the perils of expansion.