The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-26

dresses.
Fredericksburg, Va, May 25.-On the
very ground over which the old Fifth
corps charged at Fredericksburg, Pres
ident Mckinley, his cabinet and Genral
Miles today witnessed the laying Of the
corner stone in a shaft which viii per-
petuate in bronze and granite the hero
ism OF the Army of the Potomac.
1t was an impressive ceremony, and
Rendered the more so by the fact that
among the hundreds who witnessed the
events were noted leaders Of both fed
eral and confederate forces. The mon
ument was the personal gift of General
Daniel Butterfield to the National Me-
mortal association.
General Butterfield himself was pres
ent and assisted in the ceremony, but
owing to iii health the committal of the
monument TO the secretary of war was
made by Colonel Hill, one of the veter-
ans Of the Fifth corps. The ceremony
was with Masonic rites, and at its COM
pletiOn the secretary of svar accepted
the gift in the name of the American
people.
The visit of the president to Freder-
! icksburg was primarily in honor of the
annual reunion of the Army OF the POI
tOmac
The procession formed at the depot
and headed by the Marine band
moved at once to the court house
where the public exercises were held
and an official welcome rendered tc
the Society of the Potomac. The ad-
dress of welcome was delivered by St
/ George r. Fitzhugh, and the response
| was made by General Martin I. Me-
| MahOn.
President Mckinley and his cabinet
officers applauded heartily and the
/ speakers were Justify cheered by The
large audience.
Sickles on Recent War.
The grafton of the day was then de.
| livered by General Daniel E. Sickles
J who said in part
IF it be true that the world haC
/ never seen such o gigantic conflict be
! tween people of the same nationality
as that which severed the north and
south within the memory Of millions
/ of survivors, it is equally remarkable
4 that history chronicles no example Of
| a reconciliation SO spontaneous, 81
+ prompt and SO complete as was shown
/ by the Spanish American war to have
| followed the civil strife that shook the
continent only generation ago.
England as a Friend.
/ "ContempOraneous with the revival o
| our national fraternity was the happ!
/ disappearance of the strained relations
/ between Great Britain and the United
i States, which had existed with NOR
/ or less tension ever since our war o
! INDEPENDENCE. This fortunate concer
/ between the two great branches OF IN
! Anglo-Saxon race--dOminating fou
continents by their naval and military
power was an admonitiOn to EuroD
forbidding Interference in the war be
tween the United States and SPAIN
t America VIII not forget friend ina
alone. in Europe, stood for us, whel
others whose friendships We looked 10
were Indifferent or hostile"
Cuba Leads the Way.
Speaking of Cuba. General Sickle
| said Cuba would have been our
today, as it should be ours, If we ma
not chosen 10 renounce that island b
2. self-denying ordinance, in which Wis
/ dom was sacrificed to sentiment. Bu
cuba will come to Us, all the same, D
the laws of political and economics
/ gravitation.P
Sympathy For the Beers.
General Sickles referred to the Boer
as follows:
.'Tbev have earned the right to hav
their independence respected by a gen
erous foe. And, when the uneque
struggle ends as it must end De1OI
long. in the OCCUPATION of the Trans
vaai capital, I trust that public opin
ion in America and Europe and, aboF
all. in England. viii be so pronounce
in favor of maguanimOus Terms I
peace that the British government WI
recognize the wisdom of granting SUI
honorable conditions of settlement
NAV lead to a durable reconciliation
Premature interference by any poWe
or combination of powers, would en-
bitter Great Britain beyond nope
moderation in her demands, ana pr
yoke a defiance that might involve
war Of unexamDled proporuons-
such a conflict this country could Tan
no mart against England, for Englan
is our friend. while an attitude OF stri'
neutrality mag enable us 10 use ~
friendly offices in a direction that ms !
contribute to a happy ending OF u
quarrel"
General Wheeler Talks.
At the close of the ceremonies tn
presidential party returned to WasI
ington. but the reunion services OF IN
Society of the Army Of the Potoma
were continued at night in the oDef
house. Addresses were made by a nun
Der of veterans. including General J'
seph Wheeler, who said in part;
"The history Of the army OF the ~
tomac presents features which are VeI
distinctive in their character. Its re-
ord. considering the numbers engage
and the sanguinary character OF 1
battles. presents a picture of maru
/ prowess unsurpassed by any army
modern times. IN some Of the batti'
in which this army was engaged near
2 a third Of its officers and soldiers We
r either killed our wounded, while in II
great battles of Europe the losses Sc
dom exceeded one-seventh. The tea
ful casualty list of both contendlng a
! mics in the civil war was caused
0 the determined courage of the arm
which attacked and the stubborn T
sistance of those who met and reslst'
the assaultiug columns. 1t was IN
heroic conduct which brought out
I 4bof,. fullest r,ona Ct, re- the splendid qua