The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-31

and legislatures were its Iackeys.' 1t ruled
this entire Nation with absolute sway, and
with an iron hand suppressed discussion Of
it's Institutions. 1t interpreted the Bible
TO support its savage code. 1t prohibited
in the free States schools for the hated
race. and with hungry hounds hunted in
nocent women who taught little children
TO read
Z" 1T tore the golden rule from the school
book and from the book of prayer the pic
tured benignity of Christ. Under the shad-
ov of the dome of our national Capitol
droves of slaves with clanking chains upon
their limbs were scourged and driven to
the market. This system, which, fortified in
selfish greed. enlisted TO it's support the
lowest instincts of man. which 'transfig-
ured with hate the gentle face of mercy
and which violated every Christian pre-
cept. was such a damning blot upon the
fair name OF the Republic that 1t could be
wiped out only with blood. Slavery herself
FASTENED the crisis.
For sixty years the war for the Consti-
tuition was waged. IL scared consciences,
degraded politics, destroyed parties, ruined
statesmen and retarded the advance and
development of the country: IL sacrificed
hundreds of thousands of precious lives
and squandered thousands of millions of
money: il desolated the fairest portion of
the land and carried mourning to every
home North and South. but it ended at
Appomattox in the eternal triumph or the
Union. .
mo question can be finally settled until
II is settled right, and the only right solu-
ton OF the slavery problem was 10 destroy
ito extirpate it utterly-and this you
grandly did. In the awful shock of battle
you made the sacrifice and paid the debt
that these generations before you owed to
humanity and God. and by so doing you
saved a nation and redeemed a race.
I'm the present emergenc.' in our his
tory. doubters and pessimis 5 should not
forget this principle. They SHOULD not for
get that the law of evolutioIl still operates
and that the rule of the survival of the fit
test still obtains. The attempt to evade our
duty to the Filipinos will but multiply evil
and but lay up wrath against the day of
wrath To attempt TO escape our response
bility to these people will be but to invite
greater difficulties and compel the unwel-
come conviction that our Nation is unequal
to the strenuous life of modern civiliza-
ton.
ITO weakly abandon the Monroe doctrine
would be worse than any war. for IL would
involve this western world in interminable
conflict and result in many wars. The ma
tons of Europe have divided Africa and
are dividing Asia. They cannot invade
South America without overturning that
doctrine. They cannot overthrow republic
an governments and upon their ruins es-
tablish monarchies and the rule of kings
without our consent. and. If we consent.
we shall surely pay the penalty always i'm
posed by outraged liberty. But l have no
doubt as to the future. / believe that we
shall prove equal 10 every emergency; that
we shall rise TO every occasion: that we
shall come full-armed to every conflict in
the days to come and be ever ready to re-
spond 10 every call MADE upon us In the
cause of freedom"
Among MIR. Watson's auditors to-day was
his venerable father. long one Of the lead
ers of the bar at Winchester, Randolph
county.
Representative Lands Memorial day
Grafton at the National Cemetery at Alex
ndria. Va, to-day is spoken of as a splen-
did and eloquent tribute TO the Union dead.
One of the features particularly noticeable
of the services at Alexandria was the large
number of Confederate veterans present,
who entered into the spirit of the occasion
i'm a manner that showed that the old-time
ranccr was forgotten in the new birth OF
the Union that has followed the Spanish
war.