The Delta independent., 1902-06-06


Roosevelt at Arlington Cemetery
Saving the Union the Only Really
Vital Task During Four Genera
tions-Earnest Appeal for Our
Army Now in the Philippines.
Washington. May 3O-Memorial day
was observed here to-day perhaps more
generally than ever before. The an
nouncement that President Roosevelt
would deliver the oration at Arlington
brought to that historic city of the
dead a vast concOurse of people,
among whom We're numbered thou
sands of veterans who jOurneyed 10 the
cemetery to honor the memory of their
comrades who had died in their coun-
try's cause. or who. having survived
the struggles of 1861 and 1S9S. had
passed since into the great unknown.
The local arrangements We're in
charge of the Department of the Po-
tomac and included parade of all the
Grand Army of the Republic and other
patriotic organizations. the decoration
of monuments and graves and ad-
dresses by men prominent in the az
rairs of the government.
After the invocation and the rendi-
ton of several numbers by the band
coins Gettysburg address. President
Roosevelt followed. and as he arose he
was again greeted with cheers and
the plaudits of the immense audience,
which stretched far outside the limits
of the amphitheater His remarks We're
given the closest attention and he was
frequently interrupted by bursts of
applause. The President spoke in part
as follows:
You whom I address to-day and
your comrades who wore the blue be-
side you in the perilous years during
which strong, sad. patient Lincoln bore
the crushing load of national leader
ship, performed the one feat the fail
ure to perform which would have
meant destruction to everything which
makes the name America a symbol of
hope among the nations Of mankind.
You did the greatest and most neces-
sary task which has ever fallen to the
lot of any men on this Western hemis-
phere.
During our four generations of na-
tional life We have had to do many
tasks. and some of them Of far-reach-
ing Importance; but the only really VI
tai task was the one you did. the task
of saving the Union.
There We're other crises in which 10
have gone wrong would have meant
disaster; but this was the one crisis in
which to have gone wrong would have
meant not merely disaster, but annihi-
latiOn.
For failure at any other point
atonement could have been made; but
had you failed in the iron days the
loss would have been irreparable the
defeat irretrieyable.
Upon your success depended all the
future of the people on this continent,
and much of the future of mankind as
whole. In war and in peace alike
your example will stand Us the wisest
of lessons to us and our children and
our childrens children.
Just at this moment the Army OF
| the United States. led by men who
served among you in the great war. is
| carrying to completion a small but pc
culiarly trying and difficult war ID
which is involved not only the honor
of the flag. but the triumph of cfviliZa-
ton over forces which stand for the
| black chaos of savagery and batbar-
ism. The task has not been aS Diff
| cult or as important as yours, but. oh,
my comrades, the men in the uniform
| of the United States. who have for the
last three years patiently and uncom-
plaininsly championed the American
cause in the Philippine islands. are
your younger brothers. your sons.
They have, shown themselves not
unworthy of you. and they are enti-
tied to the support of all men who
are proud of what you did.
These younger comrades of yours
have fought under terrible difficulties
and have received terrible provocation
from a very cruel and very treacherous
enemy. Under the strain of these pro-
vocations l deeply deplore TO say that
some among them have SO far forgot
ten themselves as to counsel and COM
nit. in retaliation. acts of cruelty.
is it only in the army of the Phil
ippines that Americans sometimes do
acts that cause the rest of America
| regret:
From time TO time there occur in
our country, to the deep and lasting
Shame of our people. lynching carried
on under circumstances of inhuman
cruelty and barharity-a cruelty in
| tinitely worse than any tina; has ever
been committed by our troops in the
| Philippines: worse to the victims. and
far more brutaliZiIg 10 those guilty OF
1t.
The men who fail to condemn these
| lynchings and yet clamor about what
has been done in the Philippines. are
indeed guilty of neglecting the beam
in their own eye while taunting their
brother about the mote in his.
"CnderStand me. These 3ynchings
afford us no excuse for failure to stop
cruelty in the Philippines. Every ef-
fort is being made, and will be made,
to minimize the chances of cruelty oc-
curing.
The victories of the American army
have been the really effective means OF
putting stop to cruelty in the Philip
pines. Wherever these victories have
been complete-and such is now the
case throughout the greater part of
the isiands-all cruelties have ceased,
and the native is secure in his life. hts
liberty and his pursuit of happiness
Where the iuSrrrection still smold-
th..ra, is n alXx.axS y ..hanc4. for .riiel-