The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-12

diets. and leading a notable party OF Off
GERS. came across the parade ground and
soon after his entrance the speaking
began. Col Mills made an address OF
welcome and then introduced PRESIDENT
Roosevelt. who spoke as follows:
Colonel Mills. the graduates or West
Point and you men and women who are
drawn 10 them BY ties OF citizenship or by
the simple fact that you are Americans,
and therefore OF necessity drawn 10 them,
l am glad 10 have the chance Of saying a
word 70 you to-day There Is little need for
me 20 say how well your performance has
compared with prophetic promise made on
your behalf by the greatest of Americans,
Washington This institution has com
pleted ITS first hundred years Of life. Dur
ing the century no other educational insti-
tuition in the land has contributed as many
names as West Point has contributed 70 the
honor roll OF the Nations citizens.
Colonel Mills, claim 10 be historian,
and 1 speak simply as a reciter of facts
when 1 say what I have said, and, more
than that, not merely has West Point con-
tributed greater number Of men who
stand highest IN the Nations roll, but 1
think beyond question that, taken as a
whole. the average graduate of West Point
during this hundred years has given
greater amount of service to the country
through his life than has the average grad
land.
Now, gentlemen. that is not surprising.
That Is what we have a right 10 expect
from this military university founded by
the Nation That is what we had right
10 expect But am glad that the eXpecta-
uon has been made good, and OF all the in
situations in this country none is more alb
solutely American. none more, in the proper
sense OF the word, absolutely democratic
than this. Here care nothing for the
boys birth place, for the boys grade. for
his social standing: here we care nothing
save Tor his worth II he is able TO show It,
Here you represent with almost mathe-
mattcal exactness the. country geographical
". You are drawn from every walk of life
a n al n
and which in great majority of cases does
insure, nothing but active youth Here you
come together as representative Of America
In the higher and more peculiar sense than
can possibly be true OF any other institution
IN the land save your sister college that
makes similar preparations for the service
OF the country on the seas.
MEN WHO HAVE BATTLED.
This morning have shaken hands with
many of you. and have met the men who
stand as representatives of every great
struggle. every great move this great Ma
ton has made for the last ffty-five or six
~ years There are some still left among
the older OF you who took part in the Mex
lean war. a struggle which added to this
country a territory vaster than has
changed hands in Europe as the result of
all the wars of the last two centuries.
meet always, when / see any of the older
,
civil war when this Nation was tried as in
a furnace; the men who were called upon
10 do the thing which had 10 be done under
penalty OF making the memory or WASH
ington himself worthless, because II you
had failed then failure would nave Deen
written across the record OF his works.
Finally ] see the younger men. as well as
the older ones, the men whom l have seen
myself take part In little war. war that
was the mCTcst skirmish compared to the
struggle in which you fought from oil TO
'65. and Yet war that has had almost as
far-rcaching effects, not merely Tor the
destiny of this Nation, but, therefore, upon
the destiny of the world, the war with
Spain, ana it was my good fortune 10 see in
the campaign in Cuba how the graduates of
West Point handled themselves, and to en-
deaVor TO profit by their example, and 1t
has become my pleasure 10 come here TO-
day because / was at that time Intimately
associated with many OF your graduates.
ION the day before the San Juan fight,
when we were marched up into position,
we lost communication with our baggage
and food, and for supper that night
had what Colonel Mills gave me, and it
tasted very good, and the next morning
Colonel Mills was with another West Point
ef-Shipp, from North Carolina The next
morning We had breakfast together. and
i remember well congratulating myself that
my regiment-we were all volunteer regi-
ments-coud have as an example men
like Mills and Ship, whose very presence
made the men cool and made them feel
collected and at ease. Mills and ShlpD
went down with our regiment TO the action.
Very shortly after IL was begun Ship was
killed and Mills received a wound from
(which no one OF us at the time thought
he would recOVer / had at that time in
my regiment as acting second lieutenant
q graduate OF Wes- Point, who was hay
ing his holiday and took his holiday by
going down with US, and just before the
assault he was shot, the bullet going /
think in his stomach. and as he fell he
said Goodbye, colonel. / am going TO
get we'll But 1 did not think he was.
lie Is here all right. and his name is
Haskell And there was neverea moment
by day or night that / was not eyewit-
ness of some performance of duty being
done by a West Pointer, and l never saw
a West Pointer failing in his duty. L want
10 be frank, gentlemen. You cannot get
body of men of absolutely uniform good
conduct, but / am able TO say il was my
good fortune 10 see the role of duty per-