The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-31
IMDEFENCE OF THE ARMY

President Roosevelts address at Ar
lington cemetery yesterday was not only
fine eulogy of the patriotic dead who
in their dying made the sacrifice which is
the crucial test Of true self-sacrificing
patriotism, but equally was it the eulogy
of the living, who have followed the flag
through the stress Of hard campaigning
and the thunderous agony Of battle.
= AS the executive head of the nation
and the chief of the armies
OF the republic, the president very prop
erly devoted a portion of his address to
the partizan assault upon the honor and
humaneness of our army tn the Philip
pines, an assault which has been charac-
terized by mendacity, brutal and unpar-
alelled, and by exaggeration reckless
ness and righteousness entirely foreign
to the spirit of American patriotism The
president declares, and every true Ameri-
can agrees with him, that all acts of
cruelty in war which are unnecessary
and violate the rules Of war and are re-
Z! taliatory of abominab1e acts on the part
OF the Filipino insurrectos, are to Be
condemned and their perpetrators pun
I ished. Our war department, before any
partizan cutlery was made about the con-
Duct OF a few of our officers and soldiers
in the Philippines, had begun the inyes-
tigation OF each case, reported, as is the
custom. IA W
The furious condemnation OF our whole
army in the; Philippines is, as the pres1.
. dent says, as unjust as the defamfne a
( community because some individuals com
NIT heinous crimes within it. There il
not. said he. "a city in this land which
We could not thus condemn II we fixed
our eyes purely upon It's police record
and refused to look at what had been
accomplished for decency and justice and
charity" i 49,
The cruelties proven on our, officers and
men have demonstrably been exceptional
AS a matter Of fact, when such hui
name ott1cer as General Howard says that
there can be no real war without cruelty
ne states an irrefutable fact. There Is
necessary cruelty, as when General
Ihomas, IN view of distractions placed
= IN the railway tunnels in the Cumberland
mountains, gave notice that, If a. certain
tunnel were disturbed by distractions
every house within FIVE miles Of # w,,,1,a
be DESTROYED, and there was no more oh
structlon OF tunnels. No army is to be
condemned for taking necessary meas
ures for its own protection and the pro-
: lection OF the people who look to It for
yotection
che wicked. purpose of the slanderers
teaer officers and men is to discredtt
tie Teat work our government is ac-
ctnHshingt for civilization and the bet
teR OF the condition of the Ftupinos
astsy imagine that they can influence
tRnbi1c to bitter hostility to the re-
grating work in the archinelapo
Tie slanderers of our army are as
president shows, antagonizins the
adjustment of good civil government in
archlpelago. for, attacking the army
~ are attacking the essential mean :
IT securing peace and Opportunity sor
ae extension OF civil government. The
iraducers OF the army are practically
lantagoni5ing the welfare of the 8Filtn,nos
whom they profess to love. eve con
quer, says the president, Ito bring lust
and responsible civil government to The
conquered To make party question