The Springfield herald., 1902-06-06
EULOGY OF THE DEAD
PRESIDENTS ABLE ADDRESS.

Vital Task During Four Genera
tions-Earnest Appeal for Our
Army Now in the Philippines.
Washington. May 3o.-AIemorial day
was observed here to-day perhaps more
generally than ever before. The an
nouncement that President Roosevelt
would deliver the Grafton at Arlington
brought to that historic city of the
dead n vast concourSc of people,
among whom We're numbered thou
sands of veterans who journeyed 20 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 1898. had
passed since into the great unknown.
The local arrangements We're i'll
charge of the Department of the Po-
tomac and included a 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 af-
rairs of the government.
After the Invocation and the rendi-
ton of several numbers by the band
and choir. Mr. T.. Il. Hay read Lin
coins Gettysburg address. President
Roosevelt followed. and rs he arose he
was again greeted with cheers ANA
the plaudlts of the immense audience,
which stretched far outside the limits
of the amphtheatcr His remarks We're
given the closest attention and he was
frequently interrupted by bursts of
applause. The President spoke in part
rs follows:
You whom address to-day and
your comrades who wore the blue be-
side you in the pcrilous years during
which strong, sad. patient Lincoln bore
the crushing load of national leader
ship, performed the one feat the fail
ur". 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 h"mis-
pherc.
During our four generations of ma
tional life We have had 10 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 were other crises in which TO
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
atouement could have heen made; but
had you failed in the iron days the
loss would have been irreparable. the
defeat irretrievablc.
Upon your success depended all the
future of the people on this continent
aud much of the future of mankind as
Il whole. In war and in peace alike
i.,
of lessons to us and our children and
| our childrenS children.
Just mt this moment the Army of
the United States. led by men who
| served among you in the great war. is
carrying to completion small but pc
culiarly trying and difficult WAR in
| which is involved not only the honor
| of the flag. but the,trtumph of civiliza-
| tion over forces which stand for the
black chaos of savagery and bnrbar-
ism. The task has not been ms dili-
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-
plainingly chnmpioncd 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
"Thesc younger comrades of yours
have fought under terrible difficulties
and have received terrible provocation
from very cruel and very trencherous
enemy. Under the strain of these pro
vocations | 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
ippiues that Americans sometimes do
acts that cause the rest of America
regret?
From time 10 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 i'll the
Philippines: worse TO the victims. and
far more brutaliZiug TO those guilty of
it.
1.-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 tauntinS their
brother about the mote in his.
understand me. These lynchings
afford us no excuse for failure to stop
cruelty in the Philippines Every eff
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 n stop tO cruelty in the Philip
pines. Wherever these victories have
been complete-and such is now the
case throughout the create: part of
the islands-al cruelticS have ceased,