The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-18
MEMORIAL TABLET.

of honor in the audience. walking very
erect and with eyes straight to the front,
were 200 of the G: A r. or montgomery
county, some of whom had spent years IN
the old college. AS they took their seats
carriage containing Gen. John G Black,
one of the principal orators OF the day, ap-
peared AS the military figure OF the gen
eral passed up the walk, supported by the
arm of President Kane, the veterans rose
to their feet and clapped their hands entnu-
siastically. General Black bowed with
kindIing eyes and nodded his head from
time to time as he recognized old comrades
in the crowd. A little later, Capt. John Il.
Rowland and Harry ]. Milligan took their
seats in the hall entrance with President
Kane. Gen. Lew Wallace was the last TO
appear and he also received a demonstra-
ton of applause from the veterans In the
front seats of the assembly.
The invocation was delivered by the
Rev NJ NJ. q. Hobbs, of the class OF o.
who served throughout the war as chap
lain His name is one of the 80 that will
have a place the completed tablet. When
his eloquent words were concluded-Words
that had a peculiar significance to the old
men who were facing him-President Kane
introduced General Black as one OF the
men whom Wabash College always tlnds
pleasure in hOnoring. In beginning his ad-
dress General Black thanked the veterans
for appearing. Il know how hard 1t Is Tor
you to stand aside for an hour or two
while the battle of life goes on, he SAID,
but, If ever men earned the right TO STAND
1T has been nearly three-quarters of a
century since this college was founded.
he continued 1T was established by men
of heroic mold, of the lineage OF those who
won at Preston Plains, at Marston Moor,
at Saratoga and at Yorktown. To these
men came the youth of many States, filled
had no knowledge of the dread splendors
that were to burn around him for four
long years. But the voice of war came
suddenly, and who shall describe its power?
F,EarVthinQ a aside n
its call. Glasses were abandoned. Per-
missions were not sought from nome, but
TO the call of the bugles the student volun-
teeTS marched away. l remember well the
scene of departure in 81 People lined the
roads and hedge rows and streets and
leaned out Of the windows of houses TO see
the boys they loved go away There were
many mothers here of Spartan courage,
but L believe the matronage of to-day has
the same spirit of the matronage of oil,
and if the dread call were to come again
[ believe they would sadly and tearfully
but humbly and devoutly send their sons
TO the defense of the country.
"A poet has said that peace has its VIC
tories no less renowned than war. L don't
believe that. L think the man who throws
himself i'm the breach when the need arises
is the greatest of heroes. l believe In
There will be soldiers and sailors as long
wrong endures. And so it seems to me
that these boys who marched from here
marched into higher life.
"A GREAT WAX.
And what a war it was in which they
fought. The eagles of Napoleon flying from
the sands of the desert to the SHOWS of
Russia did not sweep over a territory so
vast as that on which the civil was
waged. 1t was great in its number of men.
1t was great in it's victories. What war
ever saw $500 battles fought in four years
with such results in the end? A nation re-
stored. slavery destroyed, and the feet of
the country set in that path that must be
trod by mankind. 1t was great in mercy.
The track of the armies of the Union was
marked not by hatreds and recriminations
but by restored ties and rekindled fraterni-
ties. You conquered their reason and their
hearts in those days. We who are yet alive
have the happiness of knowing that we
have turned the respect they had for us
into love
Not long ago I was in Dallas. Tex.
where the wealth and beauty and fashion
of the State turned out to pay honor to
the Confederate veterans. Boys IL one of
you had donned an old gray coat you would
have looked just those old fellows did.
They were just like you. Their yell was
a little shriller and there was not so much
of it, but it was much the same as our old
'Hurrah! They, too, had their tattered
battlefags and as | saw their long lines
go by my first feeling was one of admira-
ton, my next that of respect. They too.
like the soldiers who recently marched
through the streets of Indianapolis at the
monument.
marching for, perhaps the last time. They,
too, were carrying flags washed with their
blood and representing to them ties as dear
and sacred as your own.
Then, all at once, / saw wonderful
thing. L saw a knot of blue in that long
line OF gray. One man was marching in
the blue uniform of the United States
army, wearing the badge of the c. A. r.
II was a wonderful thing to me to see
that. 1t meant so much. As I saw the
single. blqe-coated figure a vision came to
me of what might have been if the gray
had been triumphant. | saw a strange flag
waving over Bunker Hill monument. over
the custom house at New York. over the
Capitol at Washington. In the West I
saw more strange flags. each the standard
of little republic of a few States banded
together by mutual self-interest. In the
Southeast | saw an empire of slavery. held
together by military domino ton. Wherever
l looked l saw the shadow of the coming
power of European nations. coming 70 take
what had been wrested from them in the
days when the Nation was being made.
Then | woke TO realization of the happy
truth. and the little knot of blue i'm the
marching thousands became more TO me
than all the pages of the past"
In conclusion General Black said: THE
great question for this Republic to solve
I is the proper diffusion Of the fruits of hui
man toll. The novel must disappear from
the land. We shall not sec in this cen
fury. perhaps. that dream come true. but
that il Will come is certain. There is
nothing Utopian about the dream. Rich
men every DAY are ElNllS Tor the Deller-
ment OF humanity and the philosophy OF
their giving is simply this-that education
gives men the knowledge OF their rights"
General Wallace was the first to congrat-
ulate General Black at the conclusion OF
his address, and the two white-haired COM
manders stood for several minutes while
the audience gave vent TO their pleasure
by prolonged applause.
THE TABLET.
Mr.. Harry J. Milhgan. representing the
! alumni. made a short speech in presenting
the bronze tablet to the college. He re
GREETED the accident which had happened in
the casting of the tablet. making il impos
| sihle for the completed memorial 10 be placed
/ on the front of Center Hall during the
/ dedication exercises. but pointed TO the ex
| cellent model in plaster, bronze painted
which Sculptor Schwartz. of Indianapolis
/ had just completed. exactly similar TO the
/ tablet, and placed in the same position Il
\ Will occupy when completed. In his pres
! entation speech addressed TO President
/ kane Mr.. Milligan said i'm part:
/ This memorial tablet. so far as diligen
/ inquiry can learn them. bears the names o
all the men who We're soldiers and whs
were AT any time students of Wabash. 81
i names In all. distributed into every grad.
/ OF the service: Three major generals. fv,
/ brtgadier generals. seven colonels eigh
/ lieutenant colonies. six ma Tors sixty-sever