New-York tribune., 1902-06-12

nations honor roll but I think beyond question
that. taken as a whole, the average graduate of
West Point during this hundred years has given
a greater amount Of service to the country
through his life than has the average graduate
Of any other institution in this broad land.
Applause.)
Now, gentlemen. that is not surprising That
is what we have right to expect from this
military university founded by the nation. That
is what had a right TO expect (Appause)
But am glad that the expectation has been
made good. (Applause.) And Of all the insti-
tutons in this country none is more absolutely
American, none more, In the proper sense OF
the word, absolutely democratic than this. Here
care nothing for the boys birthplace for
the boys grade, for his social standing: here
care nothing save for his worth. II he Is able
to show it (Applause.) Here you represent
with almost mathematical exactness the coun-
try geograp aphically. You are drawn from every
walk of life by method Of chance, meant TO in
sure and which in a great majority of cases
does insure. nothing but active youth. Here you
come together as representatives OF America
in the higher and more peculiar sense than
the land. save your sister college that makes
similar preparation for the service of the coun-
try the seas. (ApplauseD
This morning 1 have shaken hands with many
of you, and 1 have met the men who stand
Representative of every great struggle, every
great move this great nation has made for the
last ffty-fve or sixty years There are some
still left among the older of you who took part
in the Mexican War, struggle which added
this country q territory yaster than has
changed hands in Europe as the result of all
the wars OF the last two centuries l meet al
ways. when / any OF the older among you,
who took part in the great Civil War.
when this nation tried in furnace, the
who were called upon TO do the thing which
had to be done under penalty of making the
memory Of Washington himself worthless, be-
cause If you had failed the failure would have
been written the record of his works.
Finally. / see the younger men as we'll the
older ones, the men whom l have seen myself
take part in a little war, a war that was the
skirmish compared the struggle in
which you fought from '61 TO 90, and yet a
that has had almost reaching effects,
not merely for the destiny OF this nation but
therefore upon the destiny Of the world-the
war with Spain-and il was my good fortune to
see IN the campaign in Cuba how the graduates
Of West Point handled themselves, and tc
deayor to profit by their example, and il has
become my pleasure 10 come here to-day. be
cause ! was at that time intimately associated
with many of your graduates On the day be-
fCre the San Juan fight when we were marched
up into Il position. we lost communica ton with
cur baggage and food and for supper that night
] had what Colonel Mills gave daughter
and applause). and il tasted very good: and
the next morning Colonel Mills was with an
other West Pointer Shipp. from North Carolina.
The next morning had breakfast together
and remember well congratulating myself that
my regiment-we were all volunteer regiments
could have as example men like Mills and
Shipp, whose very presence made the men
cool and made them feel collected and at ease.