Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1902-06-05
MEMORIAL DAY.
The President Address Mt Ar
linton

The President Address Mt Ar
linton.
From all parts o the country reports
show that the wether was beautiful
and the ccremoniS OF Memorial Day
wherever held largely attended. In
Washington the observance was more
genera than eve before. President
Roosevelt delivered the Grafton at Ar
lington, where the graves of the Con-
federate as We'll as Union soldiers were
strewn with loweS. The president i'll
his address said:
Just at this moment the army or the
United States is carrying to completion
a small but pe uliary trying and difficult
war IN winch IS involved not only the
honor OF the flag, but the triumph oil
civilization over forces which stand Tor
the black chaos OF savagery and bar
harism'
The president regrets that. under ter
rlDle pruVoCatiOu from a very cruel and
treacherous enemy some Of the sol
dters have 50 far forgotten themselves
as 20 counsel aud commit. in retaliation,
acts or cruelty. Ear greater atrocities
nave been committed by the natives, put
that does not excuse American wrong
doors, and they should be punished.
From time TO time there occur IN our
country TO the deep and lasting shame
Of our people, lynchings, carried on under
circumstances of mhuman cruelty ana
barbarity-a 'rucity infinitely worse than
any that has ever been committed by our
troops in the Philippines; worse to
the victims and tar more brutalizing
to those guilty OF H. 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 I'm their own eye
while tauntng their brother about the
mote I'm his"
The president cites the rules Of warfare
laid down by Lincoln, which provide Tor
the just severity necessary I'm war, and
adds: The most destructive of all forms
OF cruelty would be TO show weakness
whore stcrnness IS demanded by iron
ppfed Bnt all neTH5e2lty IS forbidden. ana End
The guilty are to be punished but in
furnishing them, let those who sit at ease
NJ home. who walk dellcately and live
IN the soft places OF the earth, remember
also % do them common justice. Let not
the effOrtless and the interrupted rail
ovor-much AT strong men, who, with
blood ana sweat, face years Of toll and
days and nights Of agony, and at need
lay down their lives Ia remote tropc
iung,es to bring the light Of civilization
into the worlds dark places
The president rccites the charges OF
hutchery. rapine. lawless cruelty etc,
which We're hurled against Lincoln and
Grant, by the opponents Of the civil war,
and adds: verify these men who thus
foullv slandered YOU have their heirs
to-day In those who tradu- g our armies
I'm the Philippines who fix their eyes on
individual deeds OF wrong so keenly that
ut last they become blind to the great
work Of peace and freedom that has al
ready been accomplished.
''Fhe progress Of the American arms
means che abolition Of cruelty. the bring
ing OF peace and the rule Of law and or
der under the civil government. other
ratiaus have conquered TO create ire
SponsiAIe military rule. We conquer TO
bring iust and responsible civil govern
mert to the conquered.
'Whorcver i'm the Philippines the insur-
rccton has been definitely and finally nut
down there the individual Filipino all
ready enjoys such freedom, such personal
liberty. under our rule. as he could never
even dream Of under the rule of an i'm
dcnardent Aguinadian oligarChy.
when thew have shown their cana ity
FOR real freedom by their power Of self
government then, and not tin then, will
n be- possible 10 decide whether they are
20 exist independently of us or 10 he knit
10 ms by ties Of common friendship ana
interest When that day will come u Is
not in human wisdom now to toretell