The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-04-30

| sons. who after creating a fleet and con-
| quering the opposing ships OF the pritisn
| on Lake Erie, sent the Inspiring woros'
I'VE have met the enemy ana they are
| ours"
| In the Civil war Rhode Island freely
gave up her men, her means ana her IN
| huence not from any hatred OF tne
people OF the South. nor from any parti-
! san or sectional jealousy. but simply lot
| the purpose of preserving uniHpaHeu
| the union which had been handed DOWN
! from the fathers.
In the great conflict, the memory OF
which almost seems like a dream, her ci-
tlzen soldiers were found In almost every
| battle. standing vigorously for what they
| believed 10 be in right. and cheerfully
laying down their lives that the country
might live.
on this historic spot "A OF her sons SUI
| fered oud died and IL is In honor OF tneii
memory that today we erect TINS mohs-
| ment. have not the ability TO proper
! ly eulogize their heroism. their patent
| endurance OF cold and hunger and SICK
| ness, and their unfailing loyalty even 10
| the extent OF giving up their lives: that
| duty will be performed by those who VIII
| address you during the ceremonies.
n remains only for me I'm my position
| as chairman Of the Joint committee OF the
| general assembly 10 turn over this com
pleted structure 10 the state OF Rhode ISL
| iency the governor.
TRIUMPH OF LIBERTY.
The committee has finished its work: II
remains for the state To see 10 IL thae e
| this monument 10 Its "honored dead De
| kept in complete order. so that the sen si
! erations to come may learn from as .I,is
memorial. from the names or the heroes
Inscribed thereon. and from the history
" their intense loyalty, their patent ana
faithful endurance of suffering. their ao.
;olute faith in the ultimate triumph ol
liberty and Union. lessons that sndil 'hs
| hotter fit them to act well their part as
| citizens or the most favored and GLORIOUS
nation upon which the sun shines. ana
prove themselves to he worthy success
| sors OF those noble men who laid deep
| The foundations Of this republic VINO es-
| tablished u i'm spite of almost unsu. uo
rnountable obstacles. and also by tnose
who have by equal sacrifices maintaineu
/ it's integrity and transmitted II unimpar-
| ed TO succeeding generations. .
The committee desires TO extend 10
Mrs. Lizabeth A. Turner chairman .,,In 31
| the board OF control of the AndersonVllIe
| prison property. their thanks Tor the IN
| terest she has manifested In ms uI'uJ, vi sI .
| has been TO the committee In the prose
| cution of the work assigned them; lnt
committee also desires to express throIsI pniis, =
| Corps its high appreciation OF the motives
| that led that body 10 purchase TINS ms MS
toric ground. and its thanks Tor TINS M. y,
Governor Garvin. in behalf OF the com
| mittee OF which you are an honored rneiii-
| ber. | transfer this monument 10 YOU
care and keeping as the executive hedu
| OF the state OF Rhode Island and ProVi-
| dence plantations.
GOV. GARvIN ACCEPTS.
Governor Garvin in accepting the monu-
ment I'm behalf OF the state said:
1 -.1 hxF
| sad ones but the occasion itself calls tot
tho deepest gratitude. We may indeed
he thankful TO meet here, in an un-
broken nationals brothers, once es-
tranged. but now knit together In the
bonds of a common history and com
mon destiny.
Those of us who. on either side parti'
eipated in the Civil War, look back upof
II as a horrid dream We wonder that
self-governing people could nave pee" s. :,
irrational and so hard-hearted as TO Try
10 settle their differences by the arbitra
ment of war
THE four bloody years served to remint
us how small an advance our poaste'
civilization nas made from barparism
how little indeed, we have risen ABOVE
the brutes.
A few generations ago dueling was re
parded i'm the same light that war nov
/
ference. the code of honor permitted ano
under some circumstances was though
| TO compel. them 10 meet In mortal com
| hat Yet looking back upon the pro
ceeding. in what respect did II diner. II
| morals, or In its effects, from any stree'
brawl? In what way would II have beer
| worse for Alexander Hamilton, hs
friends or his country. had he been oon'
10 death By burglar instead OF po
| litical opponent
TO GO upon the field Of honor-Goc
save the mark--for the purpose and with
the intent to kill another, is murder II
the first degree even though that othel
is equally armed and equally bent upor
destruction. The whole procedure 1:
irrational, savage, brutal.
War Is dueling writ large. Although
we do not as yet see 1t. to settle dis
pute by the method Of war or to class III
declaration with other ways OF arriving
at International agreement, Is to place
all who are responsible therefor upon
level with the wild beasts, and the IN
dividual who is most responsible. needs
courage only TO make him a moderi
Nero.
Brutal itself, every war begets {
brood of cruelties. Weyler's reconcen
trado policy in Cuba aroused our people
to a high pitch of righteous indfgUHtIUn
Had we then been charged with be;ni
equally inhuman, our answer In all SIN
cerity would have been: "Is thy servan
dog, that he should do this thing?'
And yet within two years we had adopt
ed a similar policy in the Philippines
and had added TO the Spanish feroct!
the water cure" and the giving OF M
quarter.
IHOUGH 1T INEXCUsABLE.
About the same time a still more dc
structure reconcentrado policy was adop
by the mighty British empire in dealin,
I with the Beers OF South Africa.
In the opinion of the Southern people
the devastation by the Northern army 4
the Shenandoah valley and in Sherman
march TO the sea was unnecessary an
inexusable So thought the north o
the sufferings OF prisoners here I'm An
, dersonville.
Indeed when nation embarks upoi
the work OF slaughter. has staked sue
cess. ana IL may be. its very exstenc
upon tho decision OF the battlefield, an
! laws OF war-Which in their nature ar