The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-25
SIDNEY HERBERTS LETTER
Facts of Interest to War Veterans and others.

issue of Dec. %, contains very in
terestng illustrated article on The
Crusade of Peace" being a sketch of
the progress of international arbitra-
ton. Excellent pictures are given Of
Elihu Burnett, Jean De Bloch and John
Hay. The article starts off with the
treaty of John Jay, then chief justice,
with England, and comes down to the
treaties of John Hay present Secre-
tary of State two names very much
alike, but of two men very much UNI
like. The article occupies a full page
and is valuable for historical refer
ence in discussing the peace and ar
bitration movement from its infancy,
so far as this republic Is concerned.
The press telegram about a
| Blue and Gray reunion in Washing
! ton, d. c., on May 10, 1905, is mislead-
| ing. 1t should be signed by five
| Union and five Confederate veterans,
the number composing the committee
appointed at st. Louis. Then it
should be shown that the G.. A. r..
and the u. c. V. have officially APP
proved and Endorsed this movement
fathered and promoted, so far as l
| known, by two ambitious preachers.
If | understand the matter. the G. A.
r.. at Boston, and the u. g. ", at
Nashville, gave the movement a
"black eye" as was also done at
Hartford, Conn.,, where one OF the pro-
moters made an eloquent appeal for
| its Endorsement. This proposed re-
union is uncalled for and can result
in no good to either the G. A. X. or
U. c. v.
Gen. Corbin ought to resign his high
rank and become colonel OF the famous
Twenty-first u. S. Infantry now at the
Preside, Cal, which is the champion un-
married regiment of the world, 1t hav-
ing only three married officers In its
ranks. What a glorious time Corbln
could have preaching his No Marriage
doctrine to the second lieutenant5 or
the command. But then, on the other
hand, just think of a whole regiment
with only three women TO supply the
places of absent mothers and sisters.
/ am sorry, indeed, for this big crowd
of bachelor officers shut out from the
best and most ennobling influences OF
good women as wives and mothers.
Last Saturday the Metropolis,
of Jacksonville, Fla, issued big
Christmas paper, and among other arti-
cles in II was one "A Look Backward
by an Old Resident" or what Lionel
Jacobs saw when he came to that
city in 1876. Well, / was q year ahead
of Veteran Jacobs, and saw that now
beautiful and rapidly growing city
when It was a struggling little town.
The Everett Hotel was then the Ma
tional and in front was a little park,
and adjoining II was an Insignificant
10xl2, / think, brick depot, Jackson
ville's only depot. and passengers had
to sit on the steps Of the old wooden
freight depot. The st. James Hotel
was the only really first-class hotel In
the state, except Wallis st. Augustine
hotel, then off any railroad line. /
can fully match and in many things
beat, Veteran Jacobs in his remInis-
cences Of both old New York and old
Jacksonville.
Patent medicine certificates are get
ting TO be a common vehicle for am
bilious men to air their supposed great
ness In the newspapers. Under the head
of war Scared Union Generals Defy
Disease" a patent medicine "ad." con-
tains certificates from Maj. Gen. Alex
ander Hamilton and Gen" w. II.
Melbourne. The latter thus eulogizes
himself: II am veteran of the war
with Mexico. the expedition for the
suppression OF the Free States I'm Kan
sas I'm 1856. and the Mormon rebellion
In 1857. l have fought the Indians for
years, served through the Civil War,
and was In the war with Spain" Now,
to read this biography one would sup
pose this hero was a full general and
covered with medals OF honor. And
yet an ungrateful country allowed him
20 be n private soldier In tho Second
u. >. Dragons from April. 1852. 20 June.
1861 at which time he became a sec
ond lieutenant, and a few months
later, first lieutenant, and with this
exalted rank Gen" NJ. resigned IN
Dec, 1864. so II appears that this
War Scared Union General" was
simply lieutenant II Is safe 10 state
that two-thlrds Of the generals" thus
paraded before the public IN these pat
ent medicine certificates were never
generals. but seek false honors through
this now sepfatiOnni channel.
The New York Tribune asks. Are
we the real Americana" I should say
not. There were other people here be-
fore We came. ! am reminded OF the
little boy and girl who thought the
Bishop was "a fool because he didn't
quite agree with them that Columbus
discovered America. But" said the
Bishop. dld d. md anybody here 2"
They replied. ron, yes. there were In
dams here" If ihif bishop were alive
to-day be- minhf possibly claim that
are Indians are fhe real Americana"