The Washington herald., 1908-01-12

Special Correspondence OF The Washington Herald.
London, Jan. L
| To-day across our fathers graves
The astonished years reveal
The remnant Of that despeats host
| Which cleansed 0T East with steel
-Rudyard Kipling
| It was noble remnant Of the brave
army which saved India for England
which assembled at the Albert Hall on
! Christmas Eve to commemorate the jubi-
lee Of the mutiny, a gathering that was
stirred 70 its depths by Lewis Waller as
he recited in thrilling accents the verso
specially written for the occasion by Rud-
yard Kipling. entitled '1S57-19g7. the
opening lines Of which are quoted above.
| About 100 survivors Of that famous cam
paign, all wearing their medals telling Of
great deeds done, came from all parts Of
/ the country to atte-%eS1e jubilee dinner
/ generously provided by the prOprietors Of
/ the Daily Telegraph They came from
places as remote as Uist. in the Outer
/ Hebrides, and from CO1nemara, In Ire
| land. Three hundred more survivors who.
! because Of age and infrnity or distance
| from England. were unable 10 be present,
were all cOnsoled with a Christmas ham,
per.
From early morning they had been as
/ sembIing. At almost any Of the great
railway terminals were to be seen, long
before noon. a little group Of men all
/ wearing light blue rosette. and many OF
! them a row of medals imperfectly con-
! cealed by a black coat. Il seemed 10 be
la point Of honor among them TO wear a
! black coat.
Few OId-timers Remain.
| Scarcely more than a thousand are
/ known 10 remain Of the men who were
awarded the Mutiny medal Of 1857, and
to all OF these was extended an invitation
/ by the proprietors Of the Daily Telegraph.
who organized the celebration, TO be pres
ent at the Albert Hall About half that
/ number, representing at least fifty Tegi-
ments Of fifty years ago, were able 70
/ come, and 20 all the others a Christmas
/ hamper has been sent.
/ Before the dinner the veterans lined up
/ in Hyde Park, just by the Albert Memo
rial and their inspection by Earl Roberts
was not the least touching incident con-
nected with this great reunion.
! The interior of-the hall presented a
very lively and interesting scene when
Earl Roberts took his seat at the head
Of the principal table. where, among the
guests. were Lord Curzon, Sir George
/ White Admiral Lord Walter Kerr, Rud-
yard Kipling, Sir Hugh Cough, Admiral
Sir Henry Stephenson. Sir DightOn Pro-
byn. and Sir Evelyn Wood
The dinner was a very substantial af-
fair. and considering that nearly al ths
guests were. by force Of circumstances.
over seventy years Of age. CTeditable exc
cution was done in this direction. During
the meal there was music. among the per-
formers being Angus Gibson. the only
surviving piper Of the mutiny, who awak-
ened memories sad or glad by playing
/ ''The Campbells Are Coming"
There were many messages read by
Earl Roberts, after the health Of his
I majesty had been drunk First, Of course.
was that from the King. The viceroy
/ also sent his greetings. and a telegraphiO
message from Lord Kitchener, who con-
veyed the good wishes Of the Indian
army to the veterans, with the observa-
ton, Their past glorious deeds are not
forgotten in this country" reused en-
thusiastic cheers.
To Lord Curzon the last Of ex-viceroys.
fell the task Of proposing the toast OF the
Indian mutiny, and he performed it with
! his customary eloQueuce. To the bulk OF
! Englishmen. he said, the Indian mutiny
was already a tradition. rather than a
/ memory. and was surrounded with an al
/ most mystic halo as one of the great n2-
tional epics of the race.
Both Tragedies snd GIories.
To all Of them. young or old. il was one
Of the combined tragedies and glories OF
4 the nation-tragedy because there were
concentrated into those terrible months
the agony and the suffering almost Of
centuries; glory because great names
Ieaped to life, high and ennobling deeds
were done. and, best and most enduring
Of all. there sprang from all that havoc
and disaster the majestic fabric Of an IN
dia united under a single crown.
They were gazing for the last time at
one Of the supreme pages Of history, be-
fore it was turned back forever and
stored away on the dusty shelves Of time.
They were rendering the last tribute OF
gratitude and respect TO those who wrote
Their names upon that page in letters that
would never die, and vino were there to
answer the last roll call they would bear
together upon earth in the presence Of
their old comrades and before their cid
commanders.
There was only one response TO the
toast, and Lord Roberts, in his speech,
expressed profound regret that there was
no one left alive who held any position
Of responsibility IN the mutiny. He ex-
pressed their Indebtedness to Lord Burn
ham, and with characteristic modesty
added that they must all feel that the
commemoratlon was an honor paid
through them to the memory Of those by
whose courage they had emerged victori-
Gus from a great struggle.