The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-06-12
AT THE EXPOSITION.

NASHVILLE Iellllsi June Ill ne piCSl-
dent and party arrived this morning,
and the ceremonies attending his re-
ception and appearance at the exposi-
ton grounds We're fully carried out
In his address the president said;
Officers Of the Tennessee Centennial
Exposition, Ladies and Gentlemen:
American nationality, compared with
that of Europe and the East Is still
very young; and yet already we are be-
ginning to have age enough for centen-
NAL anniversaries in states other than
the original thirteen, Such occasions
are always interesting, and when cele-
brated in q practical way are useful and
instructive. Combining retrospect and
| review they recall what has been done
by state and nation and point out what
yet remains for both to accomplish in
| order to fulfill their highest destiny.
This celebration is of general inter-
est to the whole country, and of special
| significance to the people of the south
| and west. 1t marks the end of the first
century of the state Of Tennessee and
| the close of the first year Of its second
| century. One hundred and one years
ago this state was admitted into the
Union as the sixteenth member in the
great family Of American common
wealths. 1t was a welcome addition to
| the national household community
young, strong and sturdy, with an hon
ored and heroic ancestry, with fond
anticipations not only Of its founders,
| but faith in its success on the part of
far-seeing and sagacious statesmen In
all parts of the country. l am justified
| IN &1.AA @ta,, sly,e hoy
been grandly realized; that the present
of this community of sterling worth is
even brighter than prophets of the past
had dared to forecast for it. The build
ers of the state. who had forced their
way through the trackless forests of
this splendid domain, brought with
| them the same high ideals and fear
| less devotion to home and country,
founded on resistance to oppression,
which have everywhere made illus
trious the Anglo-American name.
Whether it was the territory Of Vir-
ginia or that OF North Carolina mat
tered little to. them. They came will
ing and eager to fight for independ-
| ence and liberty, in the War of the
| Revolution were ever loyal to the STAN
dard of Washington. When their rep
| resentatives served in the Colonial As
sembly of North Carolina they chose
for the first time in our country, as
far as | know-the great name of
Washington for the district in which
they lived, and at the close of the Revo-
luton sought to organize their terri
tory into state, to be known as the
state OF Franklin, in grateful homage
to the name of another of Its most dis
tinguished patriot commoners.
Spain had sought to possess ter
tritory by right of discovery as u part
of Florida. France claimed it by right
of cession as part of Louisiana, and
England as her by conquest. But
neither contention coufd for an instant
be recognized. Moved by the highest
instincts of self government and the
Hottest motives of patriotism under
gallant old John Sewer, at Kings
mountain, your forefathers bravely VIM
dictated their honor and glorlousiy won
their independence.
Thus came the new state, second only
then of the now mighty west and
southwest And it has made a wonder
full history for itself Tennessee has
sometimes been called the Mother of
Southwestern States It furnished us
the immortal Jackson, whose record in
war and whose administration in peace
at the head of the great republic
shines on the advancing years. The
century has only added to the luster of
his name increased the obligations of
his countrymen and exalted him in
their affection. Polk and johnson also
were products of this great state, and
many more heores of distinguished
deeds whose names will come unbidden
to your memories while I speak
"Tennesseans have ever been volun-
teer, not drafted patriots. In 1856,
when 2400 soldiers were called for, 30
900 loyal Tennesseans offered their SER
vices; and amid the trials and terrors
of the great civil war under conditions
of peculiar distress and embarrassment,
her people divided on contending sides
But upon whichever side, they fought
fearIessly to death and gallant service.
Now happily, there are no contending
sides in this glorious commonwealth or
in any part of our common country.
The men who opposed each other in
dreadful battle third of a century ago
are once and forever united together
under one flag in a never to- be broken
union
1.-THE glory of Tennessee is not alone
in the brilliant names it has contrib
uted to history or the heroic patriotism
displayed by the people in so many
crises of our national life, but its ma
terial and industrial wealth, social adj
vancement and population are strikin 6
and significant in their growth and de-
velopment. Thirty-f1ve thousand set
tiers in this state in 1870 had Increased
to 10000 in 1860, and to-day it has a
population closely approxmating 2,000-
900. It's manufactures which in 1860
were small and unimportant, In 1890 had
reached s72.o00,0 600 in value, while it's
farm products now aggregate more
than $50. 100000 annually. Its river
commerce on three great international
waterways, its splendid railways oper-
ating nearly three thousand miles of
road, its mineral wealth of incaicula-
BILE value, form a splendid augury for
; the future. l am sure no better work
men could be found than the people of
Tennessee to turn these confident prom
ises into grand realities.
Your exposition shows better than