The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-12-20

llI - 'N~
enthusiastically welcomed as the pres
ident of a common ountr has filled
and thrilled me with emotion. Once the
capital of the Confederacy, now the
capital of a great and glorious state,
one of the indestructible states of an
indestructible union.
THE governor say he has nothing
to AXE back. We have nothing to take
back for having kept you in the union.
We are glad you did not go out and
you are glad you stayed in. (Tremen-
dous ~applause.)
Alabama, like all the states of the
union, north and south, has been loyal
to the flag and steadfastly devoted to
the American. nation and to American
honor. There never has been in the
history of the United States such a
demonstration of patriotism from one
end Of this country to the other as in
the year just passing; and V has
American valor been more brilliantly
illustrated in the battle line on shore
and on the battleship at sea than by
the soldiers and sailors Of the United
States. Everybody is talking of Hob
son, and justly so, but 1 want to thank
Mother Hobson in this presence. Ev-
erybody is talking about General
Wheeler, one of the bravest of the
brave, but 1 want 10 speak Of that
sweet little daughter hat followed
HllI " odUlldSo iSlcdI dpplduoCJ III
ministered to the sick at MOntauk.
(Cheers.) 1 have spoken in many places
and at many times of the herOism of
the American army and the American
navy, but in our recent conflict the
whole people were patriots. Two hum
dred Thousand men were called for and
a million rushed to get a place in the
ranks, great a%pplause) and millions
mort stood ready if need be prolonged
applause.)
81 like the feeling of the American
large standing army; but it has been
demonstrated in the last few months
that we need the standing army large
enough to do all the work required
while we are at peace and only rely
IN the great body of the people in an
emergency to help us fight our bat
ties. (Applause.) We love peace. We
are not a military nation, but when
ever the time Of peril comes the bull
wark Of this people rests in the pa
triOtism of it's citizens, and this ma
ton will be safe for all time, because
rs, 900, 900 Of people love it and will give
up their lives to sustain and uphold it.
Great applause.)
II thank you, my fellow citizens, for
this generous warmth and wealth of
welcome which you nave given me to-
day and I shall go back to my duties
at our great capital feeling that we
have a united country that acknOwl-
edges allegiance to but one authority
and will march forever unitedly under
one flag, the glorious old Stars n
Stripes" tremendous cheering AND
~applause.)
The audience punctuated the presi-
dents remarks with the widest de-
monstratiOns of approval and espe-
cially his tributes to Lieutenant Hob
sons mother and General Wheeler's
daughter.
AS soon as he had finished the gov
ernor started to escort the president
away for a reception at his office, but
the audience would not hav it. They
called for General Wheeler, Genera
Shafter, General LLwtOn, Secretaries
Alger and Long, ard Postmaster Gen
eral Smith. General Lawton at first re-
fused to speak. Then amid great ap-
plause he said: Il am not an orator.;
l am a soldier. / I'm not a hero; I am
a regular. I am n of the 16, 200 regu-
lar soldiers sent to Cuba on behalf of
hat part of the army I commanded. I
a you, people of Alabama"
The other speakers emphasized
briefly the power of the Spanish war
in restoring the harmony and cordial
ity between the different sections. Sec
rotary Long was especially we'll re-
ceived, as he called attention to the
fact that in addition to Wheeler and
Hobson. there was another Alaba-
maian who had contributed a vast
deal to the success of the war in his
important work of helping fashion the
navy-his predecessor, Military A. Her
bert, of Montgomery. After the
speeches the presidential party went
to the governors office, where a pub
lie reception was held for a half hour.
The crush to reach the president was
terrific.
h president next wen to meet
the colored people at Old Ship church
where a great throng received hin en-
Enthusiastically. He made a short, but
forcible speech there.
| This ended the ceremonies here. The
party were conveyed back to the train
and at $50 o'clock. mid the boom of
I'M the president left for Savan-
nah.
To a number of gentlemen privately
the president and members of his party
| spoke in the warmest terms of their
enthusiastic reception here. There is
little doubt that it has been the heart
lest experience on his southern trip
and it is accounted for, first, by his
recognition of such A~labamaians as
Wheeler, Hobson. Oates and Wiley and
by his suggestion at Atlanta of ma
| liolldl care loT cOIISueTdte graves.
THE JOURNEY TO SAVANNAH.
Atlanta, Ga, December 1.-THE spe-
cial train conveying President McKin.
ley and party on his trip through the
south, arrived on the Atlanta and West
Point railroad from Montgomery a
1875 o'clock. An hour was spent in the
depot. The cars We're dark and no de.
monstration occurred. The train was
transferred to the Central of Geor.
gia railway here for the trip to Savan.
nah. All freight trains were annulle
for the night and a pilot engine was
started on the long night run fifteer
minutes ahead. At 1890 o'clock the
train pulled out of the Atlanta sta,
ton. Savannah will be reached at S:3t
O'Clock Saturday morning.
Secretary Wilson missed the presi
Dental train at Tuskagee and was lef
over at that place. He was picked III
on the back trip.
conSS No1L-a 0;Ig~ o--