The herald., 1898-12-19
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
SAVANNAH, Ga, Dec lS-I'he visit OF
the president and his party to Savannah
ended tonight after two days of remarkable
displays of enthusiasm. Although today
was supposed to be a day of rest, the presi-
dent attended two public functions and re-
ceived ovations. But far above the import
ance of the receptions today and the recep-
tions already reported, is the fact that the
original object OF President Mckinley S visit
has been entirely, lost sight Of. The unpre-
cedented outbursts OF loyalty to the union
have completely overshadowed the rejoic-
ing over the peace with Spain, though par
ticipation in the latter was the avowed OBJ
iect of the presidents southern trip.
To thoroughly explain what is going on in
the south today it is necessary not only to
record the continuous enthusiasm and hos
pitable receptions, but also to recount the
causes that have made the trip so remark
able. In all the speeches and in all the
demonstrations which have marked the
presidents visit to Atlanta, Tuskeegee,
Montgomery and Savannah there has been
the tacit admission that the war with Spain
was the great factor in achieving the result,
but it is to the result and not to the factor
that the chief trend OF speechmaking and of
enthusiasm has lent itself. Political infu-
ences seem to play no part in the reception
of President Mckinley. On all sides there
is an eagerness to publicly express the loyal
ty of the southern states and to admit that
the war with Spain not only helped to weld
the compact of the sections, but gave to the
south the opportunity to express sentiments
of loyalty that have long lived but which
have lacked opportunity OF expression. And
this has been done chiefly by Democrats,
many of whom fought for the stars and bars
and to all of whom the name of Davis is
sacred memory. The frank reference to and
the discussion of the civil war have led to
many delicate situations that were only
saved from becoming irritating dilemmas by
the tact Of president who fought against
southern troops, or by the graceful utter
ances of the Confederates who years ago
opposed him on the battlefield. The mar
velous scenes OF an audience in the old Con
federate capitol cheering the Stars and
Stripes until they grew hoarse. of eX-Con-
federates struggling to grasp the hands OF
northern president, of General Wheeler
leading the people of his state in cheers for
William Mckinley in the place where JET
ferson Davis once urged the south to fight
for separation, are all redeemed from the
suspicion of fulsomeness or the faint praise
of politicians by the blunt truthfulness of
the men who led in these new and tremen-
dously fervent declarations of loyalty.
Governor Johnston of Alabama said at
Montgomery:
1--WE of the south have nothing to regret
except our dead" but he at once went on
to say that he rejoiced in the United States,
with strong accent on united" andif any
man now said as Alabama loyal to the
union!" he asked an absurd question, be-
cause Alabama's loyalty has been proved by
Wheeler and Hobson, and there were hun
dreds of other Wheelers and Hobsons in
Alabama ready to give equal proof of Ala
bama's glad fealty to the union.
Such utterances as these have marked the
trip with more frequency than it has been
possible to report On the part of the for
mer Confederates who have made addresses
of welcome to President Mckinley there has
been no eleventh hour confession of sin. In
substance they have all said that they
fought for what they thought was right;
that they neither blame themselves nor
their dead fathers or sons for enlsting in
the cause Of the Confederacy, but that they
accept today the changed conditions with
gadness and sincerity they never felt until
the war with Spain knit the nation into a
common cause, and until Republican presi-
dent urged the people of the north and
south to honor the Confederate dead. In
the latter reason lies the main incentive to
the intense and almost unexpected enthusi-
asm with which the presidential party has
been greeted since Mr.. McKinley's first
speech in Atlanta. Scarcely speaker or
a paper in Alabama or Georgia has made
reference to the president without mention
ing on every occasion his tribute to the Con-
federate dead. A distinguished southerner
said to this correspondents
'There have been many reunions of north
and south on paper and in speeches These
were we'll meant, but they signified little
because neither side had given in to the
other on the principles that they fought
over. This suggestion of the president to
care for our dead is the first practical evil
dence given to the south that the north
really means what it says, and it has
touched our hearts more than we can say.
SouilHe, do ~ uOCS, uPOH tile uceiS VI the
war with Spain which gave to the south the
chance to prove her loyalty, this utterance
OF the president enables us to say not only
that we are true to the union, but for the
first time we love it,"
This utterance represents a host of pub.
lie and private speeches that have been
made since the arrival of the presidential
party in the south. 1t is the consensus OF
the opinions expressed to this correspond
ent by state officers and citizens of Georgia
and Alabama, nearly all of whom are op.
posed to the president in politics, but who
have welcomed him right gladly in his ca
pacity of chief executive and who have
given vent to wild enthusiasm over his ut
terances regarding the Confederate dead
In this way what was planned to be cee-
bration of the peace with Spain has become
almost entirely genuine practical ratifca-