The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-12-28
WILSON ) TAKING SPEECH.

Fellow Citizens: 1t is with Infinite
pleasure that l address myself in words
of peace to Macon audience. Cheers
Thirty odd years ago came into this
town with $4,000 cavalry laundering
at my heels. daughter and shouts.) |
was metwith the roaring Of cannon and
the firing OF musketry (cheers) | was
greeted by the burning Of ware houses
and the destruction Of property, which
I now profoundly regret. (Cheers.) The
welcome that was extended to me then
was of the silent quality. Laughter
An illustrious citizen, then your chief
magistrate, the Hon. Joseph E. Brown,
after four hours interview speaking
of me, then said to another s~shering OF
illustrious critizeus, at the head OF
which was Howell Cobb. He is clev,
er young man, but, gentlemen, he takes
the military view Of the situation.
Laughter) That was fact then, but
now come among you and receive
diferen. welcome. was then VIC
tor, today l am a captive. (eheers.) l
must say l am willing captive Of your
city. The fair women and the brave
and excellent gentlemen Of your town
have, by their open and generous hospl
tality, imprisoned me deep Down IN
their hearts, and would be recreant to
every feeling of my own if | desired
release from such pleasing bondage.
Now, just ono word more. The Presl-
dens has come among you; your Presl-
dent and my President, and he comes
as the ezemplar and the head Of the
great American nation. Cheers. He
has done more for it than any president
since the DAYS of Washington, for he
has added vastly to its extent and
striver to make it a continental repuo-
lie as the fathers designed IT to be.
(cheers) He has extended its borders
to such distance that the sun rises
upon it in the east before it sets upon
it in the west. (cheers.) Twelve thou
sand miles to the west lies the Philip
pines, our new Oriental possessions,
and two thousand miles to the east the
beautiful island Of Porto Rico. 4 line
ioining,one extremity to the other OF
these new possessions weah reach halt
way around the earth. CHEERS. But
splendid as the Presidents work has
been there still remains greater work
for him tc do: 1t is glorious work, and
don't you forget it. (cheers.) 1t is
work which justi6es the President IN
saying we are at last one, and that the
Confederate soldier should receive the
same treatment as the Federal soldier.
This is the work which the American
people are profoundly interested IN,
for it touches their permanent and
paramount interests, and I hope to see
it speedily accomplished. hope to see
the day when our starry flag shall float
everywhere from the frozen north to
the suany cline of Central America.
We are too big and powerful and pro-
gressive to have neighbors on this Con-
tinent, and trust that before the next
administration Of the President closes
the flag will fy over every foot of the
Continent from the northern extremity
Of the Dominion Of Canada to the Gulf
Of Mexico"
The illusions Of Gen. Wilson to his
capture Of Macon in the sixties cap
tured the crowd, but his allusion to the
time when the Stars and Stripes would
float over the whole Continent received
more applause than any other sentiment
expressed on the occasion.
This ended the speech-making. The
Presidential party was taken in charge
by the committee and driven about the
city until it was time to take their de-
parture for Augusta.
President Mckinley expressed him
self as greatly pleased with his reception
at Macon, particularly on the part OF
the Confederate Veterans.