The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-17
The PRESIDENTS
SOUTHERN TOUR
CONTINUED from first page.)

Confederate capitol. Inc entire route
was ab.aze with national colors, while
tremendous crowds lined the streets as
far rs the eye could reach. No such
gathering has been seen here since Mr..
Cleycand's visit during his first term.
Capitol Hill was' one mass of humanity
when the line of carriages, escorted by
the local military companies reached it
ut 3 o'clock. When Governor Johnston
escorted President Mckinley into the hail
there was u tremendous demonstration.
Governor Johnston made brief speech,
in which he took occasion 10 say that
Alabama had nothing TO take back for
what she did in 1861, but that she was
hack in the Union to stay. and that she
welcomed the President of the reunited
country to this historic spot.
SPEECH AT MONTGOMERY.
ITO the General Assembly and Citi-
zenS:
The warm-hearted welcome which has
been given to me by the citizens of Ala
bama has deeply touched me- and III re-
turn for it | cannot find language to eN-
press my gratitude and appreciation. 10
be welcomed here in the city of Mont
gomery, the first capital of the Confede-
rate States. warmly and enthusiastically
welcomed as the President of common
country has filed and thrilled me with
emotion. Once the capital of the Con
federacy. now the capital of great
and glorious State, one of the indistructi-
BILE States of an indestructible Union.
THE Governor says he has nothing to
take 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 staid in. tremendous APP
plauSe).
Alabama, like all the States of The
Union, North and South, has been loyal
to the flag and steadfastly devoted TO the
American ma ton 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 coun-
try to the other as in the year just
passed: and never has American valor
been more brilliantly illustrated in the
battle-line on shore and the battleship at
sea than by the soldiers and sailors of
the United States Everybody is talk
ing of Hobson and justly SO, but | want
to thank Mother Hobson in this pres
ence Everybody is talking about Gene
raj Wheeler. one of the brIyeSt of the
little daughter that followed him to San
tiago (great APPLAUSE and administered
TO the sick ut Montauk. (Applause).
have spoke 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 hundred thousand men
were called for, and a million rushed to
get a place i'll the ranks. (Great APP
plause). And millions more stood ready
if need be prolonged applausel.
II like the feeling OF the American
people that we ought not to have large
standing army: but it has been demon
strated 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 on the great body
of the people in an emergency to help
US fight our battles. iApplause).
I'VE love peace. We are not a mill
tary nation, but whenever the time of
peril comes the bulwark of this people
rests i'll the patriotism of its citizens
and this nation viii be safe for all time
because 15,O00,000 people love it and will
give up their lives to sustain and uphold
it. Great applause).
Il thank you my fellow citizens for this
generous warmth and wealth Of welcome
which you have given me to-day and |
shall 90 back to my duties at our great
capital feeling that we have Il united
country that acknowledges allegiance to
but one authority and will march for
ever unitedly under one flag, the glorious
old Stars and Stripes. Tremendous
cheering and applause.0
The audience constantly punctuated
the Presidents remarks with the wild
est demonstrations of approval and es-
pecially 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 reception at his office, but
the audience would not have it. They
called for General Wheeler, General
Shafter. General Lawton, Secretaries
Alger and Long and Postmaster General
Smith. General Lawton at first refused
to speak. Then, amidst great applause,
he said:
Il am not an orator; / am a soldier:
| was not hero; | am a regular; / a,n
one of the sixteen thousand regular
soldiers sent to Cuba. On behalf Of that
part of the army | commanded, | thank
you, people of Alabama"
The other speakers emphasized brief
ly the power of the Spanish war in re-
storing the harmony and cordially be-
tween the different sections. Secretary
Long was especially well received, as he
called attention to the fact that in ad-
dition to Wheeler and Hobson, there
was another Albanian who had con
tributed to the success Of the war in his
important work of helping fashion the
navy-his predecessor, Hilary a. Her
bert. Of Montgomery. After the speech
es the Presidential party went to the
Governors office, where a public re-
ception was held for half hour. The
crush to reach the President was terri
fic. and hundreds did not succeed in
doing so, as the Presidents time was
limited. He next went to meet the
colored people at Old Ship Church, where
a great throng received him enthusiast
tically. He made a short but forcible
speech there.
This ended the ceremonies here. The
party were conveyed back to the train,
and at half past six o'clock, amid the
boom of cannon, the President left for