The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-19
Some of the Results Of the Chief Ex-
ecutive's visit to Atlanta, Tuske-
gee, Montgomery and savannah.
LITTLE REST ON SUNDAY
HOW MIR. M'KfNLEY AND MEMBERS
OF HIS CABINET SPENT THE DAY.
At Church in the Morning and Later
the President to COIOred Students.

As
SAVANNAH, Ca, Dec. 18-The visit of
the President and his party to Savannah
ended tonight after two days of remark
able displays of enthusiasm. Although to-
day was supposed to be a day of rest, the
President attended two public functions and
received ovations. But far above the i'm
portance Of the receptions to-day and the
receptions already reported, is the fact that
the original object of President McKinley's s
visit has been entirely lost sight of. The
unprecedented outbursts of loyalty to the
Union have completely overshadowed the
rejoicing over the peace with Spain, though
participation in the latter was the avowed
object Of the Presidents Southern trip. To
thoroughly explain what is going on in the
South to-day it is necessary to not only
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 demon
strations which have marked the Presi-
dents visit to Atlanta, Tuskegee, Mont
gomery and Savannah. there has been the
tacit admission that the war with Spain
was the great factor in achieving the re-
suit, but It is to the result and not to the
factor that the chief trend of speech-making
and Of enthusiasm has lent itself. Political
Influences seem to play part in the re-
ception Of President Mckinley; on all sides
there is eagerness to publicly express
the loyalty 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
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 references to and the discussion of
the civil war have led to many delicate sit
uations that were only saved from becoming
Irritating dilemmas by the tact of a Presi-
dent who fought against Southern troops or
by the graceful utterances of the Confed-
crates who years ago opposed him on the
battlefield.
The marvellous scenes OF an audience in
the old Confederate capital cheering the
stars and stripes until they grew hoarse, of
Confederate veterans struggling to grasp
the hand OF Northern Republican Presi-
dent. of General Wheeler leading the people
Of his State in cheers for William McKin-
ley in the place where Jefferson Davis once
urged the South to fight for separation are
all redeemed from the suspicion of fuIsome-
ness or the faint praise of politicians by the
blunt truthfuness of the men who led in
these new and tremendously fervent dec
larations Of loyalty. Governor Johnston, of
Alabama, said at Montgomery: I'VE of the
South have nothing to regret except our
dead" but he at once went on to say that
he rejolced in the United States, with a
man now said: rs Alabama loyal to the
Union?'' he asked an absurd question, pe-
cause Alabama's loyalty had been proven
by Wheeler and Hobson, and that there
were hundreds of other Wheelers and Hob
sons in Alabama ready to give equal proof
of Alabama's glad fealty to the Union. Such
utterances as these have marked the trip
with more frequency than it has been pos
sible to report
On the part of the former Confederates
who have made addresses of welcome to
President Mckinley there has been no
eleventh-hour confession of sin. In sub
stance they have all said that they fought
for what they then 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 to-day the changed conditions with
a gladness and sincerity they never felt un-
til the war with Spain knit the Nation in a
common cause and until a Republican Pres
ident 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 en-
thusiasm with which the presidential party
has been greeted since Mr.. McKinley's first
speech in Atlanta Scarcely a speaker or
a paper in Alabama or Georgia has made
reference to the President without mem
tioning on every occasion his tribute tc the
Confederate dead.
A distinguished Southerner said to this
correspondent: There have been many re-
unions of the 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 otner on the prin-
ciples that they fought over This sugges-
ton Of the President TO care for our dead is
the first practicable evidence given to the
South that the North really means what it
says, and ii has touched our hearts more
tnan we can say Coming. as it does, upon
the heels OF the war with Spain, which gave
to the South the chance to prove her loyal-
~, this utterance of the President enables
us to say not only that we are true to the
Union, but for the first time that we
love it,"
This utterance represents host OF pub
lic and private speeches that have been
made since the arrival OF the presidential
party In the South. It il the consensus OF
various opinions expressed TO this corre-
spondent by state officers and citizens of
Georgia and Alabama, nearly all OF whom
are opposed TO the President In politics, but
who have welcomed him right gladly In his
capacity OF chief executive. and who have
given vent to Wild enthusiasm over his ut