Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-12-22

President Mckinley made memora-
bic the first day of the Atlanta Peace
Jubilee by a notable utterance in his
speech before the joint session of
the Georgia Legislature this after
noon. His reception by the General
Assembly was warm and hearty in
the extreme and his speech was
punctuat4! with frequent outbursts
of cheering. 1t is admitted on all
sides that the address marked an
epoch in history and is tonight on
every lip.
Upon the Presidents arrival at
the capitol he was greeted with a
field artillery salute and was at once
escorted to Gov. Candlcr's office.
There short, informal reception
took place. Upon it's conclusion the
President, followed by members of
the Cabinet, was conducted to the
Assembly Chamber, where he occu-
pied tho Speakers chair, with Gov.
Gambler on his right. When Presi-
dent Dodson, of the Senate, called
the Legislature to order, the gal
lcrics were throngcd with men and
women. The body of the chamber
was well filled with State Senators
and Asscmblymen, while the uni
forms of various officers and the
Governors staff gave a touch of
brilliant color to the gathering. On
the first row facing the Speaker sat
Secretaries Gage, Long, Wilson and
Smith and Secretary Porter. Be-
side the Speakers desk, and below
the President, Gems. Wheeler, Law
ton and Young, in full uniform, sat
on chairs. The Speaker raped for
silence and introduced the President
to the audience after congratulating
the State of Georgia upon the pres
ence of their distinguished guest.
As tho President rose tho audience
applauded. During the course of
his short speech Mr. Mckinley re-
ferred often to his notes, and con-
stantly paused for the cheers to stop.
A scene of intense enthusiasm fol-
lowed, when, amid impressive silence,
these words fell from the lips of the
President:
"Every soldiers grave made dur
ing tho unfortunate civil war is n
tribute to American valor, and while,
when these graves were made, we
differed widely about the future of
the Government, those differences
were long ago settled by the arbitra-
mcnt Of arms, and the time has now
come in the evolution OF sentiment
and feeling, under the providence of
God, when, in the spirit of frator-
nifty, we should share with you in the
care of the graves Of the Confederate
soldiers"
A wild cheer went up from every
throat in the typical Southern audi
cnce, cheer that ECHOED and re-
echoed through the chamber until it
was taken up by the crowds outside.
Old men who fought for tho South
rose from their seats and waved their
hats. One Confederate veteran, now
a venerable Legislator, had pressed
forward until he was leaning against
the Speakers desk, hanging on each
word the President uttered. When
the reference was made to the Con-
fedcrate dead this old man buried
his head in his arms and, while the
cheers rang out, cried like a little
child. OF all tho many conciliatory
speeches which havo been made
since Grant said: "Let there be
peace" nothing has more deeply
stirred n Southern audience than the
simple words of President Mckinley
this afternoon. The President's
speech follows:
"Sectional lines no longer mar tho
map Of the United States. Sec
tional feeling no longer holds back
the love VIC bear each other. Fra
tcrnity is the national anthem, sung
by chorus of forty-fivc States and
our Territories at home and beyond
the seas. Tho Union is once more
the common altar of our love and
loyalty, our devotion and sacrifice.
The old flag again waves over us in
peace, with new glorics, which your
sons and ours have this year added
to its sacred folds. What cause we
have for rejoicing, saddencd only
by the fact that 80 many of our
brave men fell on the field or sick
oncd and died from hardship and
exposure, and others returning,
bringing wounds and disease from
which they will long suffer. The
memory Of the dead will be a pre-
1