The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-25
Accorded a Hearty
Welcome By Old
Messmates.
COLONEL ROOSEVELT'S SPEECH.
Recites the Heroic Deeds
of His Cowboy
Regiment.

Las Vegas, N. M, June 24.-When
the train bearing Gov. Roosevelt and
party reached Ration today, a large
crowd had assembled, and the govern
or was presented with a floral offer
ing. The governor made a short adj
dress, recounting the deeds of New
MeXico's rough riders and compliment
ing the citizens of the territory upon
the reputation the rough riders had
conferred upon it,
party of rough riders and citizens
of New Mexico met Gov. Roosevelt
and party at Wagon Mound. Gov.
Roosevelt arrived here at 100 o'clock
this afternoon and was greeted with
tremendous cheers from 5000 persons
massed around the depot.
The governor was almost lifted from
his feet by the press of persons anxious
to grasp his hand, and as he and his
party made their way slowly to the
Castaneda Hotel the crowd surged
after him. AS he walked down the de-
pot sidewalk a line of rough rider
veterans saluted and Joined in the gen
eral ovation.
When Col. Roosevelt came opposite
the line of rough riders he commenced
shaking hands with the troopers and
gave them most cordial greeting. The
rough riders cheered him vociferously
The business meeting of the Rough
Riders Regimental Association was
held in the Duncan Opera House. An
address of welcome on behalf of the
citizens of Las Vegas was made by A.
A. Jones. Col. Roosevelt responded as
follows, his remarks at times being en-
Enthusiastically applauded:
Just at this time ! would not have
left New York state for any purpose
save to attend. the reunion of my old
regiment, and for that purpose I would
have gone to Alaska, or anywhere else,
for the bond that unites us is as close
as any bond of human friendship can
be. 1t was our good fortune to be among
those accepted when the country called
to arms a year ago last spring, and
when ten men volunteered for every
one that could be chosen. l think / may
say without Boosting that the regiment
did its duty in every way, and that it's
record is subject for honorable pride not
only to the members themselves but the
country at large
Il am proud of you because you never
complained and never fiinched. When
you went to war you knew you would
not have an easy time; you expected to
encounter hardships and you took them
without murmur. You were all readi-
ness to learn that promptness and obed-
fence which make it possible to turn
the American volunteer so soon into a
first class type Of fighting man.
"Of those who landed for the brief
campaign in the tropical midsummer
against Santiago, one-fourth We're kill
ed or wounded and three-fourths of the
a in n OF l,
stricken down by fever. Many died, but
there is not one among you so poor in
spirit that he does not count fever,
wounds and death itself as nothing
compared with the honor of having
been able to serve with the regiment
under the flag of the United States in
one Of the most righteous wars which
this century has seen.
This was a typical American regi-
ment. The majority of it's members
came from the southwest, but not all
We had in our ranks fasteners, west
erners, northerners, southerneTs, Cath
olics, Professionals, Jews Gentifes-men
whose parents were born in Germany or
ireland, and men whose parents We're
born on the banks of the James, the
Hudson, and at Plymouth Rock nearly
three centuries ago; and all were Amer
leans in heart and soul, in spirit and
approximations and nothing else.
We knew no distinction of creed, birth
place or residence. All we cared for was
that a man should 90 his duty, should
show himself alert, patient and endur-
ing, good in camp and on the march,
and valiant in battle.
My comrades, the regiment was but
a microSm of cur great country and the
principles which enabled us to make Sc
much out of it are those upon which we
must act in the nation itself if we are
to stand level to the needs of our great
destiny. In administering this great
country we must know no north, south,
east or west; We must pay no heed to
n mans creed; We must be Indifferent
as to whether he is rich or poor pro-
vidSd only he is indeed a good man, a
good citizen, good American. II our
political and social life alike, in order
to succeed we must base our conduct
on the decalogue and the golden rule.
We must put in practice those homely
virtues, for the lack of which no in
tallectual brilliancy, no material pros
perity, can ever atone. 1t is a good
thing for a nation to be rich, but it is
a better thing for a nation to be the
mother of men who possess the quail
ties OF honesty, of courage and of COM
mon sense.
We have many great problems ahead
of US, we Americans, as we stride
along the road to national greatness
problems of home administration. ard
problems that affect our dealings with
the outside world. We cannot solve
them in the spirit of levity or vain
glorious boastfulness; still less, if We
approach them in a spirit of timidity,
and least of all, if in dealing with
them we do not insist upon honesty
and righteousness, upon that upright
ness of character, which is the key
stone in the arch of true national
greatness. The problems that rise from
year to year differ widely and must be
met in widely different ways, and net
one of them can be properly solved un-
less we approach it with resolute fear
lessness and with a sincere purpose TO
do Justice to all men, exacting it from
others, and eXacting it no less from
ourselves.
I am proud of the way in which you
have taken up the broken threads Of
your lives-in which you have gone
back to the ranch, the mine. and the
counting-room. In so doing you show
yourselves typical American citizens,
for il has always been the pride If our
country that an American. while most
earnestly DESTROYS of peace, was ever
ready to show himself a hard and dan
gerous fighter if need should rise. and
that on the other hand, when once the
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