The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-25
ROUGH RIDERS AT LAS VEGAS.
GOV. ROOSEVELT MET AND CHEER
ED BY MANY THOUSANDS.

occnsfOn-SpOlSe of the Santiago
Campaign, and of Living and De-
parted Comrades-BeIieves the
Government Has Duty to Per-
form in the Philippines.
Las Vegas. N. NJ, June 2i.-The Rougr
Riders the regiment that figured 50 con-
spieuously in the Cuban campaign. opens
ed their first convention to-day.
There were immense crowds assembled
about the town, and Gov Roosevelt OF
New York. their old leader, who came
on from Albany, was a prime mover in
the proceedings. When he reached here
this afternoon clad in his Rough Rider
uniform, Ave thousand people, massed
about the depot. and cheered him yoclfer-
ously. The association OF the riders met to-
night. and Gov Roosevelts speech was
the feature.
Gov, Roosevelt was elected honorary
president for life of the association. Col.
Brodle OF Prescott was elected president.
The following are extracts from Col.
Roosevelts speeech
Just at this time / would not have lefE
New York state for any purpose save to
attend the reunion of my old regiment,
and for that purpose | would have gone
to Alaska, or anywhere else, for the bond
that unites as together Is as close as any
bond OF human friendship can be, II was
our good fortune to be among those ac-
cepted when the country called TO arms
a year ago last spring and when ten meis
volunteered for every one that could De
chosen.
Il think I may say without boasiIns
that the regiment did its duty In every
way, and that its record is subject for
hnparu ht,a rfida ur1a ths.
members themselves, but the country az
large l am proud of you because you
never complained and never flnchcd.
When you went to war you knew YOU
would not have an easy time; you expect
ed to encounter hardshlpa
Campaign at Santiago.
"Of those who landed for the brief cams
paign In the tropical midsummer against
Santiago, one-fourth were killed or wound
ed, and three-fourths of the remainder
were at one time or another 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 regi-
ment under the flag of the United States
IN one of the most righteous wars which
this century has seen. This was a typl-
cal American regiment The majority OF
Its members came from the Southwest.
but not all We had In our ranks East-
erners, Westerners, Northerners, South-
erners, Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Gen.
ties-men whose parents were born In
Germany or ireland, and men whose par
ents were born on the banks of the
James, the Hudson and at Plymouth Rock
nearly three centuries ago; and all were
Americans In heart and soul, In spirit
and purpose-Americans, and nothing else.
II 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 30 doing YOU show yourselves to be typ
icnl American citizens, for IL has always
been the pride of our country that an
American while most earnestly desirous OF
peace was ever ready to show himself q
hard and dangerous fighter IL need should
rise, and that on the other hand when
once the need had passed he could prove
that war had not hurt him for the work OF
peace and that he was all the litter to do
this work for having done the other too.
We may be called 60 war but once In a
generation, and most earnestly hope that
we shall not have 10 face war again for
many years.
Comrades OF the Frny.
"Let me say word to those to whom
our thoughts should turn at such a time.
both among the living and among the
dead, 10 our absent living comrades. and
especially 10 our former commander, now
Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, whose admlnis-
tration OF the province OF Santiago has re-
acctcd the utmost credit not merely upon
himself, but upon the nation so fortunate
as TO have him In her service. We send 10
them the heartiest and most loyal greet
ing. with these men we hope IN the no
distant future 10 strike hands again, and as
Tong as as we live and they live we shall
all lie bound together by most indissolubo
ft4ff sslI4 me- tn NJ alIV
dead comrades, Of the men who gave their
lives In the fierce rush OF the jungle fight
ing, or who wasted 10 death In the fever
camps we can only stand with barred
heads and pray thai We may 50 live as
at the end to die as worthiiy as these our
brothers died.
"And these men SO loved their country
that they CALAMITY gave their lives for
her honor and renoWn and for the uplift-
ing of the human race. Now their work
Is over, their eyes are closed forever, their
bodies moulder In the dust, but the spirit
that was in them cannot die, and II shalk
live for time everlasting.
Those in the Philippines.
80 much for our comrades OF the reg
inent. Let us not forget our comrades,
who this summer are facing all that We
faced last summer. Let us not forget
the gallant men, the regulars and volun-
teers who are upholding the honor of the
fiag and the interests OF the nation Ia the
Philippines. Surely there is not one OF
us whose veins have not tingled with
pride as he read OF the gallantry OF those
men; and l suppose few of us have not
thought at times that we should like
ourselves 10 fight beside Lawton as we
fought beside him last July, and to see
II the Rough Riders could not do their
share OF the work with the splendid men
who followed Funston. Hale and other
daring leaders, who, during the past six
months have added SO many new pages
TO the honor roll OF American history. TO
our shame be II said, there are men In this
nation so Indifferent TO the countrys hon
or, so iukewarm In patriotism and cour-
age that they would let all the work OF
these men go fer naught--let their blood
be spilled In vain. But the hour of our
battle Is sounded, and the puny folk who
deem Il otherwise are woefully mistaken
in their countrymen.
''Where our flag has been raised II shall
not be hauled down. IL any difficulty
seems greater than we expected Il merely
means that we shall exert little moro
strength IN overcoming 1t. / read with
pride the other day how both senator's