The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-03
battlefield AT CHALMETTE
WAS ONE OF MANY POINTS VIEWED
BY NEW ORLEANS DISTIN-
GUISRED VISITORS
ADDRESSED A VAST CROWD
Jackson Square, Fronting on the
Old Spanish CabiIdo, ThrOnged
With Citizens Anxious to
Hear Chief Executive.

NEW ORLEANS, May E.-lne Gay
spent in New Orleans viii live long in the
memory of the president and the mem
bers Of his party. In no other city in the
United States IS the old and romantic
preserved and placed in such sharp con-
trast with the modern as in the Crescent
City, and today as the presidential party
drove through the flower emboWered city
from the new into the old French and
Spanish quarter it was like passing mys-
teTiOUsly from America into a foreign
land from this century into another that
has gone. And the illusion of the transt-
ton was heightened by the interesting
ceremonies which occurred in the old
CabildO, the seat Of the government Of
the former Spanish and French rulers,
After short visit to the Southern uni
versity. where a thousand cOOred stu
dents greeted the president with waving
hts Of colored bunting so arranged as
to make the whole an American flag, and
where the president made a brief speech,
the party passed across Canal and Ram
part streets, its quaint galleried resi-
dcnces, its cathedral, old Spanish build
ings and the French market, all with the
flavor Of another generation and all now
unfortunately going into picturesque de-
cay.
There was a striking picture when the
party drew up before the mOuldering
CabildO, over $50 years old, which is sit
uated opposite what is now called Jack
son square, but which, in the old days.
was the Place d'Armes, where Spanish
generals formerly drilled their soldiers
Around the encircling streets the bal
comics were throngcd, and down In the
Fouare were acres of people. Many races
were represented, but the foreigners were.
mostly French and Italians. Those on
the outer edges OF the crowd stood with
their faces pressing against the hlEh
iron ratings which enclose the palS.
Many people We're perched in the trees.
AT JACKSON SQUARE.
AS the president aIighted a squad Of
the cadets blew q fanfare on their French
trumpets the Louisiana field artillery
fired a salute Of twenty-One guns, and
the bells Of the cathedral and all the
churches In the quarter pealed out their
welcoming greeting. 1t was an inspiring
moment. Up the stairway, past the Con-
tinental guard, the president and his
party mounted into the crimson draped
audience chamber, where the exercises
took place. AS in a dream the visitors
were carried back to the days long ago
when governors of Spanish kings ruled
here. and to that memorable day almost
a century ago when the keys Of the city
Of New Orleans were delivered up in this
very room to Wilkinson and Claiborne,
the American commissioners, ana
French dominion over the great LoulSI-
ana territory passed to the sovereignty
of the United States. Alcee Fortler'
DISTINGUISHED creole, who is president OF
the Louisiana Historical society, recalled
these great events in his address to the
president and the president in response
dNelt upon their mOmentous bearing
uDon the worlds history. 1t was nota-
bic srecch and was received with enthu-
siasm by the distinguished gathering
CHEERED BY THE CROWD.
When ne had concluded, the president
appeared upon the balcony to show HIM
self to the waiting thousands outside.
The cadets below presented arms and tie
square and the buildings surrounding it
huttered with handkerchiefs and flags,
While the air was torn by the hoarse
roar of the shouts Of the multitude. The
president made an Impressive figure as
he stood there waiting for the cheering to
subside. He acknowledged the demOnstra-
ton with a bow, right and left, and
spoke as follows:
MY Fellow Citizens: I have great
honor In standing on this historic ground
to receive the greetings of my country
men and to recall tie fact that here.
neatly n hundred years ago, "a great
scene was enacted that dedicated
larger area than the original thirteen
states to liberty and Union forever"
The party then returned to the hotel
for luncheon, and in the afternoon en-
harked on a Mississippi river steamboat
for TIP along the river front from
Audubon park to the historic battlefield
Of Chalmette, where the monument erect
ed in memory Of the defeat of Packing
ham by Gen. Jackson, commands a view
of the river. A little further ur and on
the Algiers side of the stream, the presi-
Dental party had a good view of the
preparation now being made for the re-
ception Of the new floating drydock now
In course Of construction for the govern
mont at SparrOw's Point Md.
At O'Clock tonight the presidential
train resumed its lorg Journey to the
Pacific. Houston, Tex, VIII be- reached
tomorrow morning.