The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-03
THE CRESCENT CITY
rur, PRESIDENT SPENDS A GREAT
DAY THERE.
THROUGH ROMANTIC SCENES.
vrcE1vED IN THE HISTORIC OLD
CABILDO.

rL.a PRESIDENT, fn His Response to
.h1a historical Events which Had
T-ausptred There and the Great
r..s of the Union Which Had Re-
.,Ited From the Acquisition of tn e
Louisiana TerritOry-French, ItaI-
,a and AnEIO.Saxon Citizens Vie
with Each other to Do Honor to
the President.
Now Orleans, May 2.-The day spent in
Hsw Orleans will live long in the mem
orv of the President and of the members
- his party. In no other city in the
,rni,ed States is the old and romantic
preserved and placed in such sharp con-
.rsst with the modern as in the Crescent
c;.,, and to-day as the Presidential par
~ drove through the flower -embowered
cit, from the new into the old French and
snanish quarter it was like passing mys-
tsrIously from America into a foreign
land from this country into another that
has gone. And the illusion of the transi-
ton was heightened by the interesting GER
emonies which occurred in the old Cabil-
do the seat of the former Spanish and
French rulers, which is yet preserved in
rs original integrity by the Louisiana
Historical Society.
The weather could not have been fair
or strong sun blazed from a cloud
less sky. but the heat was tempered by
light breeze from the river. The foil
age was all tender green, and along St.
Charles avenue, out which the party
drove behind d Gathering squadron of
cavalry. flowers, flags and pretty women
in CAV rairnent, formed mist of color.
The ertire population apparently was out
10 see the chief magistrate. After a
short visit to the Southern University
where a thousand negro students greet
ed the President with waving bits of col
ored 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 Rampant
streets, the boundaries of the new city,
into the old town.
Greeted by Many Races.
There was a striking picture when the
party drew up before the mouldering ca
bildo, over a hundred and fifty years
Old which IS situated opposite what is
now called Jackson Square, but which in
the old days, was the capital place.
Around the entire streets the balconies
we're thronged and down in the square
were crush of people. Many races were
represented but the foreigners were
n laa
outer edges of the crowd stood with their
faces pressed against the high railing
that encloses the park. Many people were
pcrched III the trees.
The President alighted and squad of
the cadets blew fanfare on their French
trumpets the Louisiana Field Artillery
fired a salute of q guns and the bells of
the Cathedral and all the churches in the
quarter pealed out their welcoming greet
ing. 1t was an inspiring moment. Up
the stairway, past the Continental 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 car
red back to the days long ago when
Spanish kings ruled here, and to that
memorable day, almost a century ago,
When the keys of the city of New Or
leans were delivered up in this very room
to Wilkinson and Claiborne, the American
commissioners, and French dominion over
the great Louisiana territory passed to the
sovereignty of the United States.
Aicee Fortier, a distinguished Creole,
president of the Louisiana Historical So
elety, recalled these great events in his
address to the President, and the Presi-
oent in his response dwelt upon their mo-
mentous bearing upon the worlds history.
~ was notable speech and was received
win enthusiasm by the distinguished
gathering present
Inc President spoke as follows:
Memorable in History.
rise only for the purpose of making
acknowledgment to the Louisiana Histor-
"al Association for its cordial and gem
erous welcome to this historic place. 1t
Dds oeen a great honor to me to be re-
NeNed here by the Governor of this great
commonwealth, by the chief justice and
us associates of the highest court, by the
nayor OF the city, to this place, mem
o'aole not only in American annals, but
honorable in the annals of the world.
1Applause) ] am glad to stand near by
Ie "neIe mat great transaction took place,
".Neh transferred the flag of Louisiana
JI.ntory to the flag of the stars zap
EauSe) a transaction which changed the
Hp OF the word and made this Union
s. at II now is, the strongest and the
,cesI nation on the face of the earth" "
Wreat applause).
"hen he had concluded, the President
speared upon the balcony to show him
~ me waiting thousands on the out
49, me cadets below presented arms
NV. u the square and the buildings sur
aahs asa 1t fiuttered with handkerchiefs
~ nass' while the air was torn by the
49, roar Of the shouts of the multi
e. Inc President made an impressive
Ssu'e as he stood there waiting for the
5'IHs 10 subside. He acknowledged the
fononstration with a bow and spoke as
MY Fellow Citizens: I have great
"a IN standing on this historic ground
rn.s. .celVe the greetings of my country
bs.s shd to recall the fact that here,
va, hundred years ago great scene
tbs, Enacted that dedicated a larger area
erty lne original thirteen states to lib
end union forever" (Applause)
Trip ON the Mississippi.
,or e party then returned to the hotel
bs,t,'unn 'unneneon, and IN the afternoon en-
=. on a Mississippi river steamboat
. rp along the river front from
Park 10 the historic battlefield
nette, where the monument erect
emory of the defeat OF Packing
zen. Jackson. commands a view
er' A little further up, and OH
fs side of the stream
Hdenual party had a
" the preparations now being
l.ta II l4n moi NJ