The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-12-10
Banquet in His Honor by Bar
 of Supreme Court
THE PRESIDENT IS PRESENT
Makes Speech In Which He Talks of the South and the North and What It Takes to Make
 2 Judge.

| by the bar or the supreme court o4 the United States at the New Willard hotel tonight to Justice John Marshall Harlan, in recognition of the completion of twen- ty-five years of service on the bench of the supreme court, was brilliant func- ton. The banquet hall was handsomely illuminated and the tables elaborately decorated with palms, American Beauty roses and laurel.
 In the absence of Attorney General Knox, Wayne MavVeagh presided. When the guests had been seated grace was said by the Rev. Richard Harlan of Lake Forest, H.. eldest son of the justice who had come to Washington especially for the occasion. Justice Harlan was in his happiest mood and gave every eyi- dence of his appreciation of the honor bestowed on him.
 Interest in the banquet outside of Jus tice Harlan centered in President Roose- welt, His arrival shortly after 9:S0 o'clock was the signal for a great outburst or applause. The President warmly congrat- ulated Justice Harlan, grasping him by both hands before taking h.s seat. Those at the banquet included members of the cabinet several senators and representa- tiyes members of the supreme court of the United States. of the court of claims and of the local courts and quite num- Der of eminent lawyers from outside the city.
 Presidents Speech.
 When the time for the speech-malSing arrived, Wayne MacVeagh, in few appropriate remarks introduced the Pres ident, who spoke in part as follows:
 Mr. Chairman aud Gentlemen:
 "It is peculiar privilege to be here to- night as one of those gathered to do homage to a career which has honored America. Loud applause.) It is difficult to say certain of the truths which most need be said without being guilty of truisms In saying them, It Is not an idle boast of this country when we speak or the court upon which MT. Justice Harlan sits as the most illustrious and important in all the civilized world. (Applause.) It is not merely our own people who say that 1t Is the verdict or other nations as well,
 MT. Justice Harlan has served Tor quarter of century on that court. Dur ing that time he has exercised an in- fuence over the judicial statesmanship of the court of kind such as is possible only under our own form of government | (Applause) MT. Justice Harlan came from Kentucky a state in which the patriotism of the people was put to so peculiarly a severe test in the civil war. In the states of the farther north, it was | easy for the man to make up his mind on which side he would unsheath his sword In the states of the farther south 1t was equally easy. In Kentucky the task was a difficult one.
 "t remember, MT. Justice, being told by an American who was a stanch friend or yours, and one of the greatest lawyers and most patriotic citizens whom tniS country had d- John L-ason Brown - ne came back from trip from the west as a young man of 2l, just at the tune TOT | the outbreak of the civil war, just arter Sumter had been fired upon, and his mother brought down to him the sword that his father had carried in the MeXi- can war and said to him: My son, this | is the sword your father carried. hope you will draw 1t on the side that defends the flag for which your father fought but for one side or the other, draw 1t you must (ApplauEe.)
 Compliment to South.
 "In any audience in any state of the union, take 1t as far north as you wish, I can appeal with confidence to the people I address, when I say that, next to the homage we pay to the men who proved the truth of their endeavor as they battle in the blue uniform. is the homage we pay to the men, who with equal sincerity with equal devotion to the right as 1t was given them to see the right, wore the eray Qoud and continued applause), and none pay that tribute of regard so fraIsA- ly as those who themselves wore the blue in battle Loud applause),
 And having said that, I am sure that none of my friends who fought in the confederate service will misunderstood me. or will grudge what am about to say, when I say that the greatest debt owed by this country to any set of men is owed by 1t to those men of the so- called border states, the men who In statesmanship followed Clay and the Crittendens and the Blairs, the men who as soldiers fought on the same side with Thomas and Farragut-these men who were for the union without regard to whether their immediate associates were for it or not. Loud applause.) In New York, in Massachusetts, in Illinois, in Iowa, the men who stood for the union went with the stream. Tn parts of Ken lucky, of Virginia, of Missouri they stem,ned the torrent, (AppIause0
 And, gentlemen, I am half a south erner myself. Two of my uncles fought in the confederate navy one or them served under the father-in-1aw of Vice Governor Luke E. Wright of the Phil ippine islands. And so I think l have the right to say that, knowing the south ern people as I do, I would heartily ad- voeate fighting twice as hard as you fought from '61 to '65 for the privilege of staying in the same union with them. q.aughter and applause)
 Other speakers of the evening were | Chief Justice Fuller, Justice Brewer Hon. Edward Blake of Canada, Judge Alexander P. Humphrey of Kentucky Assist ant Attorney General Peck and MT. Ross Perry of the District of Co., l llmbia.
 It was after midnight when the party broke up.