The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-04-09
THE THEME OF THE
PRESIDENTS CHARLESTON SPEECH

smiling with evident pleasure at the
heartiness OF the demonstration.
After reaching the exposition grounds
he reviewed the parade. then. with the
party and distinguished visitors. repaired
20 the auditorium. where formal address
es OF welcome were made by President
Wagner. Governors McSweeney and Ay-
cock, and Mayor Smyth.
To these addresses the President re
spCnded as follows.
The Presidents Address.
1T is to me a peculiar privilege 30
speak here in your beautiful city. Ny
mothers people were from Georgia; nus
before they came & Georgia. before the
Revolution, in the uays OF colonial rule.
they cwelt for nearly century in South
Carolina. and therefore can claim your
State as mine by inheritance no less than
by the stronger and nohler right which
makes each foot of American soil in a
sense the property OF all Americans.
Charleston is not only typical South
ern city; IL is also a city whose history
teens with events which link themselves
10 American history as a whole. In the
early colonial days Charleston was the
outpost OF our people against the Span
iard in the South In the DAYS OF the
Revolution there occurred here some Of
the events which vitality affected the out
come Of the struggle for independence.
and which impressed themselves most
deeply upon the popular mind. Il was
here that the tremendous, terrible drama
n civil war Voc cra-oH
Wounds Of War Have Healed.
with delicate and thoughtful courtesy
you originally asked me TO come to this
exposition o. the birthday Of Abraham
Lincoln The invitation not only showed
a fne generosity and manIiness in you.
my hosts, but it also emphasized as hard
ly anything else could have emphasized
how completely we are now united
people. The wounds left by the great
civil war. ineOmpaTabIy the greatest war
Of modern times. have healed. and its
memories are now priceless heritages OF
honor alike 70 the North and TO the south.
The devotion. the sacrifice, the stead
fast resolution and lofty daring. the high
devotion &c the right as each man saw il.
whether NortherneF or Southerner-aII
these qualities OF the men and women or
the early sixties now shine luminous and
brilliant before our eyes. while the mists
OF anger and hatred that once dimmed
them have passed away forever.
Iron Men in lion Times.
All CT US. North and South. can glory
alike in the valor Of the men who wore
the blue and OF the men who wore the
gray. Those were iron times. and only
iron men could fight to its terrible Eaish
the giant struggle between the hosts or
Grant and Lee. To US OF the present day
and 10 our children and chiId-en's chill
dren. the valiant deeds, the high endeayor.
and abncEation Ct self shown in that
struggle by those who took part therein
will remain forcyermore to marx the
level to which we in our turn must rise
whenever the hour OF the nations need
may come.
Sons OF the Blue and Gray.
when four years ago this Nation was
compelled TO face a foreign fee. the com
pleteness Of the reunion became instantly
and strikingly evident Tho war was
not one which called for the exercise Of
more than an Insignificant fraction Of cur
strength. and the strain put upon US was
slight indeed compared with the result.
But it was a satisfactory thing 10 see
the way in which the Sens OF the soldier
Of the Union and the soldier Of the Con
federacy leaped eagerly forward. emulous
TO show in brOtherly rivalry the qualities
which had won renown Tor their fathers.
the mon Of the great war. Il was my coed
fortune 10 serve under an ex-Confede-ate
sc1erz.f gallant old Joe Wheeler. who
commanded he cavalry division at Santi-
ago