Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-13

Following is the speech Of John Skel-
ton Williams president OF the trust sec
ton Of the American Bankers Associa-
lion. in response TO the address Of vel
come in behalf of the city of New Or
leans Tuesday evening:
We feel honored. sir, by such vel
como, so gracefully expressed. in behalf
OF the community with history of two
centuries Of civilization. growth. and
achievement
No city in the country has known more
vicissitudes and changes than yours;
none has figured more Srandly IN our
political our martial. and our commercial
annals. You represent here, perhaps
nowhere else on earth. the old times and
the new impulses and purposes
Born French. New Orleans has grown
to majesty and power-English and
American. assimilating and governed by
the best qualities and characteristics OF
two great races. Your story is vivid
crowded with incidents and pictures; with
tragedy and comedy. with heroism and
patriotism. through all of which runs
the record of steady. ceaseless. untrinS
commercial advancement
You have fought and overcome foes.
such as few communities have had to con-
tend against. Your city is identified with
battles among men which have made it
known the world over: and with battles
with the forces Of nature, the winning
OF which has won for you prosperity.
The American people have twice
humbed and overthrown the power
Tnightiest OF all the world except our own;
and in the worlds history Yorktown and
New Orleans live together as marking
the elimination of two vast victories.
the ends of two great wars.
Story of Achievement.
Near the field where the American rife
men beat back Packenhar, American
enterprise and skill and industry have
conquered the Mississippi. miShtiest of all
waters. and made it faithful and use
full servant. instead of a destroying force.
That huge food has been governed and
guided and subjected to the will Of man.
You have met and faced and overcome the
more insidious pestilence, and emanci-
pated yourself from the ravages which
used to fill your streets with mourning
and bring silence and desolation TO Your
marts. You have met the changing con-
ditions and adapted yourselves to them;
and never in all your history have you
b, IN confronted with an emergency too
complex or too terrifying for your energy
and strength and courage to deal with.
Your city has been the territory. and
her people the citizens Of three nations.
She has known enormous expansion: from
the hamlet clinging precariously alonr he
curved river bank, to the boom L s.
when she was the centre of the whole
southwest and the wealth of all the great
Mississippi Valley floated down to her
the broad river-the days OF song and
story and legend. when rivernen and
planters and motley collection of men
of all chimes and nations jostied each
other on the banquettes-the days when
the old city felt young because of the
new vigor and growth that mad come to
her, and was the home of wild gaiety and
beauty and briliiancy, of energy and
reckless courage, and Astounding wealth;
the virility and dash of a frontier town.
beautified and governed by a civilization
too old and firmly established to allow its
dignity to be shaken or its high stand
ards impaired by any rush of strange
citizenship or new things
When prosperity was suddenly halted;
when you were a besieged city with your
best and hraVest left stark and bloody
On Virginia battezelds. and your fairest
and dearest went mourning about your
grass-grown and silent streets your peo-
pie met the situation with unconguered
spirit. So they continued to do when the
humiliation of conquest came upon them
struction when at the cost Of their own
blood and lives and with their own strong
hands they asserted their right to con-
duct their own affairs and to govern ter
own State and city in their own interests
New Orleans Record.
After all this how stands the record?
You are commercial city. and your
commerce is your glory and the figures
give the best testimony of your strength
and courage and ability to deal with diff
culties and to overcome obstacles You
need no better evidence OF what you are.
what you have done than the story told |
in the official records.
The Government reports show that the
past fifteen years have seen the foreign |
commerce of this city practically double, |
Itself. both as to exports and imports,
and it is indicative OF the wonderful |