The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-04-11

Charleston, S. c., April 9:-This is
presidents day." at the exposition
The events Of the day began with q
grand procession through the princi
pal streets of Charleston and after
wards there were speeches in the ex
position auditorium the presentation
of a sword by the president to Major
Micha jenkins, luncheon at the
woman's building and inspection OF
the grounds and buildings.
| At noon the president proceeded
from the reviewing stand into the
auditorium where the formal eere-
monies occurred. Actresses were made
by Captain F. w. Wagner president
of the South Carolina Interstate and
West indian Exposition company; Gov
ernor McSweeny of South Carolina,
Governor Aycock of North Carolina,
Mayor Smyth of Charleston, and the
president of the United tSates.
The Presidents Speech.
1t is to me peculiar privilege to
speak here in your beautiful city. My
mothers people we're from Georgia; !;
but before they came to Georgia, be-
fcre the revolution, in the days Of
colonial rule they dwelt for nearly a
century in South Carolina; and, there
fore, can claim your stale as mine by
inheritance no less than by the strong
er and nobler right which makes each
foot of American soil in sense the
property of all Americans.
Charleston is not only a typical
southern city; it is also city whose
history teens with events which link
themselves to American history as a
whole. In the early colonial days
Charleston was the outpost of our peo-
pie against the Spandiard in the south
In the days of the revolution there oc-
Cured here some of the events which
vltally affected the outcome of the
struggle for independence and which
impressed themselves most deeply
upon the popular mind. It was here
that the tremendous drama of the civil
war opened. With delicate and
Thoughtful courtesy you originally
asked me to come to this exposition
on the birthday of Abraham Lincoln.
The invitation not only showed a fine
generosity and manliness in my hosts
but it also emphasized as hardly any
thing else could have emphasized,
how completely we are now a united
people.
The wounds left by the great civil
war, incomparably,the greatest war of
modern times, have healed, and it's
memories are now priceless heritages
of honor alike to the north and to the
south. All of us, north and south,
can glory alike in the valor of the
men who wore the blue and of the
men who woreathe gray. Those were
iron times and only IRON men could
fight to it's terrible finish the giant
struggle between the hosts of Grant
and LeeA To us of the present day and
to our children and children's children,
the valiant deeds. the high endeavor
and abnegation Of self shown in that
struggle by those who took part there
in will remain forevermore to mark
the level to which we in our turn must
rise whenever the hour of the nations |
need may come.
When four years ago this nation was
to face foreign foe, the !
of the reunion became |
instantly and strikingly evident The
war was not one which called for the
exercise of more than an insignificant
fraction of our strength, and the strain
put upon us was slight indeed COM
pared with the results But it was a
thing to see the way in
which the sons Of the soldier Of the
union and the soldier of the confed-
eracy leaped eagerly forward emulous
70 show in brotherly rivalry the quail
ties which had won renown for their
'athers, the men of the great war.
It was my good fortune to serve un-
Ter an ex-confederate general, gallant
Did Joe Wheeler, who commanded the
cavalry division at lSa ltiago. In my
regiment there were certainly as