The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-09-18
THE PRESIDENT
AT ASHEVILE, N. C..
THE CHIEF EVENT OF HIS
TRIP TO THE SOUTH,
Ten Thousand People in Court
House Square to Hear His
Speech in Front of Vancc's
MOIlIIInnnt

President Rooscvclt's brief tour il
the South included \ visit TO tho Chick
amauga battlefield and Lookout Noun
tain Cn Sunday, Sept 7th, and an at
tenpancc upon the annual session o
tho Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi
neers the next day in Chattanooga, af
ter which he began the journey bacL
TO Washington. He was received by
large crowds at Knoxville and Other
points, and spent the night at Hot
Springs, N. G.. Ashcvillc extended q
warm greeting to him the next NOM
ing. Fully 10000 people occupied
President addressed them from an i'm
proviscd stand. The special train ar
rived here at 9.30 o'clock. The night
was passed at Hot Springs and the run
from there TO Ashcville was uncvent-
ful. n short stop was made at Mar
shall, the homo Of Senator Pritchard,
whcro number Of people had assem-
blcd. The President thanked them
for their greeting.
Az Ashcvillc he was met by rcccp-
tion committee. Mayor Miller, Sena-
tor Pritchard and Congressman Moody
were among those who greeted the
President, the members Of the COM
mittec beng introduced to the presi-
dent in his car by Senator Pritchard.
Carriages were IN waiting and, under
the escort of the Xcb Vance company,
Confederate Veterans, carrying battle
flags, and two companies of State mill
tia and the First Regiment band, the
party started for court house square.
At Battery Park the school children
were assembled on the lawn and sang
"America" as tho party passed. Presi-
dent Roosevelt stood in his carriage
barchcadcd. The city was claboratcly
decorated and hundreds of people had
como in from the country to greet the
President. When the President was
introduced by Chairman McNamcc he
was enthusiastically greeted The
President said
MIR. Chairman, Mr.. Gudger, and
you, my fellow Amcricans 1t is in
deed pleasure to have the chance of
saying word Of greeting to you this
morning, to speak here in the midst
OF your beautiful country of Western
North Carolina, in this beautiful city
in front of the monument raised TO
Senator Vance, (applausc) and TO be
addressing people whose forcfathers
have borne a distinguished part in
every great military and civic strug-
gle through which this country has
come. (Applauso.) 1t was not far
from here, as we measure distance in
America, that the Mecklcnburg Dec
laratiOn Of independence was formu-'
lated. (Applausc.) The gentleman
who introduced me spoke of the great
deeds Of the men who in the Rcvolu-
tionary war followed Marion and Nc
Dowcl. My forcfathcrs fought under
Marion, (applause,) my forefathors
fought With the Georgia AID South
Carolina, troops who battlcd through
out tho dark days when CORVALLIS
and the red dragons of Tarleton over
ran the Southern States. They were
present at Kings Mountain, at the
COwpens, and they saw the final tri-
umph when the men in blue and buff, ,
who followed Greene, Wrestcd victory
out of defeat, and when at last the
flag of the thirteen United States,
which had boon the thirteen colonies,
waved without rival along the coast
and along the foothills of the noun
tainS.
1t has been great and peculiar
pleasure to be greeted as | was today
by the men who served in the Confed-
crate army. Yesterday and today 1
travelled through a region which sent
it's sons, some 10 wear the blue, some
to wear the grey, all TO serve with
courage and self-devotion the right, as
it was given to each to sec the right.
The, day before yesterday went over
the battlefelds of Chicamauga and
Chattanooga; over that space of terri
tory which saw for two months one oi
the gigantic death wrcstlcs of the civil
war, the territory partly IN Tennessee
partly IN my mothers State Of Geor.
gia, (applause,) and | feel that tho
man would be but a poor American
who did not come from the scenes
commemorative the valiant deeds O
those armies o better American thar
when he started. While I was ther,
delegation of young men from th'
Slate Of Georgia came to present me
cane cut from the battlefield, with Lh
names of three Union and threc Con
fedcratc generals on it. One of tn
Union generals, Gen. Boynton, wa
showing ne around the field. One O
the Confederate generals, Gen. 10
Wheeler, had been my chief in tn
Spanish war. (Applause.) Yesterda
we stopped at little station in Ter
nesseo and among those who gathore
TO greet ne was an old follow who ha
worn tho grey. IIe said: ."I was on
of Wheeler's boys" SAID: "s
was l." daughter and applause.
1t is a good thing for an America
President to have the chance TO tray
through the different sections of tt
country, because it is mighty goc
thing for any American to meet h
fellow Americans of different parts
the country, in order that he may r
alize how trivial are the points of u
likeness and how essential are u
points of likeness. (Applause.)
good American Is good America
and don't care a snap of my iing
whether he comes from The North
the South, or tho East or the We'