The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-09-12
PATRIOTIC time YESTERDAY.
.AshevilIe Extended N Big Welcome
erans Carrying BattIenagx Were
ard Much i'm Evidence and Joined
the Presidential Party-At Other
Points i'm the state. While En-
Route for Washington, the Train
Addre>scd Large Crowds.

lvile extended a warm greeting to Pres
Iidcnt Roosevelt today. FULLY ten trou-
sand people occupied the courthouse
square . where the president addressed
them from an improvised stand. The
special rain arrived here at $50 o'clock.
THE night was spent at Hot Springs and
the run from there to Asheville this
morning was uneventful. a short stop
was made at Marshall, the home Of
Senator Pritchard, where a large num-
Der of people had assembled. The
president thanked them FOR their greet
ling.
AT ASheVille he wcS met by a recep-
ton committee of which Charles Nc
Nance was chairman. Mayo Miller,
Senator Pritchard and Congressman
Moody were among those who greeted
the president, the members of the COM
unite being introduced to the president
in his car by Senator Pritchard. Car
lriages We're in waiting and. under the
escort of Zeb Vance Company Confed-
lerate veterans, carrying battlefiags and
1.-TWO companies of state militia and the
first regiment band, the party started
HOT Jul lOuSe STUART. Al bdtlSly
Park the school children were assem-
lbled on the lawn and sang America"
las the party passed. President RoOSe-
welt stood in his carriage bare headed.
THE city was deliberately daco1ated n
hundreds of people came in from the
country to greet the president. When
the president was introduced by Chair
McNamee he was enthusiastically
greeted.
The President said:
Mr.. Chairman, Mr.. Gudger, and you, my
fellow Americans:
1T is indeed a pleasure TO nave the
Ichance Of saying a word Of greeting to
you this morning. to speak here in the
midst of your beautiful country of Yves
tern North Carolina, in this beautiful
city in front of the monument raised to
ISenator Vance (Applausel, and to be
addressing people whose forefathers
have borne q distinguished part in
Ieyery great military or civic struggle
Through which this country has come
!lApplause). 1t was not far from here,
Jas we measure distance in America,
that the Mecklenburg Declaration of
Independence was formulated Cap
ipiause). The gentleman who introduced
spoke Of the great leeds OF the men
who in the revolutionary war followed
Marion and Mcdowell. My forefathers
fought under Marion (Applause), my
~lforefathers fought with the Georgia and
South Carolina roops who battled
Throughout the dark days when Corn
wallis and the red dragons Of Tarleton
IoVerran the southern states. They were
present at Kings mountain, at the Cow
ipens, and they saw the final triumph
when the men in blue and buff, who fol-
lowed Greene, wrested victory out Of de-
feat, n when at last the flag of the
thirteen United States, who bad been
the thirteen colonies, waved without a
IrlVal along h coast and along the foot
mills of the mountains ApplauSe). 1t
has been a great and peculiar pleasure
to be greeted, as / am today, by the
men who served in tie confederate
army. Yesterday and today I Travelled
trough a region which sent its sons,
some to wear the blue, some TO wear the
,,3rey, all to serve with courage and self
devotion the right as It was given to
each to see the right. h day before
yesterday I went over the pattiefieldS of
lChicamauga n Of Chattanooga; over
that space OF territory, which saw for
two months n of The gigantic death
,wrestleS of the civil war, the territory
tpartly in Tennessee, partly in MY moth
er's state OF Georgia Applauce), n I
feel that the man would pe but a poor
American who did not come from the
scenes concentrating tie vallan. deeds
lot those armies, a better American than
when ne started. While l was there a
delegation OF young men from the state
OF Georgia came 20 present to me a
!cane cut from the battlefield, with the
names of three union and three confed-
crate generals on it. one OF the union
generals, Gener Boynton, was showing
me aroun the field. One OF the con-
!feGerate generals. General Joe Wheeler,
had been my chief in the Spanish war
(Applause). Yesterday We stopped at a
little station in Tennessee and among
those who gathered to greet me was an
old fellow who had worn the gray. He
said: Il was one of Wheeler's boys" ]
said: so was l." daughter and ap-
%2lause).
1T is Z GOOD thing Tor an American
resident - have the chance to travel
through =; 20. different sections of the
country. "ause it is G mighty good
thing for = American to meet his fell
low Anne. ms at different parts Of the
country ! order that he may realize
how trivial are the points of unlikeness
land how essential are the points of like
mess (Applause). a good American is a
good American, and 1 do not care a
snap of ms finger whether he comes
from the north or the south or the east
or the west. If he is a straight n de-
cent man 1 am for him, and il he is not
am not (Applause).
character is what counts The men
ere, who fought in the union army, the
ilen who fought in the confederate
5rmy, let them look back. What did
they care for most of the men who were
their comrades. who fought on their
right hand and their left hand in time
of action. 1t was not a5 t. the mans
iantecedents. it was not as to whether he
was rich or poor, or what his social DO
sition had been, it was TO know wheth-
Ter when the time OF crisis came he
would stay. daughter and ~applause).
The president was given three hearty
cheers as he finished his speech. Car
riages then were entered and the party
was driven to Biltmore, the home of
George Vanderbilt. More than an hour
was spent in inspecting the grounds.
While in one of the summer houses the
president shook hands with a number
lof confederate veterans. His train left
promptly at 1:30 D. m, for Washington.
Salisbury, n. c., September 9.-Presi-
ident Roosevelt arrived here at $50
lo'ciock this afternoon On his way back
to Washington and was welcomed by
a large crowd. The run from Asheville