The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-04-17

lcludlnS artlllcry, marines and sailor
of the United States, the militia from
various States and cadets from tw
military academies. The procession
marched from the st. John hotel to tn
grounds Of the Exposition, and tn
reception to the President along tn
route was more than enthusiastic
The weather was perfect, the air brac
ing with n pleasant breeze from tn
ocean, and the sky was cloudlcss. Tn
President reviewed the troops from
platform in font of the auditorium
and on his entrance to the grounds
salute of twenty-onc guns was fired.
AT noon the President proceeded t,
the auditorium, where the formal cerc
monies occurred. Addresses were mad,
by Captain Il. w. Wagcncr, president
Of the South Carolina Interstate and
West Indian Exposition company
Governor McSweency, of South Caro-
lima Governor Aycock, of North Car.
olna Mayor Smyth, of Charleston
and the President of the United States.
President Roosevelt spoke at some
length of the remarkable progress
which has been made by the South
and especially South Carolina since the
late war. He emphasized the ncccs-
sity of unity of action between all of
the people of the United States in
order that the marvellous era of pros
perity which ID now upon the country
might be perpetuated.
The portion of his address which was
listened TO with the closest attention
and which called forth The most un-
stintcd applause, was that which treat
ed of the absolute disappearance of all
sectional lines in the nations feelings
and affection. In this connection he
said :
1T is to me peculiar privilege to
speak here in your beautiful city. My
mothers people were from Georgia !;
but before they came to Georgia prior
the Revolution, in the days of colonial
rule, they dwelt for nearly century
in South Carolina, and therefore
claim your State as mine by inheri-
tancc, no less than by The stronger and
nobler right which makes each foot of
American soil in a 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 daye
Charleston was the outpost of our pco.
pie against the Spaniards in the South
In the days Of the Revolution there oc-
Cured here some of the events which
vitality affected the outcome of the
struggle for independence, and which
impressed themselves most deeply upon
the popular mind. 1t was here that
the tremendous, terrible 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 fine generosity and
manliness IN you, my hosts, but it also
emphasized how completely we arc
now united people. The wounds
left by the great civil war, incompar-
ably the greatest war of modern times,
have healed and it's memories are now
priceless heritagcs of honor alike to
the North and to the South. The de-
votlon, the self-sacrifice, the stcadfast
resolution and lofty daring, the high
devotion 10 the right as each saw it,
whether Northerner or Southcrner, all
these qualities of the men and women
of the eal y sixties now shine luminous
and brilliant before our eyes while the
mists of anger and hatred that once
dimmed them have passed away for.
ever.
"All of us, North and South, can
glory alike in the valor of the men who
wore the gray. Those were iron times,
and only iron men could fight to it's
terrible finish. The giant struggle be-
tween the hosts of Grant and Leo, to
us of the present day, and to our chill
drcn and chlldrcn's children, the vail
liant deeds, the high endeavor, and
abnegation of self shown in the stlug-
gle by those who took part therein will
remain folevermore to mark the level
TO which we, in our turn, must rise,
whenever the hour Of the nation's need
may come.
When four years ago this nation
was compelled TO face foreign foe,
the completeness of the reunion became
instantly and striklngly 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 il was q
satisfactory thing indeed TO see tho
way in which the sons Of the soldier OF
the Union and the soldier of the Con
foderacy leaped eagerly forward, emul
Gus to show in brothcrly rivalry tho
qualities which had won rcnown fol
their fathers, the men of the great war
1t was my good fortune TO serve undc
an ex-Confcderatc general, old Jo'
Wheeler, who commanded the cavalr,
division at Santiago.
"In my regiment there were Ger
tainly as many men whose fathers ha'
served in the Southern as there wcr'
men whose fathers had served in .h'
| Northern army. Among the captain
there was opportunity to promote bu
one TO field rank. The man who wa
singled out for this promotion bccaus
of cOnsDicuOus pallantry in the field