Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-01-03
INVITED TO THE UNIVERSITY.

President Roosevelt yesterday received
large delegation of Virginians who
called to invite bim to attend the COM
mencement exercises Of the University
of Virginia, on June l6, which is
alumni day. The delegation consisted
of ex-Judge James B. Sener president
OF the General Association of Alumni
of the University of Virginia, as chair
man; Dr. j. W. Mallet, vice chairman
of the faculty; r. Walton Moore,
chairman OF the executive committee OF
the board of visitors; Judge George w.
Morris, city judge Of Charlottesville; ex-
Judge r. T. w. Duke, Dr. Thomas
Nelson Page, Surgeon General Rlxey,
DR.. p. S. Roy, secretary, of the Wash
ington local Alumni Association, and
Mr.. ]. Geo. Hiden of Culpeper, ac-
companied by Representative james
Hay of the Charlottesville district.
Judge Sener made a aspeech in pre-
senting the invitation, covering many
historic matters in the course OF his
brief remarks. Among other things he
said
'Gn asking you to come to the univer-
sity on alumni day it is that you may
visit the University of Jefferson, TO see
his home, his birthplace and his tomb,
to enter the town of Charlottesville,
whose streets the feet of Jefferson so
often trod, to look upon the spots where
Merriwether Lewis was born, where
George Rogers Clark first came into
being, to stand at the place
where Nicholas p. Trist was born and to
be in Albemarle, the birthplace OF
Thomas Sumter, the last surviving gen
eral of the war Of the revolution to go
to the home ofAndrew Stevenson, longer
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Of the United States than any other man
save Henry Clay, the county in which
William Writ plighted his troth, where
Edward Coles, the first governor OF
Illinois, was born, where William q.
Rives, whose fortune as an American
minister it was to witness four changes
of regime in France, and to recognize
two of them on behalfof government,
lived and died. The faces of these great
departed ones, you will agree with u.
we are sure are among the most dis
inctly striking in our great national
portrait gallery"
Mr.. Sener presented a map showing
the history of the region through which
the President would go to Charlottes-
Vile. He said:
'In making your pilgrimage to Vir-
ginia, leaving the District, ten miles
square, with the setting aside of which
and its dedication as the seat of govern
ment Mr.. Jefferson had so much to do,
you pass almost nigh enough TO Mount
Vernon's tolling bells to hear their
sound; through Prince William, whose
soil is made forever classic by the blood
of the brave, on by John Marshall's
birthplace in Fauquier, thence through
Culpepcr. where Washington, July 20,
1749 20. 81 took the oath of his first
ofIice that Of surveyor; by and in sight
of the birthplace Of Zachary Taylor,
twelfth President of the United States,
and little farther on within view oi
Montpelier, where rest the remains OF
lanes Madison, before reaching Chariot
tesyiIle and its kindred points in the
laudscape, the university and Monticello.
s'The University of Virginia was not
only the University of Jefferson, but at
his death Mr.. Madison succeeded him as
rector. and Mr.. Monroe was one OF
the board of visitors, the governing body
OF the institution, all of these serving
after their retirement from the presi-
dency." .
In replying the President spoke OF
many historic incidents connected win
virginia and the university. He said 1t
would give bin pleasure to visit there
some time, buthe could not say positively
now whether he could attend at the date
named. He recalled that he will go
next April to st. Louis to pay tribute to
some of the work of Jefferson, who Sc
cured the territory for the United States,
the act of which is to be commemorated
at st. Louis this year. He said that
from st. Louis he was going to make a
western trip of length, and he did not yet
know whether the itinerary would per-
nit him to return 70 Charlottesville at the
time fixed. If it did he would certainly
be pleased to go there. 81 am not
only interested in the University of Vir-
pinia said Mr.. Roosevelt, but also in
William and Mary / have often felt
that it was pity that the two schools
could not be consolidated in order to
form a continuous history"
SITUATION is UNCHANGED.-The con-
IL. ...Linh prnsidnnt Castro attached