The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-06-06
WHAT
TEDDY
SAID
One of His Last
Speeches Made on
Historic Ground
Paid a Glowing Tribute TO
Lincoln and Grant and
Made Best Short Speech
of the Trip


Freeport. ILL.,, June 3.-President
Roosevelt and party reached here
from Dubuque at o'clock and i'm.
mediately afterwards was driven to
the site of the Lincoln-D Douglas de.
bate in 1858, where a monument com.
memorating the event was unveiled
in the presence Of many thousands
from Freeport and vicinity.
At the court house the president
was introduced by Congressman HIT.
He referred to the debate as an event
OF far-reaching Importance. He com.
plimented the women's clubs OF Free
port which erected the monument.
President Roosevelt spoke as follows:
we mean today to commemorate
the spot on which occurred one Of
those memorable scenes in accord
ance with which the whole future
history OF the nation was nodded.
Here were spoken words that flow
through immediate time and that will
flow through that portion OF eternitey
recorded In the history OF our race.
Here was sounded the keynote Of
the struggle which. after conyulslng
the nation, made Il In fact what II
had been only in name. at once united
and free. II Is emlnently fitting that
this monument. given by the women
OF this city. In commemoration Of the
great debate that there took place, be
recalled by the man whose deeds
made good the words of Abraham Lin.
coin and the soldiers OF the Civil War
(Cheers and applause)
The word is mighty, but had II
not been for the word the deeds could
not have taken place. But without
the deeds, the words would have been
the idlest breath. IL Is forever to
the honor OF our nation that brought
the statesman that could pierce the
clouds that obscured the sight OF the
what the future inevitably held. And,
moreover that we had back of the
statesman and behind him the men
TO whom II was given TO fight the
greatest war ever waged for the good
OF mankind and for the betterment OF
the world
II have but a moment here.
could not resist the chance that was
offered me 10 stop and dedicate this
monument. for great though we re
gard Abraham Lincoln, my country
men. the future will put him on an
even higher pinnacle than we have
put him. .(Applause.) In all history
do not believe that there is TO be
found an orator whose speeches will
last as enduringly. as certainly as the
speeches OF Lincoln. And in all his.
tory, with the sole exception OF the
man who founded the republic. l do
not think th-re will be found another
statesman so great and so single.
hearted in his devotion TO the welfare
OF his people.
I'VE cannot too highly honor him.
The highest way We can honor him
is to see that our homage is not only
words; that to loyalty OF words we
join loyalty OF the heart and that we
pay honor to the memory of Abraham
Lincoln by so conducting ourselves
as citizens of this republic. that we
shall hand down undiminished to our
children and our children's children
the heritage we received from men
who upheld the statemanship OF Lin.
coin in the councils and who made
good the soldiership of Grant in the
field" (Cheers and applause.)
AT $3.50 the party was driven to the
depot and left for Rockford.