Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-05-01

and that a. slight one. f.. j. Stirling, a
private ins a company from Emira, N.
Y, while running, tripped over a wire
and cut his scalp. ~.
q The doors of the Liberal Arts build
ing were opened at o'clock and at 2.15.
when President Roosevelt entered the
building he was greeted by the cheers
of 90, 0t0 people. At 2.25, the assembly
was called to order by President Fran
chs. He introduced Cardinal Gibbons,
who delivered the invocation.
Following the invocation, Former
Senator Thomas H. Carter of the ma
tiohal committee, who acted as presi
dent Of the day, was introduced and
spoke.
After the rendition of THE Heavens
Proclaiming" by the chorus of 1000
voices David r. Francis, president of
the Fair Association. delivered an ad-
dress; presenting the buildings of the
fair.
At the close of President Francis
address. terrific cheers broke forth to
greet President Roosevelt, whose dedi-
cation address was as follows:
President Roosevelt said:
Mr.. President. Ladies and Gentlemen:
At the outset Of my address let me
recall to the minds Of my hearers that
the soil upon which we stand, before it
was ours. was successfully the pos
session Of two mighty empires. Spain
and France whose sons made DEATH
less record Of heroism in the early an
nails OF the New World. No history of
the Western country can be written
without paying heed to the wonderful
part played therein in the early days
by the soldiers, missionaries, explor-
ers, and traders, who did their work
for the honor of the proud banners Of
France and CASTLE. While the set
tiers of English-speaking stock, and
those of Dutch. German, and Scandi-
nevian origin who were associated
with them. were still clInging close to
the Eastern seaboard, the pioneers of
Spain and of France had penetrated
deep into the hitherto unknown wilder
ness Of the West and had wandered
far and wide within the boundaries of
what Is now our mighty country. The
very cities themselves-St. Louis, New
Orleans. Santa Fee. New Mexico-bear
witness by their titles to the nationali-
ties Of their founders. 1t was not UNI
til the Revolution had begun that the
English-speaking settlers pushed west
across the Alleghenies, and not until
century ago that they entered in to
possess the land upon which we now
stand
We have met here today to COM
memorate the hundredth anniversary
of the event which more than any
other, after the foundation of the gov
eminent and always excepting its
preservation, determined the character
of our national Undetermined that
we should be g great expanding nation
instead of relatively a small and sta
tiOnary one
OF course it was not with the
Louisiana Purchase that our career Of
expansion began. In the middle OF the
Revolutionary War the Illinois region.
including the present states of Illinois
and Indiana. was added to our domain
by force of arms. as sequel to the
adventurous expedition of George
Rogers Clarke and his frontier rifle
mens Later the treaties of Jay and
Pfnckney materially extended our real
boundaries to the West. But none
OF these events was of so striking
a character as to fix the popular
Imagination. The old thirteen colonies
had always claimed that their rights
stretched westward to the Mississippi,
and vague and unreal though these
claims were until made good by tom
quest, settlement, and diplomacy, they
still served to give the impression
that the earliest westward movements
of our people were little more than the
filling In of already existing national
boundaries.
But there could be no illusion about
the acquisition of the vast territory
beyond the Mississippi. stretching west
ward to the Pacific. which in that day
was known as Louisiana. This i'm
mense region was admittedly the terri
tory of a foreign power, Of European
Kingdom. None of our people had ever
laid claim to a foot of it. Its &C
QUESTION could in no sense be treated
as rounding out any existing claims.
When we acquired it we made evident
once for. all that consciously and OF set
purpose we had embarked ON a career
of. expansion. that we had taken our
place among those daring and hardy
nations who risk much with the hope
k'co'N''A
among the great powers of the earth
As is so often the case in nature. the
law Of development of living organ
ism showed itself in it's actual work
ings TO be wiser than the wisdom OF
the Nisest. ,- 49,
This work Of expansion was by far
the greatest work Of our people during
the years that interviewed between the
adoption OF the Constitution and the
outbreak of the Civil War. There Were
other questions Of real moment and i'm
portance. and there were many which
at the time seemed such to those en-
gagged in answering them; but the
greatest feat of our forefathers Of
those generations was the deed of the
men who. with pack train or wager
train. on horseback, on foot. or by
boat upon the waters, pushed the from.
tier ever westward across the CONT
nent. - ..f
Never before had the world seen tn