The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-12-16

New York, December 14.-Three hun
dred and fifty sons OF the south gather
ed in the main ball room of the Wald-
orf-Astoria tonight at the nineteenth
annual dinner of the Southern Society
of New York and the boxes were filled
with ladies, the relatives and guests
of the diners.
Enthusiasm was aroused by the play
ing of Southern airs, the diners rising
to their feet and cheering wildly when
my Maryland" and Dixie" were
played.
Among those at the guests table with
President Harrison, who presided were
Mayor Mcclellan, who responded to the
toast, The City of New York. Colo
mel Robert Bingham OF Asheville, n. c.,
who told of THE Past Status of the
South, the Decadence of that Status
and it's Restoration" George S. Gra-
ham, OF philadelphia, whose theme was
The South-My country" and DR.. q.
A. Alderman of the University of Vir-
ginia, who spoke on THE Supreme
Need OF the SOUTH and the presidents
Of a number of local societies.
President Harrison IL his introduc-
tory remarks reviewed the history OF
the South during the past year. In
conclusion he said:
"The South stands for Democratic
virtues. 1t stands for hospitality. 1t
stands for Democratic liberty. 1t
stands for tariff for revenue only and
not robbery or extort.on. There are
many things like these on which the
South is solid and in those things let
US remain solid
Mayor Mcclellan, who was then in
troduced, said in part:
You people of the South, century
ago fought for your ideals and won.
Still later you fought, and the world
said you lost. Lee and Johnston, and
Stonewan Jackson were idealists, every
one, and so were washington and JEFF
serson and their associates. But of
these, say yod,-tiaeir- dreams came true,
while the others dreamed in vain. An
me, no man has dreamed or lived in
| vain who has sought for lofty inspira-
! ton The spirit of 81, like the spirit
of 10 was idealism. and now that we
| tury and see that unhappy fratricidal
strife, through the vista OF years, we
can appreciate that in the broad and
! true sense there were no vanquished
| but that all were victors, in that they
fought for what they deemed the right,
and in fighting for it, fought like men
and gentlemen
Colonel Robert Bingham in the course
of his address referred to the negro.
After all he said, the world has
| found that he is still a negro, and il
| srieves me in a way, to see some OF
our northern friends forced to put the
negro on a political and social equality,
| and occasionally as superior. If the
north would let the negro alone, the
people of the south, who best under
stand the colored man, would in time
make him 4 useful and industrious citi-
zen.''
George S. Graham, district attorney
| of Philadelphia, took exception to the
statement of the president of the socie-
ty that he hoped the solid south would
remain so. He declared that the south
had no greater enemy than this ex-
preston and that it is continued so by
| the external pressure of a 'nagging
! north"
Remove this pressure" he argued,
| "and the atoms will reach their proper
political place, perhaps in the form Of
| the party. When the interference is
! removed the south will take its rightful
place side by side with pennsylvania
and some time by New York.
Dr. e. a Alderman, president of the
University Of Virginia, declared that
the south must recover its national
spirit, that it's chief difficulty is the
need of men trained to the minute, such
as she once possessed. He declared that
the quality of the leadership Of the
south is weak and the crying need is
for trained men. For their training, he
said, great institutions OF learning are
requisite and for them there should be
great endowments.
Vacancies in Senate Committees Filled
Washington. December 1.-THE re-