The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-12-02
Dec. ,. 1904.
ARE ALL GETTING To-
GETHER.

News and Observer of yesterday
IS as it's subject for an editorial on
be Duty of a President" a brief
eech made by President Roosevelt
Ihile at the st. Louis exposition. 1t
Avs President Roosevelt happily stat
the feeling that should possess and
kde n chief executive" as follows:
<-Gentlemen, 1 was reading the other
Say a speech made by Abraham Lin
IN a couple of days after he was re-
fcted to the presidency. and 1 cannot
tote it fully. but it ran somewhat like
Ais:
LAS long as 1 have been in this
/ofice 1 have never willingly planted a
I thorn in any mans bosom. 1 am graf
flied greatly that my countrymen q
am quoting from Lincoln) ave seen
fit TO continue me in office, but it does
not add to my satisfaction that my
one else is panied by the result
Those were the words of Lincoln
in 1864, and 1 feel that any man who
even tries to be fit to be president of
the United states should approach his
duties in that spirit; that any man
worthy of serving the people, not
merely in that position, but in n po-
sition of weight in public life, should
have that sense of elation that any
thing personal in his triumph does not
lessen the sense of infinite response
bility thereby cast upon him, and the
weight of duty he owes to all his fell
low citizens, and he should realize
that whatever the differences among
our people before election, once the
election has taken place, the presi-
den is the president of all the peo-
pie of every section socially, of every
section induStrially, of all the people
of the north or south, east or west,
and that he is bound again to quote
the language of Abraham Lincoln.
With malice toward none, with char
ity toward all seeking after as God has
given him to see the light to strive so
to conduct himself toward all of them
and toward his manifold duties as those
duties are, then the results OF his ef-
forts may be for the good of our com
mon country"
Then follows the following comment
of the editor of The News and Observer
on the above quotation:
The people of every section of the
republic will approve this elevated
sentiment INK hope that it will govern
the present chief magistrate during the
term of office to which he has recently
been elected by an unprecedented large
majority.
Does not his show that we are all
getting together; that people of all
shades OF democracy in the south, from
the staunchest silverite and Bryan sup
porter to the gold democrat who is
allowed only to hang around the out
skirts Of the party, are willing to give
Mr.. Roosevelt a fair chance of showing
that he has no personal animosity
against the south?
1t is r u The News and Observer
starts in "sorter mild like" as the late
Senator Vance's client wanted him to
do in that famous letter ne asked the
wished to abuse, of which Senator
Vance used to tell in his speeches.
but that paper may also warm UP on
it" further ON, as the senator was asked
to do in the letter.
This editorial of The News and OBJ
server is a good sign. It looks like
s~ectionalism was really soon to become
a thing of the past and that the demo-
Gratis of the south were in earnest in
their determination to take Mr.. Roose-
welt at his word when he said he in
tended to be the president of the whole
country. If this thing keeps up Mr..
Roosevelt will retire from office the
mo popular republican president with
the southern people since that party
came into existence.