The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-10-31
END OF THE PRESIDENTS TOUR.

END VI HE fflfLSIDIN1 > IoSA
President Roosevelt's southern cour
ended at New Orleans yesterday. Fro
the moment he crossed the Potomac
on Wednesday morning OF last week
until ne boarded a United States waT-
ship in a southernmost port last even
ing his journey has been in the nature
of a triumphal u Never before In
the history of these United States,
from the day of the inauguration OF TIE
first president on April 90, 1879, after
his triumphal progress from Mount
Vernon to New York where the con-
gress was Their IL session, has a pres
ident of this country received such an
ovation as has President Roosevelt IN
this, the first regular tour of the south
ern states by a president.
The reception of Mr.. Roosevelt by
the people of the south demonstrates
the fact that no where in the union
are there men more loyal to the gov
eminent or reader to accord honor to
and demonstrate appreciation of the
man who does his duty as the head
of the government.
The people who have in the last ten
days made these demonstrations OF
welcome to the president are, nine
tenths of them, men who are of a diff
ferent political faith from him, men
who do not agree with him in many
of his political tenets. Some of them
are men who a short while ago were
severely criticising his action on GER
tain matters considered of vital imDOr-
lance to the section through which
he has just passed, nevertheless they
arose as one man and greeted him
with a heartiness and an enthusiasm
that could not have been exceeded in
any other section of the union, because
in Mr.. Roosevelt they recognized a
man who as man and as president
tried to do what he believed to be rhe
his convictions.
The southern people love and respect
a man who is honest and who has 1be
courage to act according to his honest
convictions. They believe Mr.. Roose-
welt to be such a man: and, hence
they Wed with each other in doing
hOnors to the man.
Because of the reception given to Mr..
Roosevelt by the people of the south
they are by no e in honor bound
to follow him in his political views.
They are as free as ever before to Op-
pose him in any political measures be
may advocate. We feel sure Mr.. ROOs-
evelt recognizes. this fact and would
never for a moment hesitate to accord
that right to the men who have re-
Gently so Hospitality and enthusiastic
cally received him. He is too mach
of a man to take any other view. Were
he to do SO he would not be worthy
of the outpouring of southern friend
ship and hospitality, of which he has
recently been the recipient.
From New Orleans the president
goes by water On board the cruiser
West Virginia to Norfolk. This til
will DOT be void of interest and TX.
element. for it has been given out in
naval quarters hat from Key West to
Hampton Roads there will be a race
between the West Virginia with :hs
president ON board and two other
cruisers Of the navy, the Colorado and
the Pennsylvania, which will act as
conveys or escorts to the West Viz.
ginia if they can keep up with her. NJ
doubt there will be opportunity for
these vessels to send wireless mes
sages to the mainland during the
ocean trip and all the country viii
a~uxjously await these reports as tC
the progress of the return of the pres.
>ident. If we are not greatly mistaken
this will be the first time a presiden'
of the United States has ever gone be
yond the jurisdiction of the govern
ment during his incumbency of the
office. But at the same time with the
present system of wireless telegra.
ply he will be in closer touch with the
departments in Washington than many
] of his predecessors while at thcil
homes in the adjacent states.