Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-10-21
Visits Home Of His Mother,
Boswell, Georgia.
Proves His Interest in South
By His Cordial Speech.
Another Eloquent and Stirring Address,
10 People Of Atlanta, Ga.

Roswell, Ga, Oct. 2O.-President
Roosevelt, today, carried out his long
cherished plan of visiting the home of
his mother-Roswell, Georgia. One of
his reasons for coming South was that
he might see the old homestead where
his mother spent her girIhood and
which she left a happy bride. AS his
carriage drove away from the old Bull
lock mansion, where his mother lived
and married, the President murmured
to Mrs. Roosevelt: Il can hardly bear
to leave here"
The President reached Roswell at
80 A. NJ, and was joined by Senator
and Mrs. Clay, who We're his guests at
breakfast. He was then driven to the
mansion. This fine old homestead is
now the property of ]. B. Wing, a lum-
Der merchant. The President was deep
iy touched as he shock the hands of
the old servitors. He and Mrs.
Roosevelt inspected the house. calling
to the attention of the company many
incidents connected with his mothers
childhood. Before leaving the mansion
he posed with Mrs. Roosevelt for a
picture which included the two old
servants.
From the homestead, the President
was driven to the town park, where a
stand had been erected from which he
delivered an address.
He WIS welcomed to Roswell by
Charles NJ. Reed, a student Of Mercer
University. Senator S. A. Clay intro
duced the President, who was enthus-
iastically greeted as he rose to speak.
He said:
Senator and you my friends, whom
it is hard for me not to call my neigh
bors, for / feel as if you were:
"You can have no idea of how much
it means to me to come back to Ros-
we'll to the home of my mother and my
mothers people, and to see the spot
where 1 already knew so we'll from
what my mother and my aunts told
me. 1t has been exactly as if l We're
rcvisiting some old place of my child
hood. 1t has meant very much to me
to be introduced by Senator Clay. Sem
&tor Clay has been altogether too kind
in what he said about me. Now I am
going to say nothing whatever but the
bare facts about Senator Clay and
those facts amount to this:
"If the average man l had to deal
with in public life possessed Senator
Clay's firm devotion to what he deems
right, my task would be so easy that
it would not be worth mentioning.
have gone TO Senator Clay for advice
and counsel and holp ever since I have
been in Washington, inst as l went to
Senator Cockrell of Missouri. while he
was in the senate, with the certainty
that all | had to do was to convince
him that what l wanted done was right
i could not always convince him-but
If did convince him that was the end
Of it-he went that way.
1T has been my very great good
fortune to have the right to claim
that my blood is half Southern and
half Northern. and | would deny the
right of any man here to feel a great
er pride in the deeds of every South
erner than | feel of the children, the
brothers and sisters of my mother
who were born and brought up in that
house on the hill there. my two uncles
afterwards entered the Confederate
service and served in the Confederate
navy. One. the younger man, served
on the Alabama as the youngest Off
Ger aboard her.
He was captain of one of their
broadside 80 Founders in her final
fight and when at the very end the
Alabama was sinking and the Kear-
sarge passed under her stern and
came up along the side that had not
been engaged hitherto, my uncle. Irv-
ing Bullock, shifted his gun from one
side to the other and fired the two
last shots fired from the Alabama.
James Dunwoody Bullock was an ad
miral in the Confederate service. OF
all the people whom | have ever met
he was the one that came nearest to
that beautiful creation of Thackeray-
Colonel Newcomb.'
Men and women, don't you think
that | have the ancestral right to
claim a proud kinship with those who
showed their devotion to duty as they
saw the duty whether they wore the
gray or whether they wore the blue?
All Americans who are worthy the
name feel an equal pride in the valor
of those who fought on one side or
with all his might and soul and mind
his duty as it was given him to see
his duty"
The President next was driven to
the old Presbyterian church in which
his grandfather, James Bullock, was
once a leading member. The vener-
able pastor of the church, Rev. DIR. w.
e. Baker, offered prayer and the
President and Mrs. Roosevelt then
shook hands with a number of the
toWnspeople. On the way to the train
the President stopped for a moment
at the home of DR.. Baker where he
met the pastors wife who was one of
his mothers bridesmaids.
The reception of the President at
the old home Of his mother was a
corolai one. The Presidents train
let 1or Atlanta shortly before 10