The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-04-09
TALKS OF COMRADES.
President Roosevelt Says Much Of
the Men He Commanded,
PLEASED WITH TEXAS
Considered Him: M a Good American
Before Catering the Lone Star
State, but Says Visit Has
Made Him a Better One.

1-A'N
dent Roosevelt here. The people felt
that they had as their guest not only
the president of the United States. but
the mAgneic Teddy" oward whom the
people Of San Antonio feel a peculiar
sense cf the proprietorship on account
Of the fact that it was here that the
regiment was organized which stan ted
him on his way to the white house.
The president was delighted with
the reception accorded him. He was
kept busy bowling right and left &C
knOWlet 2inT out bursts Of enthusiasm
1t is seven years. approximately, since
he left San Antonio With his Rough
Riders. NO human being drcame l
that after that l would return as pres
ident Of the United States" he said in
short address at the depot
The Alamo Plaza. within the shadow
Of the old Alamo. which the president
in his speech said seven years ago.
filled him with determination to do
nothing to reflect on the heroes who
died there he was greeted in man.
ner which touched the deepest springs
Of his nature. His arrival was the sig
nal for a burst Of cheering which asst
ed until after he had taken his seat
on tn. stand. and which was renew d
when he arose to respond to the address
Of welcome by City Alderman Kirk pat
rick. The presidents speech was f:e-
quently punctuatei by uprOarious APP
plause. He made 4 characteristic ad-
dress. He was pleased that San An
tonic agreed with him in ihs ideas on
race snicide. He noted with satisfac-
ton the attention Texans are paying
to education. The la Of the worthy
life. tn" effort in A "Alse worth striving
for was his theme. His reception
throughout Texah has pleased him.
while l thought ] was a good Ameri-
can wnen | came to Texas" he said,
the m"snetic "Teddy." toward whom the
Il am going away from Texas a much
better man."
In his speech the chief executive said,
among other things:
Il tl,nrk you for the way in which I
have been greeted to-day You can
hardly imagine how much it means to
way and 70 be received as you have
received me. Applause.) l know that
the rest of you will not grudge my
saying a special word Of acknowledge
ment lO two sets among your citizens.
FIJI ST. tC the men of the great war. to
the men who wore the blue or wore the
gray In the day that tried mems souls.
My fellow citizens, infinitely more i'm
portan, than any president. infinitely
more important than any person. is
what is symbolized by seeing the men
VINO fought in the Union army and the
man who fought in the Confederate
army standing mingled together. fellow
Americans. one in devotion and hO1or
and loyalty to the country. shoulder to
shoulder as fellow citizens of the
mightast republic upon which the sun
has ever shone. Indeed. the man would
have poor heart. a poor spirit. who
would not be thrilled by such meet
ing IS this. by such a sight as you ac-
cord NE to-day, you of the gray and
you Of the blue. all one under the flag
Of this reunited country. (Applause)
Il suppose you must know it. but I
want 20 tell you that it was the course
the memory Of the ValOr. the self-sac-
rifice. the endurance you displayed in
the great war that made us Of the
younger ge~erati n feel that when the
lesser war came we wished to emulate
your course. The regiment which I had
the honor to command and which was
raised and organized in this city, took
part in what were only skirmishes COM
pared with the campaigns in which you
a al 81
is that while it was not given to us to
have the chance to do great deeds,
yet we hope we made you feel thot the
old spirit was not altogether lost. This
regiment served under men who had
themselves fought in the Civil war,
both under Grant and under Lee. The
commander Of the cavalry division was
that great. gallant ex-Confederate SOL
dier. Major General Joseph Wheeler;
and our immediate commander our
brigade commander, was an ex-Union
soldier who entered the Union army
as private. and to whom for my great
good fortune. i befell me to sign the
commission as lieutenant general of
the army Of the United States-Lieut.
Gen. Young. Afterward at San Juan
the cavalry served under General
Sumner from whom I took my orders.
I am going to tell you just one an-c-
dote Of General Young. Before the
war began I told him I was going to
do nv level best to get into it. and tina |
I wanted to get a chance for some fight
ing. He said. All right. I will have Il |
brigade. and if you come with
me I will guarantee that you shah see
fighting and he kept his vor1 as he
always does
Il cannot say how much i meant !
to me to be able to take part in raising
that regiment under the shadow Of the
Alamo My admiration for Texas and |
Texans is no new thing. Since I have
been boy and first studied the history
Of this country my veins have thrilled |
and tingled as I read Of the mighty |
deeds Ct Houston. of Bowie of Crockett |
OF Travis. Of the men who were victori- |
Gus at the fight at San Jacinto of the |
even more glorious men who fell in |
the fight OF the Alamo. of which it was |
said, Thermopylae had it's messengers !
Of death. but the Alamo had none
Il remember so we'll seven years ago, |
when we were raising this regiment |
riding in here one day to see the Ala
mo- and going away feeling that come |
what would. was going to try to ham |
a