Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-10-18

washington. Oct. IS. - President
Roosevelt began his tour OF the south
at $3.50 this morning. His departure
from Washington was without Incl.
dent. As the president alighted from
his carriage at the side entrance to
the train shed. he assisted Mrs. Roose.
velt out and then smiled and raised
rhis hat to the half hundred specta.
tors who had gathered to see his de-
parture. Just before the train moved
out the president stepped from the
observation room to the rear platform
Of his car and smilingly bowed his
Acknowledgements to the futter Of
handkerchiefs Of the crowd.
President's Address.
Richmond, Va, Oct. 1S.-The city
was in gala attire to receive President
Roosevelt today. The presidential
train arrived promptly at noon, and
was met by great crowd. A process
sion was formed and the president was
escorted to Capital square, where he
delivered the following speech:
trust l need hardly say how great
Is my pleasure at speaking in this his
toric capital Of your historic state;
the state than which no other has
contributed larger proportion to the
leadership of the nation; for on the
honor roll Of those American worthless
whose greatness is not only for the
age but for all time. not only for one
nation but for all the world. on this
honor roll Virginia's name stands
above all others. And in greeting all
of you, know that no one will
grudge my saying special word Of
acknowledgement to the veterans Of
the civil war. A man would indeed
be but a poor American who could
without thrill witness the way in
which, in city after city in the north
as in the south. on every public 0c-
caaiun, thes men who wore the. blue
and the men who wore the gray now
march and stand shoulder to shoul.
der. giving tangible proof that we
are all now in fact as well as In name
a reunited people. people infinitely
richer because of the priceless me.
mOries left to all Americans by you
men who fought In the great war!
Last Memorial day ! spoke In Brook.
lyn, at the unveiling OF the statue Of a
northern general. under the auspices
of the Grand Army OF the Republic
and that great audience cheered every
allusion to the valor and self-devotion
of the men who followed Lee as
heartily as they cheered every allu'
sion to the valor and self-devotion Of
the men who followed Grant. The
wounds left by the great civil wal
have long healed, but Its memories
remain. Think OF 1t, oh, my country
men. think of the good fortune that
Is ours! That whereas every other
war of modern times has left feelings
Of rancor and bitterness to keep
asunder the combatants, our great
war has left to the sons and daugh
tiers of the men who fought, on which
ever side they fought. the same right
to feel the keenest pride In the grea,
deeds alike Of the men who fought on
one side and of the men who fcught
on the other. The proud self-sacri111cc
the resolute and daring courage, Int
high and steadfast devotion to the
right as each man saw It. whether
northerner OF southerner, these quail
tiles render all Americans forever the
debtors Of those who in the dark days
from '61 to go proved their truth by
their endeavor. Here around Rich
mond. here IN your own state, there
lies battlefield after battlefield. ren
dered forever memorable by the mer
who counted death as but a. 1ittls
thing when weighed In the balance
against doing their duty as It wa,
given them to see It. These mer
have left us Of the younger genera
ton not merely the memory Of wha'
they did In war. but Of what they die
| in peace. Foreign observers predict
ed that when such a great war closed
I! II would be impossible for the hun
dreds OF thousands of combatants t
return 10 the paths Of peace. The,
predicted ceaseless disorder. wilt
tufDulpnCe. the alttTndllON VI dIldTCil.
and despotism But the good sens'
and self-restraint of the averag,
! American citizen falsified thes,
! prophecies. The great armies dis
banded and the private in the ranks
IKE the officer who had commanded
him. went back TO take up the thread
! Of his life where he had dropped
htem when the call TO arms came. l
| was q wonderful. marvellous thing
I in a country consecrated to peac
with but an infinitesimal regula
army. to develop so quickly the hug,
hosts which fronted one another be
tween the James and the Potomas an,
along the Mississippi and its tribu
taries. But II was an even more won
derful. an even more marvellous thing
how these great hosts, \once thei
work done. resolved themselves int
the general fabric of the nation.
! Great though the need of praise I
which Is due the south for the sol
dier1y yalOr her sons displayed dur