Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-10-18
PRESIDENT BEGINS LONG TOUR
THROUGH SOUTHERN STATES
forcelu and Eloquent Address Delivered to Immense
Throns At Richmond, va...Praise for the Men
Of the Blue and Of the Crsy...Nati.nal
Problems Discussed

Ing the four years OF war, l think
that even greater praise Is due 10 her
for what her people have accomplish.
ed In the forty years OF peace which
followed. For forty years the south
has made not merely courageous
but at times desperate struggle, as
she has striven for moral and mater.
ial well-being. Her success has beer
extraordinary. and all citizens Of our
common country should feel Joy and
pride In It. for any great deed done,
or any fine qualities shown. by one
group Of Americans, Of necessity re.
fleets credit upon all Americans. Only
a heroic people could have battled
successfully against the conditions
with which the people Of the south
found themselves face to face at the
end Of the civil war, There had been
utter destruction and disaster. and
wholly new business and social prob
lens had to be faced with the scan
tiest means. The economic and 20.
ltical fabric had to be readjusted In
the midst OF dire want, Of grinding
poverty. The future OF the broken
war.swept south seemed beyond hope,
and II her sons and daughters had
been OF weaker fiber there would In
very truth have been no hope. But
the men and the sons Of the men who
had faced with unfaltering front every
alienation Of good and evil fortune
from Manassas to- Appomattox, and
the women, their wives and moth
ers. whose courage and endurance
had reached an even higher heroic
level-these men and these women
set themselves undauntedly to the
great task before them. For twenty
years the struggle was hard and al
times doubtful. Then the splendid
qualities OF your manhood and wo
manhood told. as they we're hound t.
tell, and the wealth. Of your extra
ordinary natural Eeantsrces began x
b6 shown. Now the teeming riches o'
mine and field and factory attest the
prosperity Of those who are all tht
stronger because OF the trials ant
struggles through which this pros
perity has come. You stand Loyalty
to your traditions and memories; you
also stand loyalty for our great com
mon county Of today and for oul
common flag, which symbolizes al
that Is brightest and most hopeful fol
the future of mankind; you face the
new age in the spirit Of the age
Alike in your material and in YOU
spiritual and intellectual development
YOU stand abreast Of the foremost II
the worlds progress.
And now. my fellow-cltiesns. m,
fellow.Americans, exactly as all o
us, whether we live in. the east o.
the west, in the north or the south
have the right merely as Americans
to feel pride In every great deed done
by any American In the past, ani
exactly as we are knit together b!
this common heritage Of memories
so we are knit together by the boni
Of our common duties In the present
our common interests In the future
Many and great problems lie befor
US. II we treat the mighty mem0r'c
of the past merely as excuses 70
sitting laIily down in the present, o
for standing aside from the rUugl
work OF the world, then these memof
les will prove q curse instead Of +,
blessing. But II We treat them as
believe We shall treat them. not =!
excuses for inacficn, but ms i1remtfve.
- ,v.n1yn sec ohr~, xhot vo ~rx. ~symvx =,
Of our fathers and Of our fathers
fathers. then in truth the deeds o
the past will not have been wasted
for they shall bring forth fruit |
hundred fold In the present genera
tion. We Of this nation, We the CT
liens OF this mighty and wonderful
republic, stretching across cvntin
ent between the two greatest oceans
enjoy extraordinary privileges, IN,
as our opportunity is great, therefor
our responsibility Is great. We have
duties TO perform both abroad an,
at home, and we can not shirk ei;he
set Of duties and fully retain ou
self-respect.
In foreign affairs we must max
up our minds that whether we wisl
II or not. we are a great people an
must play great part In the world. !
is not open 10 us to choose whejhe
we will play the great part or not
We have TO play il; all we can De
eide is whether We shall play II vel
or III. And have TOO much conf
dence in my counirymen TO douo
what the decision will be. Our mis-
sion in the world should be one y
peace, but not the peace of cravens
the peace granted contemptuously I,
those who purchase II by snrrenderir
the right No. Our voice must d
effective for peace because 1t Is rails
ed for righteousness first and fo
peace only as the handmaiden o
righteousness. We must be scrupulou
in respecting the rights Of the veal,
and no less careful TO make II evi
dent that we do not act through fea
of the strong. We must be scrupulou
| In doing justice to others and scrur