The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-10-18

To the President, Greeting.
Something more than forty years ago
the President of the United States en-
i tered the city Of Richmond and took
possession OF 1t as conquered territory,
and when he came he found sorrow and
desolatlon On Sunday night, April 8
1865, Richmond was evacuated by the
K Confederate government; tho troops were
Il withdrawn from the front and tho OIL
cinls OF government took train for the
1 South. AS they departed from Manches-
\ ter they looked back and beheld the en-:
3 tire lower portion OF tho city wrapped
( in flames Practically all buildings enl-
i.braced in that portion of the city bound
y cd by Twenty-sccond Street on the
East. James River on the south, lTifth
"a Street on the west and midway between
4 Grace and Franklin Streets on the north
was destroyed and that portion which
s survived bore the marks Of poverty ana
depriyation which tho long and disas-
#trous war had entailed. It was II gloomy
Il sight which the President of tho United
Il states beheld on that occasion and the
Il heart Of Abraham Lincoln must have
been touched to the quick.
But while their city had been IN great
mart destroyed, the spirit Of the mon and
B women of Richmond had not been broken
a!nnd ere the bricks In the smoutderlns
(. ruins had cooled the citizens pulled OF
their coats aud went to work Wit VIII
and energy unsurpassed to clear UP ana
Il rebuild. In time all tho buildings were
restored and Richmond entered upon Il
new career.
To-day the President OF the United
states will enter Richmond as our IN
vited guest anu viii see no evidences OIL
distress and desolation, but every evil.
dence OF happiness and prosperity. He
will sec city OF 100000 inhabitants with
huildings and lots assessed at 50,00oO0o'.
an increase OF more than s4,ooo,O0o in q.
single year, q city of factories, ware
houses. mercantile establishments. bond
4 ing and insurance buildings, hotels,
churches, schools, parks and monuments,
4naa as a further sign Of progress and
prosperity, he may know that the de-
& posits in tho banks have In fifteen years
grown from less than s9,000.o9o to more
i than s2s, 10000, being equal in the ayers
gate to the entire deposits Of one OF the
most pibsperota Of the States to the
South OF us, AS he enters and drives
through our Htreets, he will receive q
!. cordial welcome from the people OF the
s city which WAS once the proud capital of
the Southern Confederacy. and whlther-
AZ soeyer his eyes may turn, to this side or
that, he will SEQ countless numbers Of
Federal flags displayed In his honor. rs
we'll as In token OF Richmonds loyalty
to the national government.
II has been said that they TO whom
4 it has been given to do the really high
est work in this earth have trodden with
bleeding feet and aching brow tho hard,
rough and thorny life Of which the cross
Is the symbol" And again that 'tho
& man or woman who has learned to suf-
fer well has gotten the highest of moral
! victories" 1t was In war that the men
and women of Richmond learned to suf-
fer, and while the callse In which, and
i for which they suffered failed, they have
gained In peace u victory more glorious.
Nay, 1t was this training and discipline
In the school OF suffering and daring
which gave them the grit and the grace
10 rebuild their Jerusalem and make 1t
stronger and greater than over an object
lesson in enterprise. COURAGE and pat
riotism and may we not say that 1t is
this grace, born Of devout suffering,
which enables our people to-day to for
get those things which are behind and
extend in sincerity and hearty good will
the hand OF welcome to the nations chief
magistrate
f But our greeting to President Roose-
Welt Is no empty formalism 1t Is the
greeting OF a patriotic people who know
the flag Of the Union and tho man whose
high function it is to hold 1t high and
preserve It's honor Mt home and abroad
Moreover We cordially greet the man, for
we admire Mr.. Roosevelt, We admire
him for his courage and maniness for
his frankness, for his good morals and
for his righteousness. We believe that he
Catholic In spirit since his last election
We believe that his great triumph at the
polls 80 far from turning HIS head has
Boftened his heart and made him more
and moro IN love with al! the people
We believe that he has risen above par
tisan prejudice and tho bigoty OF poll
tics and that he Is endeayorng to re
deem his promise to be President OF tn
nation without respect t. person, part.
or section.
we admire him because he walks Il