The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-31
PRESIDENT MAKES
MEMORIAL ADDRESS
Thousands Listen TO His Speech
at Portsmouth
TALKED TO ARMY AND NAVY
President and Mrs. Roosevelt Hold an
Informal Reception to the officers
of the New York Navy Yard
During the Afternoon.
TALKED TO ARMY AND NAVY

During the Afternoon.
Old Point Comfort, Va, May 50.-This
has been notable Memorial day in the
commonwealth of Virginia, President
Roosevelt joined with several of the mem
bers of the Blue and Grey in paying
tribute to the nations dead. In the MORN
ing he delivered an Grafton in the beau
tiful grounds of the Naval hospital at
Portsmouth and directly afterwards UNI
yelled handsome marble shaft erected
by the Army and Navy union in the ceme
terry adjoining to me memory Of fallen
comrades
The ceremonies at Portsmouth were I'M
der the auspices Of the Army and Navy
union The memorial exercises were pre-
coded by a parade In which nearly 1000
sailors and marines of The North Atlantic
fleet. the Army and Navy union, the
Grand Army Of the Republic, the United
Confederate Veterans and many civic and
patriotic societies took part.
Audience Numbers Many Thousands.
The Presidents audience numbered
many thousands and the naval contin-
gent in white uniforms, formed under
the giant pine trees In hollow square,
rendered the scene picturesque.
In the afternoon President and Mrs.
Roosevelt, after an informal luncheon
and reception to the officers of the
Norfolk navy yard at The residence of
Rear Admiral P. f. Harrington, COM
mandant Of the yard. visited Hampton
Institute The President delivered an
address to the negro and Indian students,
afterwards making tour of the school.
He went aboard the Mayfiower, an
chored just off this point. at 6;S5 p. M.
The vessel saiod 1T o'clock for Wash
ington.6 The President and his party are
expected to arrive in Washington navy
yard tomorrow at 10 o'clock.
Portsmouth May 30.-At II OF clock the
memorial exercises here were opened with
prayer by Bishop Van De Nyer of the
Catholic diocese of Richmond. After
music by the military band President
Roosevelt was introduced by Col. Ed
win J. Brown, national commander of the
Army and Navy union. The Presidents
address follows:
This day is halowed and sacred in
our history, for on this day throughout
the land we meet to pay homage to the
memory of the valiant dead who fell in
the great civil war. No other men deserve
so well of this country as those to whom
We owe it that we now have a country.
Moreover, the men to whose valor we owe
II that the union was preserved have left
.us a. country reunited in fact as well as
i'm lla1 ha Loft he asA,-x-
OF the great deeds and the self-devotion
alike of the men who wore the blue and
of the men who wore the gray in the
contest where brother fought brother with
equal courage, with equal sincerity of con-
viction. with equal fidelity to high ideal.
as 1t was given to each to see that ideal.
Moreover, it is peculiar pleasure to
speak today under the auspices of the
Army and Navy union. of the union which
is meant to include the officers and en-
listed men of the regular forces of the
United States. Exactly as there is no
other body of men to whom in the past
we have owed so much as to the veterans
OF the civil war so there is no other body
of men among all of our citizens of to-
day who as whole deserve quite as
we'll of the country as the officers and
enlisted men of the army and the navy
of the United States Every man who
has served well and faithfully, afoat or
ashore, in. the service of the United States,
has shown that he possesses certain quail
tiles which entite him in a peculiar
degree to the respect of all his fellow
citizens, while every man who is now
in the service cannot but feel himself up
lifted by the thought that in any time
of future crisis 1t may be that the honor
of the whole nation will depend upon his
bearing. There rests upon each of you a
tremendous burden of responsibility, and
q her. fn,.a 10 1a1fr . a
ilege of bearing that load of RESPONSE
bility well.
This audience is composed largely of
veterans of the civil war, largely of men
who have served in or are serving in the
army and the navy of the United States.
They are concerned not only with the du-
ties of the soldier and the sailor, but with
the duties of the civilian, with all matters
affecting the plain, everyday citizen as he
does his everyday duties. For we must
always remember that in our country our
army and navy are an army and navy
made up of volunteers; all our forces are
volunteers; our regulars, afioat and
ashore. are merely our fellow citizens who
of their own free will have taken up this
particular task. The task once through
they return to the body of our citizenship;
and exactly as the efficiency of our mill
tary service depends chiefly upon the eff
fciency of the average enlisted man, so
the efficiency of the nation as a whole
depends chiefly upon the way in which
the average man performs his plain, ev-
eryday duties.
Peculiar Burden of Responsibility.
This does not mean that the leader
whether in military or civil life, can es-
cape bearing a peculiar burden of respon-
sibinty To him has been given much
and from him much will 'be demanded
1t is right and proper that the man in a
high position, whether his position be that
of a high civilian official in time of peace
or of high military or naval officer
in time of war. should receive a marked
degree of credit If he performs his diff
cult, delicate. and responsible task WELL
and should. on the other hand. be held
to an especially sharp accountability for
any shortcomings. In any time of crisis
the man in high office In civil life. the
man in high command in military or
naval life, can, If he be weak or incom-
petent paralyze the actions of multi
tude of brave and able men who are
under him. On the other hand. If in
intellect and above all. in character he
is able to rise level to the need of the
he may combine and direct
the actions of the many under him TO
make their joint effort irresistible. The |
first duty of a leader. civil or military. is
he 1aad W.. 1xr