The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-30
Quiet as Sunday.
AT PORTsMoUTH.
Memorial Day Address Was Delivered
by the President.


Portsmouth, May 3o.-The Memorial
Day address was delivered here by
President Roosevelt who spoke as FOL
lows:
This day is halIowed 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 de-
serve 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 it that the Union was
preserved have left us a country re-
united in fact as well as in name They
have left US the memory 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-
vfction with equal fidelity to a high
ideal, as it was given to each to see
that ideal.
Moreover, it is a peculiar pleasure to
sneak today under the auspices of the
army and navy union, OF the Union
which is meant to include the officers
and enlisted 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 today who as whole de-
serve quite as well of the country as
-'A4-N'NN@-
army and the navy of the United
States. Every man who has served well
and faithfully, afioat or ashore, in the
service of the United States, has shown
that he possesses certain qualities
which entitle him in a peculiar degree
to the respect of all his fellow citizens,
while every man who is now in the ser
vice can not but feel himself upliftec
by the thought that in any time OF
future crisis it may be that the honor
of the whole nation will depend upon
his bearing. There rests upon each of
YOU a tremendous burden OF RESPONSE
biIitv. and therefore to you belongs the
proud privilege of bearing that load of
responsibility 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 duties of the soldier and the
sailor, but with the duties of the civil
IAN with all matters affecting the
ulafn 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 afloat 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 eff
chiefly upon the efficiency Of the aver
age man, so the efficiency of the ma
ton as a whole depends chiefly upon
the way in which the average man per-
forms his plain, everyday duties.
Official Duty.
This does not mean that the leader.
whether in military or civil life, can
escape bearing peculiar burden of re-
sponsibility. To him has been given
much and from him much will be de-
manded. It is right and proper that the
man in a high position, whether his
position be that Of a high civilian Off
cial in time of peace or of a high mill
tary or naval officer in time of war,
should receive a marked degree of credit
if he performs his difficult, delicate, and
responsible task WELL and should on
the other hand, be held to an especially
sharp accountability for any shortcot 4
ings. 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 incompetent. paralyze
the actions of a multitude of brave and
able men who are under him. On the
other hand. if in intellect. and above all.
in chara cter, he is able to rise level to
the need of the moment. he may SO
combine and direct the actions of the
many under him as to make their joint
effort irresistible The first duty of a
leader. civil or military. is to lead; and
he must lead well. Exactly as the peo-
pie must demand the highest grade of
Integrity and efficiency from their lead
ers In civfl affairs, so in military affairs
they must insist upon every officer de-
voting all the best that there is in him
to hitting himself in the duties OF his
profession, to caring for and drilling
and training those under him. so that
alike in point of personnel and in point
of materie1 the army and navy OF the
United States may reach as high
point of perfection as is humanity pos
sible This is the work that only the
leaders can do: and If they shirk it
their shame is unspeakable
Tho Rank and File.
Nevertheless It remains true that no
leader can accomplish very much un-