The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-10-22
BR|NGSHOMEMA
FINE BEAR
PELTS.
President RooseveIt's Flying
Visit to vicksburg.
ENTHUSIASM everywhere.
Town OF Stamboul, La. in Honor OF
Presidents Visit Has Been Re-
named Roosevelta.
ENTHUSIASM EVERYWHERE.

vICKSBURG, Miss, Oct. 22.-Aftef
fortnight spent in the canebrakes
President Roosevelt, bronzed ana Wig
orous, paid flying visit to Vicksburg
and made a speech at the courthouse
square to large assembly.
The president arrived at Delta, just
across the Mississippi river He was
met by the steamboat Belle OF the
Bends, with a reception committee OF
a hundred citizens. The president I'm
mediately embarked and, followed by
n dozen boats and yachts, made his Ell
try into the city. The bluffs overlook
ing the river were lined with people.
who gave the chief executive a hearty.
and noisy welcome.
President Roosevelt entered the for
ward carriage at the pier ana, WIN
Mayor Is. w. Griffith and General Ste
phen d. Lee, headed parade, which
passed through the principal streets to
the national cemetery.
The president was received with en-
thusiastic acclaim. The streets were
packed with people, who cheered the
visitor at every opportunity.
At Cherry and Clay streets the pro
cession was halted. and General Lee.
commander In chief of the United Con.
federate Veterans, told the president
that several hundred Union and Con
federate veterans stood before him.
The president arose In the carriage and
cordially shook hands with the old sol
dlers.
Arriving at the national cemetery,
the party drove slowly through the
grounds, the president evincing a live
ly interest In the historic place. From
the cemetery the party drove TO the
courthouse square, where an immense
crowd had gathered to hear the speech
making. President Roosevelt was in.
troduced by Congressman John Sharp
Williams, who elected tremendous ap-
plause when he said:
you cannot In the history of any
country, ancient or modern, find sue.
cession of twenty-five kings, emperors
or even prime ministers the equals IN
intelligence. culture, courage or char
acter of the twenty-five presidents OF
this great republic from Washington
to Roosevelt, inclusive.
"Of these |, southern Bourbon Demo
crat. have an American pride and
pleasure in saying that the last is by
TO means least
ut is an honor for you and me, fell
low Mississippians, to meet and enter
tain with an old time, full hearted
southern hospitality the Hon Theo-
dore Roosevelt, an honor flowing at
once from his official dignity and from
his many excellent traits of private
character.
He is our chief magistrate. Amerl-
cas- chief magistrate of the reunited
Dixieland and Yankeeland, never so
firmly cemented in blood, opinion and
sentiment as they are today"
The president said;
ut is indeed an honor for me TO be
today the guest of Vicksburg and of
Mississippi, and was ineXpresslbly
touched by the greeting over the great
arch of cotton bales which said. Mis-
sissippi Greets the President
should not be fit to be president at all
If | did not with all my might and
main, with all my heart and brain,
seek to be in the full sense the
president Of Mississippi the president
of every state in this Union. | am
glad to be here In this historic city,
this city forever memorable Of the con.
flicts in which victor and vanquished
alike showed such splendid courage,
such splendid fealty to the light as 1t
was given to each. Even before the
civil war Mississppis sons had shown
that they knew how to fight.
ut was from Vicksburg that n COM
! pany of that famous Mississippi regi.
ment which won undying renown In
! the Mexican war under the gallant
leadership of It's colonel who afterward
| became the fav0rite son not only of
Mississippi, but of all the south, JEFF
fersOn Davis, came. Think how fortu.
nate we are as a nation that ii is pos
! sible for the president of the nation to
come here today to be conducted
through your national park by the sur
viving lieutenant general Of the Con-
federate army and to feel that every
instance of herosm recorded by the
monuments, alike to the Union and to
the Confederate dead on that battle
field, Is subject for just pride to ev'
cry citizen Of this nation, no matter
| where he livacv