, 1907-04-26
THE TERCENTENN|A
IS FORMALLY OPENED

stocks from which We spring; and
hence today we differ sharply from,
and yet in some ways are fundamental
ly akin to, all of the nations of Eur
ope.
Welcome to Sister Republics.
again, let me bid you welcome, rep.
~resentatives of our sister republics of
this continent. In the larger aspect,
your interests and ours are identical.
Your problems and our are in large
part the same; and as we strive to set
tie them, 1 pledge you herewith on the
part of this nation the heartiest friend.
ship and good will.
The East of Time ImmemoraI.
FINALLY, let me say a special word
of greeting to those representatives of
the Asiatic nations who make up the
newest cast which is yet the most
ancient east, the east of time immemo-
rial. In particular, let me express a
word of hearty welcome to the repre-
sentative of the mighty island empire
of Japan; that empire, which, in learn
ing from the west, has shown that it
had SO much, SO very much, to teach
the west in return.
Wish for Welfare of Nations.
ITO all of you here gathered l ex-
press my thanks for your coming, and
l extend TO you my earnest wishes for
the welfare Of your several nations.
The world has moved SO far that it is
no longer necessary to believe that
one nation can rise only by thrusting
another down. All farsighted states
men, all true patriots, now earnestly
wish that the leading nations of man
kind, as in their several ways they
struggle constantly toward a higher
civilization, a higher humanity, may
advance hand in hand, united only In
a generous rivalry to see which a
best do its allotted work in the world.
Righteous International Peace.
II believe that there is a rising tide
in human thought which tends for
righteous International peace; a tide
which it behooves us to guide through
rational channels to sane conclusions;
and all Of us here present can well af-
ford to take TO heart st. Paul's coun-
sci: II it be possible, as much as
lieth in you, live p%eaceably with all
men,
First Settlement in Virginia.
I'VE have met today to celebrate the
opening of the exposition which itself
commentaries the first permanent set
tlement of men of our stock in Virginia,
the first beginning of what has since
become this mighty republic. Three
hundred years ago a handful of Eng
lish adventures, who had crossed the
ocean in what We should now call coc-
kle-boats, as clumsy as they were frail,
landed in the great wooded wilderness,
the Indian-haunted waste, which then
stretched down to the waters edge
along the entire Atlantic coast.
spaniards and French Came Also.
"They were not the first men of Eur
opean rae to settle in what is now the
United States, for there were already
Spanish settlements in Florida and on
the headwaters of the Rio Grande; and
the French, who at almost the same
time were struggling up the st. Law
renee, were likewise destined to form
permanent settlements on the Great
lakes and in the valley of the mighty
Mississippi before the people of Eng
lish stock went westward of the ALE.
ghenies.
Dutch and swedes on Hand.
Moreover, both the Dutch and the
Swedes were shortly to found colonies
between the two sets of English colo
MES, those that grew up around the Po-
tomac and those that grew up on what
is now the New England coast. Never
theless, this landing at jamestown pos
sesses for us of the United States an
altogether peculiar significance, and
this without regard to our several Qri-
gins. The men who landed at James
town and those who, thirteen years lat
er, landed at Plymouth, all of English
stock, and their fellow-settiers who
during the next few decades steamed<n
after them. were those who took the
lead in shaping the life history Of this
people in the colonial and revolution
airy days. 1t was they who bent into
definite shape our nation while it was
still young enough most easily, most
readily, to take the characteristics
which were to become part Of its per
manent life habit.
Differed from People Of Europe.
yet let us remember that while this
early English colonial stock has left
deeper than all others upon our nation
al life the mark of it's strong twin in
dividualities, the mark of the Cavalier
and of the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., this
stock, not only from its environment
but also from the presence with 1t of