The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1907-10-24
MADE. A GREAT HIT
President Delights Mississippi
Audience Immensely
FAvORS RIVER IMPROVEMENT
Bronzed and Vigorous After Fort
night In Canebrakes. President
Roosevelt Visits vicksburg and
Makes . Speech

fNhSpusEf oaAESt EF%NA1as aaseA
fortnight spent in the eanebrakes,
President Roosevelt, bronzed aud
vigorous, paid q flying visit TO Vieks- |
burg and made a speech Mondoy af-
ternoon. The President arrived at
Delta, just across the Mississippi
river at ! o'clock. He was met by
the steamboat Belle of Bends, with q
reception committee Of 100 citizens on
board The President Immediately
embarked and, followed by dozen
boats and yachts, made his entry into
the city. The bluffs overlooking the
river were lined with people, who
gave the Chief Executive a hearty
and noisy welcome.
President Roosevelt entered the
forward carriage at the pier and with
Mayor b. ". Griffith and General
Stephen D. Lee, headed party which
passed through the principal streets
to the national cemetery.
The President was received with
enthusiastic acclaim. The streets
were packed with people, who cheered
the visitor at every opportunity.
Arriving at the national cemetery,
the party drove slowly through the
grounds, the President evincing a
lively interest in the historic place.
From the cemetery the party drove to
re court house square, where an i'm
'ense crowd had gathered to hear
the speech making. President Roose-
welt was introduced by Congressman
John Sharp Williams, who ELECTED
tremendous applause when he said:
"You cannot in the history Of any
country, ancient or modern, find a
succession Of % kings, emperors or
even prime ministers the equals il
intelligence, culture, courage or char
acter Of the % Presidents of this
great republic fhom Washington to
Roosevelt, inclusive. Of these, I, a
Southern acknowledgements, have an
American pride and pleasure in say
ing that the last is by no means the
least
at is an honor for you and me.
fellow Mississippians, to meet and en-
terrain 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 pri-
vate character.
"He is our chief magistrate, Amer
ica's chief magistrate of the re-
united Dixie land and Yankee land,
never so firmly cemented in blood,
opinion and sentiment as they are to-
day."
Immediately after closing his adj
dress, President Roosevelt and party
were rapidly driven to the Yazoo &
Mississippi Valley Railway station,
where a special train stood in wait
ing.
| At $50 O'Clock the train pulled
ont for Memphis, where the President
is scheduled to arrive shortly after
midnight. The train will be immedi-
ately transferred to the Louisville &
Nashville Railway and started fol-
Nashville
The President speech was alto
gether appropriate to his audience
and among many striking things he
said:
cit is indeed an honor for me to
be the guest Of Vicksburg and OF
Mississippi, and ! was inexpressibly
touched by the greeting over the
great arch of cotton bales which said
Mississippi greets the President
should not be fit to be the President al
all if I 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 Pres
ident of every state in this Union.
am glad to be here in this historic
city, this city forever memorable Of
| the conflicts in which victor and van
quished alike showed such splendid
courage, such splendid fealty, to the
light as it was given to each. Ever
| before the Civil war Mississippi
sons had shown that they knew how
to fight.
cit seems to me that no American
President could spend his time bet
ter than by seeing for himself jus
what a rich and wonderful region
the lower Mississippi Valley is, 81
that he may go back to Washington
as shall 60 back. with the set pur
pose to do everything that in me lie
to see that the United States does it
full share in making the Mississippi
river part Of the sea coast. In marx
ing 1t deep channel to the Grea
Lakes from the Gulf.
"Mr. Williams, it has been suggest
ed to me that we need to constru
) > the constitution broadly in order t.
get power to do what I want.
think I heard you mention that yor
were a good Federalist. The peopl
Of Holland took two-thirds of thei
country out from under the ocean an
they have lived behind the dikes fo
{ centuries in safety. With one-tenf
i OF the effort, we, an infinitely great
er nation, can take these incompar
ably rich bottom lands of the lowe
I | Mississippi ont from all fear of food
in" bv the Mississippi.
"While I do not like to say in ad
vance what I intend to do, | shal
break my rule In this case and sa
that IN nv next message to Congress
l shall advocate as heartily as kno,
! how that the Congress now electe
: shall take the first steps to brin
about that deep channel way and tn
attendant high and broad levee sys
: tenn which will make of these al
, luvial bottoms the. richest and mos
1opulous Agricultural land On th