The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-10-23
ROOSEVELT IN MISsIsSIPPL

Great is the power of human speech to charm when it deals with the kindly phases of life. Harsh is it's influence when 1t is used to threaten and intimidate. Upon various occas- ions President Roosevelt has shown his capacity to smooth the fur the right way and then to ruffle 1t all up At Provincetown, for example, he went at his audience with q curry comb. At Vicksburg Monday he used the velvet brush and made one of the most delightful speeches he has made since he became President.
 President Roosevelt has been giv- en credit the world over for sincer- ity of purpose even when he was nov ing in direction not approved by lie sentiment, but he has acquired no particular reputation for tact, except in hurly burly spirit At Vicksburg, however, he seemed to be overhowing with the milk of human kindness and trod as delicately on ground which the most prudent of men avoid as if actually inspired by the history of the past and reverence for its deeds "I am glad" he said, "to be here in this historic city, this city forever memor- able for the conflicts in which victor and vanquished alike showed such splendid courage, such splendid fealty to the light as it was given to each" The people of the North are less emotional people than those of the South, while the people of the West are more hearty, but there is no section of the country which would have failed to see and appreciate the delicacy of the compliment President Roosevelt paid the people of Missls- sippi. It put aside the smaller ques- 1 tions which too frequently irritate those who undertake to estimate the virtues of the contending armies in the civil rebellion and laid stress on the manly qualities which denote character wherever they are em- ployed.
 Nor did President Roosevelt hesi- tate where the average man would have hesitated in referring even blind ly to the president of the southern confederacy. He said with charming candor: "It was from Vicksburg that company went of that famous Mis- sissippi regiment which won undying Irenown in the Mexican war under the gallant leadership of its colonel, who afterwards became the favorite son not only of Mississippi but of all the South, Jefferson Davis" So easy and graceful was this reference to MT Davis. so free from cant and concealed purpose, so generous in its estimate of a mans character, that one finds ones self nudging more closely to the side of it's author and wishing pro- foundly that these were the methods of speech invariably employed by him A similar attitude on his part towards others who have had occasion to in. cur his displeasure, the Storers, fol example, would have saved him io
 of misunderstanding and his friend: much unnecessary explanation. Ina
 he blows hot and cold is to be attrib,
 uted, not to a hot and cold nature, bu
 to a temperament as likely, in al
 sincerity to do injustice as justice.
 The Roosevelt of Vicksburg is {
 mighty attractive personality ant
 does much to explain the attachmen
 his intimate friends have for him. IT.
 make one more quotation from tht
 speech which bears all of the mark
 of a spontaneous utterance let us adt
 this: What other is there of whicl
 we can say that before the generation