Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1907-10-26
Mr.. Williams
Vicksburg Speech.

OF the reception Committee and Eel !
low Citizens
This not time or place to emphasize
or even to suggest political differences.
On proper occasion they are worthy of
all serious presentation and all serious
mind-taking as things of vital impor-
lance, In another sense they are al
ways in our country matters of minor
consideration, This is true because
Americans agree about vastly more
things than they differ about, Parties
here are not divided as in France, where
one is DESTROYS to maintain and others
to destroy the form of government it.
self, Our lines Of demarkation are
caused by differing views of construc-
ton ard methods of administration,
We all stand for the Republic, In
broad and essential sense we are there
fore all Republicans, Ours is a Demo-
cratic Republic. In the same broad
American sense therefore, we are all
Democrats, 1t is constitutional Dem
ocratic Republic, on which the only oath
of allegiance taken by office-holders is
to maintain and preserve inviolate the
written constitution of the United
States, which is the prescribed voice of
the people demarkingth the boundaries of
action for political machinery. In this
same broad American sense, therefore,
we are all Constitutionalists, Ours is a
representative Constitutional Democra-
tic Republic, and therefore all of us
who understand it stand for representa-
tive instut!ons-the President as much
as you or land not for so-called 'di-
rect legislation by thepeoples such as
prevailed in ancient Athens a word
mobocratic rule. We are a government
OF the people, for the people, and by
the people. These representatives.
whether executive or legislative-a
enforced and held to a government
really and truly "by the people" in the
only sense practical for an immense
continental domain, like ours, by &C
countability to law, the common sover-
eign of governors and governed alike
and by short tenpres of office involving
frequent and automatic vacations of of
flee and consequent reversion of author
ty to the people themselves as the real
rulers and masters the Warwicks of
American politics-the "setters up and
tepplers down of kings" Thus we
constitute popular or peoples govern
ment and in that sense we are all Popu-
lists.
We are Federal and not a consoli-
dated Republic In a certain sense the
Federal Government is not the govern
ment of the United States at all, but
piece of political machinery contrived
to protect the several governments of
the several United States and the peo-
pie residing in them from foreign and
from mutual aggression.
All who understand that we are a
Federal republic appreciate the impor-
lance of local enlightenment within
State lines permitting evolutionary de.
velopment of communities each CON
fronted with its peculiar problems
Our Federal system permits infinite ex-
pertinent without National hurt, secur-
ing both liberty and strength be diver
sity IN unity. In that sense then we
are all Federaists, In word, we are
all American in all that constitutes de-
votion to the body polite and the essen
ial spirit or soul-politic of the great
Republic-'the worlds best hope,"
now as when Jefferson said it was.
Being a representative and not di
rect Democracy we may we'll ask wheth-
er our representative system has iusti-
lied the hope of our fathers-and es-
pecially whether our presdents-tbe
highest embodiments of it-have iusti-
fled that hope.
| answer, yesl You cannot in the
history of any country ancient or
modem-fnd succession of twenty
five .kings, emperors, or even prime
ministers the equals in intelligence, cul
ture, courage or character of the twen-
,y-tive presidents of the great Repub-
lic-from Washington to Roosevelt
both inclusive Of these, Ia South
ern Bourbon Democrat-h an Amer
can pride and pleasure in say that "tbe
asst is not least "
Mr., President and Fellow Citizens:
This is an occasion of mutual honor. II
an honor for the President of the
United States to be the guest of tbe
people Of this historic town and of this
great State. Some of this audience
Mr.. President are the remnant of the
'annoneers, cave-dwellc-s and mule
2aters of the great siege, others are
he descendants of those whose forti-
ude unsurpassed made that siege me-
norable. 1t is an honor, too, even for
l President of the United States to be
IS you are today, the guest of Missis
1ippi, of the State of George, Poindex.
.er, Robert j, Walker, Sergeant, Prem.
ISIS Jefferson Davis, L @ C. Lamar, |
edward Carey Walthall, James z
jeorge-the State also of William
Barksdale, Carnot PQsey Featherston, |
Burt and all the men of heroic mould, |
who followed those illustrious dead
1t is on the other hand an honor for |
youand for me. fellow Mississippians
to meet and to entertain, with old-time |
Sull-hearted Southern hospitality the |
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt-an honor |
lowing at once from his official dignity
and from his many excellent traits of
private character.
He is our chief magistrate-Amer-
lca's chief magistrate-th chief magis-
trate of reunited Dixie-land and Yam
kee-land-never so firmly cemented in
blood nc thnv nra~PtoJo,, W. 49,. |