The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-06-13
PRESIDENTS SPEECH
In Accepting Silver Service for tho
BattIeship Georsia-Dotes on the
Fact That He is Half Southern.

In accepting the silver service pre-
; sented the United States battleship
. Georgia from the state after which it
; is was named, during the Georgia Day
exercises at jamestown, President
! Roosevelt, in part, spoke as follows:
Il cannot express how deeply touch
ed l am at the action OF the state
OF Georgia, my mothers state, the
state from which 1 draw half the blood
in my veins, in erecting as the Geor.
; gia state house at the jamestown ex-
position replica OF my grandfathers
house at Roswell, Ga; the house in
which my mother passed her youth
and where she was married TO my
father 1t is an act Of gracious cour-
tesy and consideration which / very
deeply appreciate; and through the
governor and other representatives Of
Georgia l desire from my heart to
thank all her citizens. Georgia's his
tory is unique, for she alone among
the original thirteen colonies and the
/ subsequent new states added thereto,
was founded with a consciously be-
nevolent purpose, with the deliberate
intent tc benefit mankind by upbuild-
ing a commonwealth along carefully
planned lines of social, political and
religious liberty and justice.
"Ogiathorpe, the founder of Georgia,
was 4 >rue apostle Of philanthropy Ind
of equality of opportunity for all. His
set purpose was to found state the
gates IF which should be open to tho
oppressed of every land and creed,
and closed to every form Of political,
religious or industrial bondage or per-
secut:on. His colony welcomed alike
these who fed from political or social
tyranny, and those, whether Christian
or Jew. who sought liberty for. con-
sciences sake 1t was q high and
honorable beginning; and am proud
indeed of my Georgian ancestry, and
of the fact that my grandfather's
grandfather, Archibald Bullcch, was
the first governor, or as the title then
went, president. of the new state when
the continental congress, OF which
he was also member, declared that
the thirteen states had become new
and independent nation. Since then
Georgia has grown at a rate even
more astounding than the rate or
growth of the nation as a whole; her
sons have stood high in every field
of activity, intellectual or physician;
and rapid though her progress has
been in the past, it bids fair to be
even greater in the wonderful new
century which mas now fairly opened.
perhaps the very fact that | am
half southern and half northern IN
blood, and that for many years
was brought into peculiarly close as
sociation with the life OF the great
west, makes it natural for me to feei
with intensity the strong sense OF kin
ship with every portion OF our great
common country, which should be the
birthrignt of every true American.
Since have been president l have
visited every state and territory with
in the borders of the union, save such
as can only be reached by sea. [ have
travelled from the Atlantic to De Pa
cihc from the great lakes. to the gulf.
1 have spoken at country fairs, to
colleges, to commercial and business
organization, to associations OF pro-
fessional men, to labor organizations
to men of every creed and parentage.
The thing that has struck me most
has been the essential unity OF our
people,