Evening star., 1909-04-28
TAFT ON new SOUTH
The Spirit of Appomattox to Be
Triumphant.
TWO PARTIES DESIRABLE
Friends in Dixie. He Declares, Will
Learn Views in Time.
SPEECH AT GRANT BANQUET
Philadelphia Union Leaguers Ap-
plaud Remark That Patriotic
Opposition Is Necessity.
SPEECH AT GRANT BANQUET

| PHILADELPHIA, April 2S.-President
Taft last night was the principal speaker
| at the Grant birthday dinner of the Union
| League in this city. and paid a striking
| tribute to the sOldier-President. Mr..
Taft was sharply criticised a year ago
because of certain of his references to
! Gen. Grant and he took advantage of
| tonights opportunity to express anew
his admiration for Gen. Grant a man.
as soldier and as chief executive of the
United States
The President reached Philadelphia at
| 800 pm. There was a delay en- route
| from Washington of nearly an hour
caused by the breaking of drawhead in
the coupling Of two of the cars on the
regular New York express to which his
private car. Independence. was attach
| ed The train was not an unusually
heavy one. and the fact that the coupling
! gave way to cars in front of his own
chaf from the President. Wayne Mac
Veagh of Washington, brother of the Sec
| retary of the Treasury. and Mrs. Mac
Veagh were the Presidents guests from
Washington to this city. committee of
the Union League met the President at
| West Philadelphia. where his car was de-
| tached from the train and brought into
Broad street station by yard engine.
Given Enthusiastic Greeting.
The President, accompanied by his mill
| tary aid. was met at Broad street by
an immense throng. The vast concourse
of Broad street station was filled and a
spontaneous cheer broke from the crowd
as the President quickly was recognized.
| Entering an automobile the president
was escorted to the Union League Club
house In Broad street by the LIST City
| Troop OF Cavalry.
The way from the station to the Union
League Club was lined with thousands
who cheered the President vociferously.
1t was the most notable greeting Mr..
Taft has experienced since his Inaugural
ton. He acknowledged the cheers and
plaudits of the .nrong by constantly lift
ing his hat.
At the clubhouse the President held a
| reception for more than an hour. some
1000 of Union League members insisting
| on shaking hands with him. The banquet
hall Of the club. where about 300 sat at
| the tables was profusely decorated with
flowers, flags and electric lights
Gen. Horace Porter of New York and
President James F. Hope Of the Union
League were among the speakers who
preceded President Taft.
Mr.. Taft spoke at times in half quiz
Zical manner. and there was frequent
laughter as well as applause at his refer
ence to political conditions in the south.
The Spirit of Appomattox.
After making complimentary reference
to the Union Leagues patriotic support
Of the Union army at the outbreak Of
the war and during its continuance, Mr.
Taft said. in part:
what wished particularly to dwell
upon tonight was the spirit Of that peace
at Appomattox. represented on the one
hon hxy <bo mt
edness of Grant and by the self-restraint
and courage and farsighted patriotism
(for that 1t was) on the part of Lee in
bringing the struggle to finish. That
spirit at Appomattox Is today, I trust.
triumphant. Between the two leaders it
existed when the terms of the surrender
were signed, but 1t was impossible. un-
der the conditions. that that spirit should
control and make itself Immediately
manifest between the two sections.
1.-The conditions were such that that
could not be. The remnants of slavery.
the distressed condition of the south. and
the feelings that had been wrought be-
tween the two sections could not be
such leaders as Grant and Lee. and it
was necessary. / suppose, that We should
go through that thirty forty years
in order that the rent which was made to
the foundations of our country and of our
civilization should be reunited i'm a COM
mon country, with common spirit
| But what l mean to point out is that
that spirit we now rejoice in, as we find
between the two sections no remaining
bitterness. is spirit that as between the
two great commanders existed the day
that they shook hands and signed the
terms of surrender 1t is a matter that
have very much at heart
Some Changes Necessary.
II believe 1t is possible to make the
two sections even closer together. The
south is a more homogeneous people
than We. immigration into this country
spread over the north and went not into
the SOUTH and the south preserved it's
traditions longer than we did in the
north. Added to that trait and quality
of theirs was the fact that for a long
time the traces of war and the sufferings
| from war were present to them, and al
ways they have present the colored race
| to bring back recollection of the strife
/ Prosperity has come to the south
Some changes, l fear. are necessary in
fixed economic principle to promote the
business Of the south. We are all in the
same boat in a more emphatic sense than