The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-17
ROOSEVELT WRITES
ABOUT THE SOUTH
Former President Hopes to
Visit South Soon
HISTORY rs RECALLED
younr Men of the south Are Urged 10
Remember Past GIories of the
south and Gain Inspiration
for Work.

New York, August 16-In response to
an invitation to address the southern
Commercial congress at Atlanta in the
spring of 1911, Theodore Roosevelt has
lust sent a letter to Charles Hall Davis,
chairman of the congress at Petersburg,
Va, in part as follows:
august 16, 1910.
MY Dear Sir-It is not possible as yet
for me to answer definitely, but l be-
ieve that on my trip to California next
March l shall pass through the southern
states and I hope that it can be arranged
that the Southern Commercial congress
then holds its meeting in one of the
cities through which l am able to pass.
If SO it will be real pleasure to me to
be present and to say all that l can in
behalf of this admirable movement.
More and more. the former misunder-
standing about the south is tending to
disappear and you and your associates
have set in motion force that Will have
much to do with the complete dissipa-
ton of this misunderstanding.
Your are working for a stronger south
and YOU show your wisdom and fore
sightedness in the way you realize that
this movement for a stronger south, to be
effective must really mean a stronger
national cohesion for the old south of
yesterday is being changed into the young
America of today. Every good American
must hope to see a real solid south, in
the sense of solid business prosperity In
the south, for al, good Americans now
realize that the prosperity of any part of
the country helps the prosperity of the
whole, and the prosperity of the whole
will grow faster and stand on the most
durable foundation only when we effec-
lively realize that the words south,
| north, east and west have only a
geographical significance.
GIcrfes of the South
Il earnestly hope that the young men
of the south will never forget the past
glories of the south, because l earnestly
hope that the young men all over Amer
lea today will keep ever in mind these
glorious memories of every section of our
| common country, and that the men of the
north and of the west will remember the
south past WITH the same prlue THAT
the south itself does for the undying
glory, won by the men who SO -yaliently
and whose sincerity fought for their con-
victions whether they wore the blue or
the gray, is now a common heritage of
all of us wherever we dwell.
This nation is thrilling with ideals at
this very moment, and these ideals re-
late to constructive work in the future.
The south must do its full share in real
izing 1t, and from now on 1t must par
| tcipate in full in the solution OF all the
national problems. All Of us alike must
| turn to the special problems of this age
With the courage that our fathers SHOWED
In those heroic days to which we look
back with mournfu pride.
'The statue of General Lee in Confed-
crate uniform stands in the halls of Con-
gress today and his memory is honored
more by the south than it is by the north;
and in the north, as in the south. l think
we are now learning to apply absolutely
in good faith the great words of Grant,
let us have peace.
THE part played by the south In the
constructive craftsmanship of our nation
during all our earlier years was Of incal-
culable weight and value. firmly be-
! Iieve that the time has now come When