Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-08-26
NATION TURNS TO THE SOUTH.
Col, Roosevelt Praises Grey Heroes
Tells of Country's Reverence for
Statue of Gen. Lee.

| New 1OTks Aug. 1O. LII 1CO
ponse to an invitation to address
the Southern Commercial Con-
gress at Atlanta, in the spring of
1911, Theodore Roosevelt has just
sent letter to Charles Hall Pa
Wis, chairman of the congress at
Petersburg. Va, in part as fol
lows:
August 16, 1910.
My dear Sir-It is not possible as yet
for me to answer definitely, but l be-
| lieve that on trip to California next
March l shall pass through the South
ern States. and l hope that it:can be ar
ranged that the Southern Commercial
Congress then holds it's meeting in one
of the cities through which am able to
pass. If so, it will be real pleasure
to me to be present and to saw all that
/ can in behalf of this admirable move
ment.
"More and more the former misun.
derstandings about the South is tending
to disappear, and you and your associ-
ates haye set in motion force that will
have much to do with the complete dis
sipation of this misunderstanding. You
are working for a stronger South and
you show yonr wisdom and foresighted-
ness in the way you realize that this
movement for a stronger South, to be
effective, must really mean stronger
national cohesion, for the ole South of
yesterday is being changed in the young
America of today. Every good Ameri-
can must hope to see real solid South,
for all good Americans now realize that
the prosperity Of any part of the coun-
try helps the prosperity CT the whole,
and the prosperity of the whole will
grow faster and stand on the most dur
able foundations only when we effec-
lively realize the words South, North.
East and West have only a geographic
cal significance.
soUTH's PAST GLORY.
az eternally hope that the young men
of the South will never forget the past
glories of the South because earnestly
hope that the young men all over Amer
lea today will keep ever in mind those
glorious memories Of every section of
the country. And that the men of the
No. tn and of the West will remember
the South's past with the same pride
the South itself does, for the undying
glory won by the men who so valiantly,
and with such sincerity, fought for
their convictions, whether they wore
the blue or nray, is now common her
itage of all of US, wherever we dwell.
This nation is thrilling With ideals
at this very moment, and these ideals
relate to constructive work in the fu-
ture The South must do it's full share
in realizing it, and from how on it must
participate 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 oul ia
theirs showed in those heroic days, to
which we look back with mournful
pride
"The statue of Gen. Lee in Confeder-
ate uniform, stands in the halls of Con-
gress today, and his memory is honored
no more by the South than it is by the
North; and in the North, as in the
South, | think we are now learning to
apply absolutely in good faith the great
words of Grant-'Let US have peace.
INFLUENCE AGAIN FELT.
'The part played bv the South in the
constructive craftsmanship of our ma
ton during all our earlier years was of
incalculable weight and value. l firmly
believe that the time has now come
when the South's influence will be again
felt, not only in constructive stateman-
snip. but in the enormous field of con-
structive business endeavor. No other
part of our country has seen such prog
ress as the South has made insthe last
twenty yeare, along material lines, and
I believe the next twenty years will see
greater progress. For long the eyes of
this nation have been set steadily west
ward. to watch it's great and typical
growth.
"From now on, l think, the South
will share with the West in rapidity of
growth. This leadership will be hast
Gned by the completion of the Panama
Canal; the East has the Atlantic and
the West the Pacific; the South, even
more than the East and West, will
have the Panama Caual, and will, there
fore, stand as the distributive point of
the great oceans of the world.
"You need more people, but, like the
rest of the country. you need that these
people should be of the right sort. Feel
ing this way 1 naturally sympathize
most cordially with every purpose of the
Southern Commercial Congress in its
efforts to make the South know itself
to make both the South and nation real