Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-01-02
PRESIDENT VISITS
MOTHERS OLD HOME
Pays Tribute to Parents Charac.
ter In Speech From Pulpit
At Carlisle, England
IS vISIBLY AFFECTED
During Hts sunday Visit to Carlisle
President Il shown site Of His
Late Grandfather Chapel

Carlisle. England, Dec. 90. (By the
Associated Press.)-President Wilson,
accompanied by Mrs. Wilson, came to
Carlisle to-day in rain and a. cold pene-
trating mist to visit the girlhood homo
of his mother. But the warmth of the
greeting of the people of the town and
of the thousands Of strangers from the
surrounding country more than offset
the dreariness of the weather. Large
crowds lined the streets and cheered
the presidential party Justify as it
drove from the station where Mr.. will
son was received by Mayor Bertram
Carr and local notables, to the Crown
and Mitre Hotel. where the President
signed the freeman's roll.
The President visited Annetwell
| street. where the site of his late grand
fathers chapel was pointed out to him
| and the house in Cavendish Place that
was built by his grandfather. Later
he attended services in the Lowther
Street Congregational Church. The
Rev. Edward Booth. pastor of the
| church. requested the President to
come into the pulpit and address the
assemblage. This the President did,
delivering short speech. in which he
touched simply but eloquently on his
mother. The President spoke as fol-
+, lows:
| 1T is with unaffected reluctance that
I inject myself into this service. I
remember my grandfather very we'll.
and remembering him, I can see how
he would not approve. remember
what he required of me and remember
the stern lesson of duty he spoke. And
N al inc ha
expected me to know that I did not
know.
| THE feelings excited in me to-day
are really too intimate and too deep to
permit of public expression. The
memories that have come of the moth .
ed who was born here are very
affecting. Her quiet character, her
sense of duty and her dislike of osten-
tation have come back to me with In
creasing force as these years of duty
have accumulated Yet perhaps II is
appropriate that in a place Of worsh ip
should acknowledge my indebtedness
to her and her remarkable father, be-
cause. after all. what the world now is
seeking to do is to return to the paths
of duty. to turn from the savagery of
interests to the dignity of the per-
Torrance Of right.
II believe as this war has drawn ma
tons temporarily together in a combina-
ton of physical force, we shall now be
drawn together in a combination OF moral
force that is irresistible. 1t is moral
force as much as physical force that has
defeated the effort to subdue the world
Words have cut as deep as swords
The knowledge that wrong has been
attempted has aroused the nations. They
have gone out like men for n crusade
No other caNe could have drawn SC
many Of the nations together. They knew
an outlaw was abroad and that the out
law purposed unspeakable things.
1T is from quiet places like this all
over the world that the forces are
accumulated that presently will over
power any attempt to accomplish evil
on a great scale. 1t is like the rivulet
that gathers into the river and the river
that goes TO the sea. So there comes
out of communities like these streams
that fertilize the conscience of men and
it is the conscience of the world we
now mean to place upon the throne
which others tried TO usurp.'
The lengthy program Of the day was
carried out with the single exception
that the President had not intended &c
speak in the church. The presidential
train arrived at Citadel station on sched-
ule time. In addition to Mayor Carr
the lady mayoress. Miss Eleanor Carr
Major Gen. Sir John Cowan and the high
sheriff were on the platform when Prcsi-
dent Wilson alighted from his car Afte,
the presentations Miss Carr gave Mrs
Wilson huge bouquet.
The presidential party was then con-
Quoted to the entrance of the station
where the square was thronged witt
people who burst into hearty cheers which
lasted for some moments. The Stars
and Stripes and the British flag were
hoisted on the tower of the law courts
simultaneously with the emerging OF
the party from the station.
The rain continued to fall but ths
crowds in the streets cheered President
Wilson all the way to the Crown ant
Mitre Hotel. where other prominent ci
zens were awaiting to receive the noteC
guest. Here Thomas Watson, an aget
house painter and the last living pupi
of the school of President Wilson.
grandfather. was introduced to thu
President. Grasping the old mans hant
the President asked:
You remember my grandfather"
I'm afraid not. I was rather a small
fellow" replied tho old man shyly.
, President Wilson inspected document.
| dealing with the residence here of hi.
, grandfather the Rev MI. Thomas Wood
, row. and then drove to the Salvation
Army hall where once stood the buildnl
that was the Presidents mothers home
, From here he visited Cavendish House II
Warwick road. built by his grandfathe
: and where his grandfather taught schoo
, and the Presidents mother also lived fol
. while. The President remained here
} for ten minutes and proceeded to thu
Lowther street Congregational Church
which was crowded.
, The congregation arose as the Presi
, dent and his party entered and were CON
Quoted to the front pew AS the part.