C. H. English,
Passenger Trainmaster.
The Dinner Committee was on hand to meet the train and special street cars were in readiness to take us to the Reception.
Nearly 300 members and guests were in attendance at the White House when President Roosevelt made his appearance, accompanied by his military attendants. He was in excellent spirits and pleased to see so large a representation of the Society in Washington.
In introducing President Roosevelt to the assemblage, President-General Quinlan said:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, I am especially honored today in presenting to you the gifted ruler of our great nation, one who at all times has shown true sympathy with our cause and who has recorded his feeling by associating himself with our Society. It is with feelings of mingled pride and satisfaction that I introduce to you our fellow-member, Mr. Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States.”
President Roosevelt replied as follows:
“It is a great pleasure to me to bid you welcome to Washington, and especially to have the chance of saying a word of greeting to you here in the White House. I am sorry we didn’t give you a little better weather, and I especially regret that, in view of the fact that so many of you have had the wisdom to bring your better halves with you; for I have always insisted that, while the average American citizen is a pretty good fellow, his wife is a still better fellow.
“I need scarcely say the great interest that I take in the work of this body. Here on this continent we are building up a great new nation, a nation akin to, but different from, each of the Old World nations of middle and western Europe. To this country have come men of many different origins, and here they are being fused together into a new type, and it is greatly to be desired that we should have historical associations like this which shall commemorate the different strains in the national blood.
“It is a mistake to suppose, as is so often assumed, that at the time of the Revolution our people were not of mixed blood. They were then, just as they are now. Many different strains from the beginning contributed to make up what is now American citizenship, and from the beginning in this country the men who themselves, or whose fathers, came from Ireland have played a great and leading part in the affairs of the nation. I myself have some of that blood in me, and doubtless this accounts for the difficulties with which I have found myself confronted at times. It may also account for my disposition after getting into a fight to let the other fellow know I was in it. I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for coming here.”