Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 10.djvu/174

 THE WORLD'S FAMOUS ORATIONS

a rough sense my obligation as a guest, and had perished, so to speak, with courtesy on my lips and grace in my heart. Permitted, through your kindness, to catch my second wind, let me say that I appreciate the significance of being the first Southerner to speak at this board, which bears the substance, if it surpasses the semblance, of original New England hospitality, and honors the sentiment that in turn honors you, but in which my personality is lost and the compliment to my people made plain.

Pardon me one word, Mr. President, spoken for the sole purpose of getting into the volumes that go out annually, freighted with the rich eloquence of your speakers, the fact that the Cavalier as well as the Puritan was on the conti- nent in its early days, and that he was "up and able to be about." I have read your books care- fully and I find no mention of that fact, which seems an important one to me for preserving a sort of historical equilibrium, if for nothing else.

Let me remind you that the Virginia Cavalier first challenged France on the continent; that Cavalier John Smith gave New England its very name, and was so pleased with the job that he has been handing his own name around ever since; and that while Miles Standish was cut- ting ofi: men's ears for courting a girl without her parents' consent, and forbade men to kiss their wives on Sunday, the Cavalier was court- ing everything in sight, and that the Almighty had vouchsafed great increase to the Cavalier 142

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