Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-06
RoUGH RIDER rRIPpEn.

Flattery and success often turn the
heads of the best Of people. Theodore
Roosevelt, though an uncommon man in
many respects, is not an exception to the
general rule. Ills private character is
high. His public services have been val
liable. His contributions to our literature
are credtable, and in his writings he
has dealt so fairly by the South we can
not but have affection for him. He is
democratic in his manners and is as
much at home when with the cowboys
on his ranch as with the swells Of New
York millionaire society
Furthermore he is a born fighter. and
at the beginning of this war he made
haste 70 resign his place as Assistant
Secretary Of the Navy to 90 TO the front.
lie raised the regiment of Rough Riders
but was too modest to aspire to the colo
nelcy Of it. lie thought and said that an
experienced army man should be its com
mander. And so Wood became colonel
and Roosevelt Northumberland.
Roosevelts influence at Washington was
so great that his men were armed from
our small store of long-range rifles. Nand
were hurried 10 the front with Skaters
regulars.
That the Rough Riders have done good
lighting all the world comedies. But they
did not do all that was done in Cuba.
We had at Santiago fifteen or sixteen reg
iments Of regulars and some volunteers,
besides Roosevelt's men. Yet ten times
as much newspaper space has been given
10 the Rough Riders as to any other COM
mand that assisted in the reduction of
Santiago.
The regulars have complained bitterly
of their treatment by the press. but to
no avail. The fact is the majority Of spe-
cial correspondents at the front represent
New York papers, and in New York
Roosevelt cuts a great figure. Nearly
everybody there is interested i'm
his doings. Knowing this, the cor
respondents lost no opportunity TO
write UP him and his men. Thus il has |
come about that Roosevelt has had much |
more than his fair share of newspaper |
space. His own interesting personality. |
the daredevil reputation Of many OF the /
men whom he enlisted, and the good luck |
OF his regiment 10 distinguish itself as
soon as the campaign began, are cir
cumstances which account for Roosevelt's
newspaper prominence. Neither Lee nor
Grant. neither Stonewall Jackson nor
Sherman got half as much space in the
first year of the civil war as has been
given Roosevelt I'm the past three months.
No wonder we repeat that Roosevelts
head has been turned. he is now a
colonel. for Wood has been promoted.
With Teddy's advance in rank, We find
some of his modesty gone. He is now
braggart. Ten days ago nc wrote TO the
Secretary OF War and begged that his
command might be sent with Miles to
Porto Rico. He was thirsting for more
gore and glory. TO Mr.. Alger he said
that the Rough Riders "are as good as
any regulars, and three times as good as
any State troops! Heavens Think of
that. We volunteers of crack regiments
To this piece of braggartlsm Mr.. Alger
very properly replied that the Rough ! !
Riders "are no better than other volun-
teers. They had an advantage in arms
for which they ought to be very grateful"
and there Alger drops Teddy.
NoOStNtit lettef 10 Anger pore GATE OF |
July 3d. and Ayers answer was cabled
on Thursday last. II would seem proba-
bic that Alger bad not intended to make
any reply at all until he was warmed up
by the dispatches giving an account OF
the meeting Of officers at Santiago, at !
which Roosevelt figured prominently,
when a round robin was agreed upon i'm
ploring the war Office TO withdraw the |
army from Cuba and send II to the coast I
OF Maine or TO some other healthy v
locality. e
In that round robin meeting Roosevelt f
read a statement saying 1--WE can be h
moved north. II moved at once. with alb $
solute safety TO the country, although. Il
OF course. 1t would have been Infinitely o
better II we had been moved North or TO s.
Porto Rice two weeks ago" n
Eo doubt IT was that sort Of stuff that A