The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-12
NEW YORK TOPICS
Gossip AND CURRENT COMMENT OF
THE METROPOLIS.

Ueade, of Gettysburg Fame-The
sicLIes' Crutch as an Accessory to
ExpressiOn-Dr. Lyman Abbott and
che Negro Questionable Doctors
breadth and Sanity on Most Top
ies-His Shrewdness in Changing
the Name of "The Christian Union
90 "OutIOOl"-HOw He Found the
TITLE Which Was First Used as
che title of n Club Founded by
Paul Wilcox.
New York, July 11.-Gen. Daniel E.
eic,les has come to the front again
after considerable retirement from
the public view, in a strong contro-
vArsv with the Confederate chieftain,
Cen. John B. Gordon, over the battle
Of Gettysburg. Both these brave men
know a good deal about Gettysburg,
Init unfortunately, and quite natural
" they don't know the same things.
To the old timers this temperance
of Gen. Sickles in the arena of Civil
War controversy will recall the days
when a week without some contribu-
+ion of the sort from the doughty SOL
der was rarity of rarities.
Sickles has always liked to talk al
most as much as he liked to fight in
his fighting days. He was in the bat
tle of Gettysburg, and bore himself
with distinction there. 1t was one of
the hardest fought battles in the
worlds history, and it was succeeded
nv the fierce wordy war that has fol-
Ora9t hattie
Perhaps the bitterest discussion
after Gettysburg were those which
had to do with the relations between
the late Gen. Meade and Gen. Sickles,
and for more than thirty years the
latter was almost constantly replying
to criticisms or attacking some one
else who was in the action. 1t was not
until after the mid-nineties that there
was any lull in the controversy worth
speaking of, and the articles published
in 1897 and 1898 from the pen Of the
late Charles A. Dana, assistant Secre-
tary Of War, when the battle was
fought. revived all the old animosity.
Again there was a lull after a time
In May. 1898, just after the death of
Gen Meade another big discussion
seemed probable. At the funeral, how
ever, Cen Sickles himself went a long
way toward putting a quietus upon
any further acrimonious talk.
Bending reverently over the open
grave of the departed General, he de-
cared that as "a brigade, a division,
a corps and an army commander"
Gen Meade "won and deserved the
admiration of all as a great general
and also a great man. 1t is a privi-
lege to me, here in the presence of
his fellow citizens" Gen. Sickles con-
tinued TO place upon the grave of
my commander this flower"
Men who were present at this re-
markable scene-remarka in view of
the fact that Sickles, of all men, might
have been expected to nurse enmity to-
ward Meade-have since declared that
the words then uttered by Sickles had
given the death blow to detraction" of
many Civil War commander.
Gen. Sickles is now eight years more
than the Biblical three score and ten,
his birth having been in 1925, and his
vlgor has decreased noteworthy in the
last few years.
Eleven years ago he was candidate
Tor Congress, and there was some hope
among the Republicans that he might
be induced to run on their side. They
based this hope on the circumstance
mat he was much dissatisfied with
Grover Cleveland then Presidential
nominee for the third term. He had dis
peased Sickles by his attitude towards
CNll War veterans who were seeking
pensions, and it is within the knowl-
edge of the present writer that he pom
dered long on the advsability of max
ing change in his political allegiance,
and determined to stick to the Demo-
cratic side of the fence only after
strong protest from David B. Hill. 1t
mas always been contended by Sickles
mat Hill is as favorable to the claims
OF civil War veterans as any Repub-
Acan ever was.
Sickles lost a leg at Gettysburg, and
MS crutch has become historic.
IN TACT, without it, he would lose
most of the picturesqueness that has
invested him for many years. He uses
mat crutch not merely as an aid to
.ocornotlon, but also as an accessory to
oppression He waves it constantly as
ne talks, whenever he is at all interest
~, vi IN what he is saying, and any one
IeWlng him at a distance too great to
rear his words, would know by the
way ne waves it exactly what were his
emotions as he talked.
zen. Sckles has generally been an
r Kay man for newspaper men to APP
pr4L9ch' and so long as the reading
Eru i.' was still greatly interested in
s nu War topics he was an unfailing
fu'ce Of copy" for special articles |
large number of reporters and |
rIeSpondents. Like many another
~ IL whose place was near the center
ea, 'he national stage in the sixties and
'eHues, he feels nowadays that the |
IN roi TIC! at large is rapidly leaving him |
81 .S wake. The topics which interest |
DIV, Ho" the political questions of to-
fbiss' are OF paramount importance TO |
ave- generation, Of course, but they |
rrbnot TO him, and he is not happy |
tba sn those about him are discussing |
,inere is one topic that is becoming
uons 7SslIgly uppermost in these siren
riaS latter days that Gen. Sickles
itn.sht reasonably be expected to be |
ne,.lSely interested in. This is the
cot slo question; yet he has made no
nlnent upon it,
inan Lyman Abbott, however, prom
Of g. uuilng almost the identical years
a 5ifeiNIes greatest activity though in |
sdnl,i.-7Ient way, has interested all his
IN belS and the general public with
mari week. by some very lucid re-
tor upon this subject. In the Doc
ops iHllld there is no cause for serl-
tboro,oo ncern about the negro. His
tho ign Industrial education, along
Wastltlnes laid down by Booker T.
the 'r'ugton, will undoubtedly solve
good problem in a way that will be
bl,cL.l or both the whites and the
TOPICS pr Abbott's views on religious