The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-18
And Crushed Confederacy's
Hope of Recognition.
ROOSEVELT AT ANTIETAM
He Speaks at The UnveiIing of New J9rsey's
Magnificent Monument to Her Soldiers
Il Who Fell on the fateful
Field,
(By the Associated Press.)

Sharpsburg, Md, Sept. 17.-Under low
ering skies, the magnificent monument
erected on the historic battlefield on An
tietam by the grateful State of New Jer-
sew to its men who fell III the great en-
gagement, was dedicated today. The oc-
casion was rendered particularly notable
by the participation in the ceremonies OF
the President of the United States and OF
Governor Murphy, the chief executive oil
the State which was honoring its heroes.
The trip of the President from Jersey
City was devoid OF special incident. Many
stops were made and secret service ofh-
GERS were on guard throughout the night.
After daylight crowds assembled at every
station to greet the President.
At Hagerstown, Md, the President ad-
dressed several hundred people.
At ten o'clock the President and Gov
ernor Murphy accompanied by Senators
Kean and Dryden, their entire party and
hundreds of citizens left Sharpsburg sta
ton for the famous old Dunkard church
on the battlefield of Antietam. There
the veterans formed in columns OF fours
and escorted the President. Governor Muir
ply and distinguished guests to the
| monument.
The monument is in the form of an
ornate Corinthian column of granite for
| ty feet high, surmounted by a heroic fig
ure in bronze of an officer with upraised
sword leading his men in charge.
Governor Murphy of New Jersey, ac-
cepted the monument in brief but eo-
quent address.
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
President Roosevelt as he arose to ac-
cept the monument on behalf of the Fed
eral government was accorded an oya-
! tion. He spoke as follows:
| Governor Murphy; and you, Veterans OF
New Jersey; and you, men of the Grand
Army, and all others here, l greet you:
| thank you of New Jersey for the
monument to the troops of New Jersey
who fought at Antietam, and on behalf
of the nation / accept the gift. We meet
today upon one of the great battletields
of the civil war No other battle of the
civil war lasting but one day shows as
great percentage of loss as that which
occurred here upon the day on which
Antietam was fought. Moreover, in its
ultimate effects this battle was of mo-
mentous and even decisive Importance,
! for when it had ended and Lee had re-
treated south of the Potomac, Lincoln
forthwith published that immortal paper,
the preliminary declaration of emancipa-
| ton; the paper which decided that the
civil war, besides being a war for the
| preservation of the Union, should be
war for the emancipation OF the slave, so
/ that from that time onward the causes
of Union and of Freedom, of national
greatness and individual liberty, were one
and the same.
Men of New Jersey, I congratulate your
State because she has the right to claim
| her full share in the honor and glory OF
that memorable day; and | congratulate
you, Governor Murphy, because on that
day you had the high good fortune to
! serve as a lad with credit and honor in
one of the five regiments which your
State sent to the battle -Four of those
regiments, by the way. served in the di-
vision commanded by that gallant soldier,
Henry w. Slocum, whom we of New
York can claim as our own. The other
regiment. that in which Governor Murphy
served, although practically an entirely
new regiment, did work as good as that
of any veteran organization upon the
| field, and suffered proportional loss.
| to the support of division commanded
by another New York soldier, the gal
| liant General Greene, whose son himself
served as major general in the war with
/ Spain, and who is now, as Police Com
missioner of New York rendering as sig
nal service in civil life as he had al
ready rendered in military life.
If the issue of Antietam had been other
than it was, it is probable that at least
two great European powers would have
recognized the independence OF the Con-
| federaey; so that you who fought here
! forty-one years ago have sthe profound
satisfaction of feeling that you played well
! your part in one of those crises big with
the fate of all mankind. You men of the
Grand Army by your victory not only
rendered all Americans your debtors for
evermore, but you rendered all humanity
! your debtors. If the Union had been dis
solved if the great edifice built with blood
and sweat and tears by mighty Wash
| ington and his compeers had gone down
| in wreck and ruin, the result would have
been an incalculable calamity, not only
for our people-and most of all for those
who, in such event would have seemingly
| triumphed-but for all mankind. The
great American Republic would have be-
come a memory of derision; and the fail
ure of the experiment of self government
by great people on great scale would
have delighted the heart of every foe of
republican institutions Our country,
now so great and so wonderful, would
have been split into little jangling rival
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