The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-09-19
.RoosEvELTAT sHARPsBuRG,

ROOSEVELT$AT SHARPSBURu.
The Presidents appearance at Sharps-
burg on Thursday was to accept on pc
half Of the national government q mohu-
ment that has been erected on that tiela
& 10 the soldiers of New Jersey who were
participants In that battle, Whlch the
President described as "the bloodiest one
days fight OF the war"
In reviewing the events and results OF
that mighty conflict the President spoke
Of the Confederates as gallant foes VINO
wore the gray" and Of Americans right
to feel pride in their courage, and their
x fealty to an IDEAL even If they Warred
against the stars in their courses"
His address was for the most part
#1audation OF the Federal troops who met
Lee at Sharpsburg-Antietam they callea
tt-and who achieved there what he con-
4 sidered a famous victory. But, really, ne
contributed nothing to the history OF the
battle. For our part. We cannot see that
i was any such triumph as he described it.
En- route to that field. jackson cap
tured Harper's Ferry with 1l,0oo prisoners,
1900 stand OF arms, 70 cannon and other
stores, and Mr.. Lincoln was so little sat
q isfied with the Federal success at
y sharpsburg and the safe return Of Lees
i army to Virginia, that shortly afterwards
4 he removed Mcclellan from the com m hand
OF the army Of the Potomac ana put
s. Burnside in his place. *
Two things especially handicapped Lee
at sharpsburg. First, copy OF his con-
fidential orders to his lleutenants detail
Ing his plan of operations In Maryland
fell into the hands Of Mcclellan. That
was dreadfuly unfortunate. for It enabled
Mcclellan to anticipate to some extent
the movements of Lee. Then there was
vast amount OF struggling on the part OF
Lees soldiers, with the consequence that
4 he was compelled to present a reduced
front to the enemy.
That most OF our men were barefoot or
badly shod, that they were enfeebled by
lack OF food and long marches over stony
roads. must be said In excuse for thcnl,
hut Confederate official reports made at
+ the time loudly lamented tho mischief
that struggling had DONE
Nor was the expectation Of great
Confederate uprising in Maryland real
ICED. The appearance OF our men-half
starved. dusty:: powder-stained. ill-shod.
/ and worse, uniformed-was not en-.
couraging. to be sure. However, swlnton,
the historian OF the Army Of the Poto.
mac, calls sharpsburg "a drawn battle, !"
and says that Mcclellan had suffered
4 as much as he had inflicted" Porter's
corps which attempted to follow Lee
across the Potomac was driven hack
with considerabl Gloss.
Leo pulled his army together with re-
markable success upon his return to Vlr'
Einia, and on December 18th, at Freder'
icksburg, he smashed great part OF the
Federal army, causing Burnside to return
to the north side OF tho Rappahannocl'
on the night of the 18th. Not long after
wards Burnside was succeeded by Hooker
from which Lee later on won his mar
Vicious victory at Charlottesville.
But to return to the Presidents ad.
uEcSS IN 0Idi pSua'S' ~ cu|OSNlNS thSnS
who fought on the northern side, or Il
they did not fight on that side. sympa
thized with the cause OF the North. h
said:
Every friend Of liberty, every believe
Il in sef-government, every tdealist WIFI
wished to see his ideals take practca
shape, wherever lie might be In the world
d knew that the SUCCESS of all In Wh'c
he most believed was bound M wit
the success Of the Union armies in thl
great struggle.
In commenting upon this paragraph !
the Presidents address the Baltimore su
we'll says that Is Ia inconceiVable thu
the President or any other student {
history should entertain such views. An
In contrast with Roosevelts position
81 puts forth the following expression of tn
the Hon. Charles Francis Adams of Bos
ton. made In an elaborate discussion {
the subject at Charleston. S. c., In d.
cember last:
III With such confidence ! assert In q
fundamentals there was no right or wror
about 1t; it was an Inevitable. irrepress
bile confIct-the question Of sovereign
was Ia be decided. and either side cou
offer good ground, historical and legs
for any attitude taken IN regard to
That shield did actually have sily
as well as a golden side.
As I read the record and nnderstal
the real facts in the case OF direct al
insoluble issue between sovereign Sta
and sovereign nation between l7sS al
1861. every man was not only free
10 decide, hut had 10 decide for himse
and whichever way he decided he y
right. The Constitution gave him u
masters. Both he could not serve, a.
the average man decided which 10 ser