Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1903-09-23
PRESIDENT SPEAKS.
his Speech Delivered During a Heavy
DOwnpOur of Rain.
ANTEITAM MONUMENT UNVEILED.
ucv. rlurphy Acc pts the nonuEent
for the State and the President
Accepts Ii on B.half OF the Federal
Government.

lowering skies, the magnificent monu-
ment erected on the historic battle
field of Antietam by the grateful State
OF New Jersey to it's men who fell in
the great engagement, was dedicated
Thursday. Inc occasion was rem
dered particularly notable by the par
ticipation in the ceremonies OF the
President OF the United States and OF
Governor Murphy, the Chief EXecu-
tive of the State which was honorinG
It's heroes.
The monument is in the form of an
ornate Corinthian column of granite
Az feet high, surmounted by a heroic
lSure III bronze of an officer with up
raised sword leading his men i'll a
charge. Governor MuI pny, of New
Jersey. accepted the monument in an
address.
President Roosevelt as he arose to
accept the monument on behalf OF the
Federal government, was accorded an
ovation. He spoke in part as follows:
Governor Murphy; and you. Veterans
OF New Jersey; and you. men of the
Grand Army. and all others here. /
greet you:
l thank you of New Jersey for the
sey who fought at Antetam. and on
behalf OF the nation l accept the gift
We meet upon one of the great battle
fields of the civil war. No other bat
tie OF the civil war lasting but one
Gay shows as great q percentage of
loss as that which occurred here upon
the day on which Antietam was
fought. Moreover, in its ultimate eff
fectS this battle was of momentous
and even decisive Importance, for
when it had ended and Lee had
retreated south of the Potomac. Lin
coin forthwith published that immor-
tai paper. the preliminary declara.
uon of emancipation; the paper
which decided that the civil war, be-
sides being war for the preserva-
tion of the Union, should be a wa
Tor the emancipation Of the slave. so
that from that time onward the cause
OF Union and of freedom. of national
greatness and individual liberty, were
one and the same.
Men of New Jersey, / congratulate
your state because she has the right
to claim her full share in the honor
and glory OF that memorable day; and
l congratulate you, Governor Muir
ply. 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 regi-
ments, by the way, served in the di-
vision commanded by that gallant sol
der, Henry w. Slocum, whom We Of
New York can claim as our own The
other regiment. that in which Cover
nor Murphy served. although practi-
cally an entirely new regiment. did
work as good as that OF any veteran
organization upon the field and Suf-
Tered a proportionate loss. This regi-
ment was at one time ordered to the
support OF n division commanded bv
another New York soldier. the gallant
General Greene, whose son himself
served as a majorgeneral in the war
with Spain and who is now as police
commissioner OF New York. rendering
as signal service in civil life as he
had already rendered in military life.
II the issue OF Antietam had been
other than it was. it is probable that
at least two great European powers
would have recognized the indepcn-
dence of the Confede.acy; so that you
who fought here forty-one years ago
have the profound satisfaction of feel
ing 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 rem
dered all Americans your debtors for
eVermore. but YOU rendered all hui
manity your debtors. If the Union. had
been dissolved. if the great edlfice
built with blood and sweat and tears
by mighty Washington and his com
peers 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 seem
ingly triumphed-but for all mankind.
The great American republic would
have become memory of derision:
and the failure 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 spliC into little jangling rival
nntfonalities each with history both
bloody and contemplate. It was be-
cause you, the men who wear the but
ton OF the Grand Army. triumphci in
those dark years that every American
now holds his head high. proud in the
knowledge that he belongs to a ma
tion whose glorious past and great
present will be succeeded by on even
mightier future; whereas had YOU
failed we would all of us. North and
South. East end West. he now treated
ov other nations Mt the best with con
temptuous tolerance: at the worst
with oyerbearing insolence.
The president then argued that the
need Of the worlds liberty and nro-
gress demanded that the federal
armies should win the fight. He aroke
of the great gallantrv of both armiN%
His audience listened with good at
tention although a drenchinp rain was