The Teton peak. [volume] (St. Anthony, Idaho) 1899-1904, 1903-09-24
THE LAW OF THE
Speech Delivered by President Roosev cit to the
New Jersey Veterans at Antietam

Sharpsburg, Pa, September 17.-The
magnificent monument erected on the
historic battlefield of Antietam by the
State of New Jersey to its men who
fought in that great engagement, was
dedicated. The occasion was rendered
particularly notable by the presence of
President Roosevelt The trip of the
President from Jersey City was devoid
of special incidents. Many stops were
made and secret service officers were on
guard throughout the night After
daylight crowds assembled at every
station to greet the President.
At ten o'clock the President and
Governor Murphy, accompanied by
Senators Keane and Drien and hundreds
OF citizens left Sharpsburg station for the
famous old Dunkard Church on the
battlefield of Antietam. Three brigades
of veterans in columns of fours escorted
the President, Governor Murphy and
the distinguished guests to the monu-
ment. On behalf of the State of New
Jersey, Governor Murphy accepted the
cepted it on behalf of the Federal govern
ment.
Governor Murphy; and you, Veterans
of New Jersey; and you, men of the
Grand Army, and all others here,
greet you:
I thank you of New Jersey for the
monument to the troops of New Jersey
who fought at Antietam and on behalf
of the nation l except the gift. We
meet today upon one of the great battle
fields of the civil war No other battle
of the civil war lasting but one day
shows as great a percentage of loss as
that which occurred here upon the day
on which Antetam was fought. More
over, in its ultimate efforts this battle
was of momentous and even decisive
| Importance, for when it had ended and
Lee had retreated south of the Potomac,
Lincoln forthwith published that i'm
mortal paper, the preliminary declara-
tion of emancipation; the paper which
decided that the civil war, besides being
war for the preservation of the union,
should be war for the emancipation
of the slave, so that from that time on
ward the causes Of Union and of Free
DOM of national greatness and individu-
al 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 Murphy
because ons that day you had the high
good fortune to serve as 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 division 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 a proportional loss This
regiment was at one time ordered to the
support of a division commanded by
another New York soldier, the gallant
General Greene, whose son himself
served as a major-general in the war
| I Da1t 40
Commissioner of New York, rendering
as signal service in civil life as he had
already 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 Confederacy; so that you who fought
here forty-one years ago have the pro
found satisfaction of feeling that you
played we'll your part in one of those
crises big with the fate of all mankind
You men of the Grand Army by youl
victory not only rendered all Americans
your debtors forevermore, but you rem
QtIeu dll humanity youi oCOtoio' =
, the Union had been dissolved, if th'
great edifice built with blood and swea
and tears by mighty Washington anC
} his compeers had gone down in wrecl
] and ruin, the result would have been al
incalculable calamity, not only for ou
people-and most of all for those who
in such event but for all mankind. Tn
! great American republic would have be
come memory of derision; and tn
:, failure of the experiment of self govern
: ment by great people on great seal
would have delighted the heart of ever
: foe of republican institutions. On
I country, now SO great and so wonderful
; would have been split into little janglin
rixal nationalities, each with histor
both bloody and contemplate 1t WI
because you, the men who were TT
button of the Grand Army, triumpht
in those dark years that every Amerlca
now holds his head high, proud in II