The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-09-24
PRESIDENT SPEAKS
His Speech Delivered During a EeaVy
Downpour of Rain.
ANTEITAM MONUMENT UNVEILED.
Gov. Hurphy Accepts the Honument
for the State and The President
Accepts Ii on B;half of the Federal
Government.

| lowering SKIES, lne WaSuIuCeuL MOnu-
ment erected on the historic battle
field Of Antietam by the grateful State
Of New Jersey to its men who fell in
the great engagement, was dedicated
Thursday. Inc occasion was rem
dered particularly no.aDie by lne 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
lLS heroes.
The monument is in the form Of an
ornate Corinunian column Of granite,
| 40 feet high, surmounted by ne.oic
igure in bronze of an officer with up
raised sword reading his men IN a
charge. Governor Murphy, 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
monument to the troops Of New Jer-
sey who fought at Antietam, and on
behalf Of the nation | 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
day shows as great percentage Of
uuhinh yornnrroA harA
the day on; which Antietam was
fought Moreover, in its ultimate eff
fects this battle wa5' 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-
ton of emancipation; the paper
which decided that the civil war, be-
sides being a war for the preserva-
ton of the Union, should be wa
for 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, 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 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 d.
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-
fered q proportionate loss. This regi-
ment was at one time ordered to the
support of division commanded by
another New York soldier, the gallant
General Greene, whose son himself
served as a major-general 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 1t was, 1t Is probable that
at least two. great European powers
would have recognized the indepen-
dence of the Confederacy; so that you
who fought here forty-one years ago
have the profound satisfaction OF feel
ing that you played we'll your part In
one Of those crises big with the fSte
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. II the Unior, had
been dissolved, il the great edifice
built with blood and sweat and tears
by mighty Washington and his COM :
peers had gone down in wreck ana
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 a memory OF derision;
and the failure Of the experiment OF
self-government by great peonie on
a 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 janglsng rivai
nationalities. each with a history both
bloody and contemplate. It was be-
cause you, the men who wear the but
ton of the Grand Army, triumphed In
those dark years that every American
now holds his head high. proud In the
knowledge that he belongs to ma
ton whose glorious past and great
present will be succeeded by an even
mightier future; whereas had you
failed We would all Of us. North and
South. East and West, be now treated
by other nations at the best with con-
temptuous tolerance; at the worst
with overbearing insolence. ~
The president then argued that the
need of the worlds liberty and pro-
gress demanded that the federal
armies should win the fight. He spoke
of the great gallantry Of both armies.
His audience listened with good at
tention although drenching rain was
falling.