The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-09-21

travel to Hartford to hold the first seces-
sion convention ever held on this CONT
nent the volunteers Of the south were
tramping along the country roads as fast
as they could go--to meet face to face
The trained, seasoned, thoroughly drilled
British soldiers who had chased the ca
giles of Napoleon from every battle field
In Spain. And there these volunteers
whom Jefferson and Madison had not
drilled but whom Andrew Jackson knew
how to lead. gave to Great Britain the
bloodiest defeat which small force ever
inflicted on a larger one in the history
of modern warfare.
Mr.. Roosevelts War Of 1872 was written
n 1882 Al that time it may have been
thought by military experts that the day
of the militia, the unframed volunteers.
was eternally over.
1t was after 1882 that the undriled
farmers of South Africa taxed the utmost
strength of the British empire and ex
hausted themselves beating the British.
ii was after 1852 that Theodore Roosevelt
took his undrilled volunteers the Rough
Riders. TO the Spanish war and led them
to victory and immortality at San Juan
The speed Of the fleet being that of the
slowest vessel, the strength of the chain
being that Of tie weakest link, Mr. JEFF
ferson and Mr.. Madison were both aw-
fully weighed down by the disunion
movements in the richest. best educated,
most religious and best organized section
of the union.
Historians who Will not grant them all
lowance for this terrible weakness in
their position are mere partisans-not his
torians How the disoyal attitude of
New England affected Mr. Madison let
William Writ tell. He went on n visit to
Washington just after the British raid
In letter to MS wife ne describes tho
ruins and desolation OF the city: he visit
ed the remnants Of the white house. the
smoke blackened bare walls, without
roof. cracked and ready to fan. lie call
ed on the president He looks mser-
ably shattered and woebegone In short
he looked heart broken. His mind is full
Of the New England sedition' Mr.. Mad
ison introduced the subject. expressed his
fears that New England would secede
and make common cause with Great Brit
ain. Mr. Writ tried to calm his appre-
tensions upon that subject but without
success. His mind and heart We're full
of the subject"
Heart broken by the conduct of New
England
II that VAS the feeling of the president
what must have been the spirit Of the
New England troops-to say nothing OF
the others? Washington had been looted.
the public buildings wrecked an army Of
1000 put to flight by the mere appearance
OF the British who numbered 5.000* The
President, his Wife. the cabinet. congress
all had to fly the capitol. In a little hut
in the Virginia woods Mr.. Madison spent
a night in misery while his wife contn-
ued her retreat. FugitiVeS from Wash
ington iusulted him as they fled-as the
author Of their nisfortunes In Hamp-
ton il was reported that the British had
commit ed every outrage known to war
ana had invited the negroes to join them
in the atrocities. Baltimore was more
fortunate. The British met bloody re-
pulse-their commander General Ross,
being among the sain.*'
ron the way up the Potomac when the
British vessels were passing Mount Yer
non the officers stood on deck with their
hats off---a silent tribute 10 George Wash
ington.
StReaders will remember that Francis
s. Key had been sent on board a British
ship TO negotiate an exchange of prison
ers, that he was detained through the
bombardment and that next morning
when he saw the stars and Stripes still
floating above Fort McHenry he wrote
the star Spangled Banner" under the
inspiration Of his joy.
Writing to William Cary Nicholas Mr.