theodore roosevelt-第1节

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Theodore　Roosevelt；　An　Intimate　Biography；　

by　William　Roscoe　Thayer


1919





PREFACE

In　finishing　the　correction　of　the　last　proofs　of　this　sketch；　I　perceive　that　some　of　those　who　read　it　may　suppose　that　I　planned　to　write　a　deliberate　eulogy　of　Theodore　Roosevelt。　This　is　not　true。　I　knew　him　for　forty　years；　but　I　never　followed　his　political　leadership。　Our　political　differences；　however；　never　lessened　our　personal　friendship。　Sometimes　long　intervals　elapsed　between　our　meetings；　but　when　we　met　it　was　always　with　the　same　intimacy；　and　when　we　wrote　it　was　with　the　same　candor。　I　count　it　fortunate　for　me　that　during　the　last　ten　years　of　his　life；　I　was　thrown　more　with　Roosevelt　than　during　all　the　earlier　period；　and　so　I　was　able　to　observe　him；　to　know　his　motives；　and　to　study　his　character　during　the　chief　crises　of　his　later　career；　when　what　he　thought　and　did　became　an　integral　part　of　the　development　of　the　United　States。

After　the　outbreak　of　the　World　War；　in　1914；　he　and　I　thought　alike；　and　if　I　mistake　not；　this　closing　phase　of　his　life　will　come　more　and　more　to　be　revered　by　his　countrymen　as　an　example　of　the　highest　patriotism　and　courage。　Regardless　of　popular　lukewarmness　at　the　start；　and　of　persistent　official　thwarting　throughout；　he　roused　the　conscience　of　the　nation　to　a　sense　of　its　duty　and　of　its　honor。　What　gratitude　can　repay　one　who　rouses　the　con　science　of　a　nation？　Roosevelt　sacrificed　his　life　for　patriotism　as　surely　as　if　he　had　died　leading　a　charge　in　the　Battle　of　the　Marne。

The　Great　War　has　thrown　all　that　went　before　it　out　of　perspective。　We　can　never　see　the　events　of　the　preceding　half…century　in　the　same　light　in　which　we　saw　them　when　they　were　fresh。　Instinctively　we　appraise　them；　and　the　men　through　whom　they　came　to　pass；　by　their　relation　to　the　catastrophe。　Did　they　lead　up　to　it　consciously　or　un　consciously？　And　as　we　judge　the　outcome　of　the　war；　our　views　of　men　take　on　changed　complexions。　The　war；　as　it　appears　now；　was　the　culmination　of　three　different　world…movements；　it　destroyed　the　attempt　of　German　Imperialism　to　conquer　the　world　and　to　rivet　upon　it　a　Prussian　military　despotism。　Next；　it　set　up　Democracy　as　the　ideal　for　all　peoples　to　live　by。　Finally；　it　revealed　that　the　economic；　industrial；　social；　and　moral　concerns　of　men　are　deeper　than　the　political。　When　I　came　to　review　Roosevelt's　career　consecutively；　for　the　purpose　of　this　biography；　I　saw　that　many　of　his　acts　and　policies；　which　had　been　misunderstood　or　misjudged　at　the　time；　were　all　the　inevitable　expressions　of　the　principle　which　was　the　master…motive　of　his　life。　What　we　had　imagined　to　be　shrewd　devices　for　winning　a　partisan　advantage；　or　for　overthrowing　a　political　adversary；　or　for　gratifying　his　personal　ambition；　had　a　nobler　source。　I　do　not　mean　to　imply　that　Roosevelt；　who　was　a　most　adroit　politician；　did　not　employ　with　terrific　effect　the　means　accepted　as　honorable　in　political　fighting。　So　did　Abraham　Lincoln；　who　also；　as　a　great　Opportunist；　was　both　a　powerful　and　a　shrewd　political　fighter；　but　pledged　to　Righteousness。　It　seems　now　tragic；　but　inevitable；　that　Roosevelt；　after　beginning　and　carrying　forward　the　war　for　the　reconciliation　between　Capital　and　Labor；　should　have　been　sacrificed　by　the　Republican　Machine；　for　that　Machine　was　a　special　organ　of　Capital；　by　which　Capital　made　and　administered　the　laws　of　the　States　and　of　the　Nation。　But　Roosevelt's　struggle　was　not　in　vain；　before　he　died；　many　of　those　who　worked　for　his　downfall　in　1912　were　looking　up　to　him　as　the　natural　leader　of　the　country；　in　the　new　dangers　which　encompassed　it。　〃Had　he　lived；〃　said　a　very　eminent　man　who　had　done　more　than　any　other　to　defeat　him；　〃he　would　have　been　the　unanimous　candidate　of　the　Republicans　in　1920。〃　Time　brings　its　revenges　swiftly。　As　I　write　these　lines；　it　is　not　Capital；　but　overweening　Labor　which　makes　its　truculent　demands　on　the　Administration　at　Washington；　which　it　has　already　intimidated。　Well　may　we　exclaim；　〃Oh；　for　the　courage　of　Roosevelt！〃　And　whenever　the　country　shall　be　in　great　anxiety　or　in　direct　peril　from　the　cowardice　of　those　who　have　sworn　to　defend　its　welfare　and　its　integrity；　that　cry　shall　rise　to　the　lips　of　true　Americans。

Although　I　have　purposely　brought　out　what　I　believe　to　be　the　most　significant　parts　of　Roosevelt's　character　and　public　life；　I　have　not　wished　to　be　uncritical。　I　have　suppressed　nothing。　Fortunately　for　his　friends；　the　two　libel　suits　which　he　went　through　in　his　later　years；　subjected　him　to　a　microscopic　scrutiny；　both　as　to　his　personal　and　his　political　life。　All　the　efforts　of　very　able　lawyers；　and　of　clever　and　unscrupulous　enemies　to　undermine　him；　failed；　and　henceforth　his　advocates　may　rest　on　the　verdicts　given　by　two　separate　courts。　As　for　the　great　political　acts　of　his　official　career；　Time　has　forestalled　eulogy。　Does　any　one　now　defend　selling　liquor　to　children　and　converting　them　into　precocious　drunkards？　Does　any　one　defend　sweat…shops；　or　the　manufacture　of　cigars　under　worse　than　unsanitary　conditions？　Which　of　the　packers；　who　protested　against　the　Meat　Inspection　Bill；　would　care　to　have　his　name　made　public；　and　which　of　the　lawyers　and　of　the　accomplices　in　the　lobby　and　in　Congress　would　care　to　have　it　known　that　he　used　every　means；　fair　and　foul；　to　prevent　depriving　the　packers　of　the　privilege　of　canning　bad　meat　for　Americans；　although　foreigners　insisted　that　the　canned　meat　which　they　bought　should　be　whole　some　and　inspected？　Does　any　American　now　doubt　the　wisdom　and　justice　of　conserving　the　natural　re　sources；　of　saving　our　forests　and　our　mineral　sup　plies；　and　of　controlling　the　watershed　from　which　flows　the　water…supply　of　entire　States？

These　things　are　no　longer　in　the　field　of　debate。　They　are　accepted　just　as　the　railroad　and　the　telegraph　are　accepted。　But　each　in　its　time　was　a　novelty；　a　reform；　and　to　secure　its　acceptance　by　the　American　people　and　its　sanction　in　the　statute　book；　required　the　zeal；　the　energy；　the　courage　of　one　man…　…Theodore　Roosevelt。　He　had　many　helpers；　but　he　was　the　indispensable　backer　and　accomplisher。　When；　therefore；　I　have　commended　him　for　these　great　achievements；　I　have　but　echoed　what　is　now　common　opinion。

A　contemporary　can　never　judge　as　the　historian　a　hundred　years　after　the　fact　judges；　but　the　contemporary　view　has　also　its　place；　and　it　may　be　really　nearer　to　the　living　truth　than　is　the　conclusion　formed　when　the　past　is　cold　and　remote　and　the　actors　are　dead　long　ago。　So　a　friend's　outlined　portrait；　though　obviously　not　impartial；　must　be　nearer　the　truth　than　an　enemy's　can　befor　the　enemy　is　not　impartial　either。　We　have　fallen　too　much　into　the　habit　of　imagining　that　only　hostile　critics　tell　the　truth。

I　wish　to　express　my　gratitude　to　many　persons　who　have　assisted　me　in　my　work。　First　of　all；　to　Mrs。　Roosevelt；　for　permission　to　use　various　letters。　Next；　to　President　Roosevelt's　sisters；　Mrs。　William　S。　Cowles　and　Mrs。　Douglas　Robinson；　for　invaluable　information。　Equally　kind　have　been　many　of　Roosevelt's　associates　in　Government　and　in　political　affairs：　President　William　H。　Taft；　former　Secretary　of　War；　Senator　Henry　Cabot　Lodge；　Senator　Elihu　Root　and　Colonel　Robert　Bacon；　former　Secretaries　of　State；　Hon。　Charles　J。　Bonaparte；　former　Attorney…General；　Hon。　George　B。　Cortelyou；　former　Secretary　of　the　Interior；　Hon。　Gifford　Pinchot；　of　the　National　Forest　Service；　Hon。　James　R。　Garfield；　former　Commissioner　of　Commerce。

Also　to　Lord　Bryce　and　the　late　Sir　Cecil　Spring…Rice；　British　Ambassadors　at　Washington；　to　Hon。　George　W。　Wickersham；　Attorney…General　under　President　Taft；　to　Mr。　Nicholas　Roosevelt　and　Mr。　Charles　P。　Curtis；　Jr。；　to　Hon。　Albert　J。　Beveridge；　ex…Senator；　to　Mr。　James　T。　Williams；　Jr。；　to　Dr。　Alexander　Lambert；　to　Hon。　James　M。　Beck；　to　Major　George　H。　Putnam；　to　Professor　Albert　Bushnell　Hart；　to　Hon。　Charles　S。　Bird；　to　Mrs。　George　von。　L。　Meyer　and　Mrs。　Curtis　Guild；　to　Mr。　Hermann　Hagedorn；　to　Mr。　James　G。　King；　Jr。；　to　Dean　William　D。　Lewis；　to　Hon。　Regis　H。　Post；　to　Hon。　William　Phillips；　Assistant　Secretary　of　State；　to　Mr。　Richard　Trimble；　to　Mr。　John　Woodbury；　to　Gov。　Charles　E。　Hughes；　to　Mr。　Louis　A。　Coolidge；　to　Hon。　F。　D。　Roosevelt；　Assistant　Secretary　of　the　Navy；　to　Judge　Robert　Grant；　to　Mr。　James　Ford　Rhodes；　to　Hon。　W。　Cameron　Forbes。

I　am　under　especial　obligation　to　Hon。　Charles　G。　Washburn；　ex…Congressman；　whose　book；　〃Theodore　Roosevelt：　The　Logic　of　his　Career；〃　I　have　consulted　freely　and　commend　as　the　best　analysis　I　have　seen　of　Roosevelt's　political　character。　I　wish　also　to　thank　the　publishers　and　authors　of　books　by　or　about　Roosevelt　for　permission　to　use　their　works。　These　are　Houghton　Mifflin　Co。；　G。　P。　Putnam's　Sons；　The　Outlook　Co。；　The　Macmillan　Co。

To　Mr。　Ferris　Greenslet；　whose　fine　critical　taste　I　have　often　drawn　upon；　and　Mr。　George　B。　Ives；　who　has　prepared　the　Index；　and　to　Miss　Alice　Wyman；　my　secretary；　my　obligation　is　profound。

W。　R。　T。　August　10；　1919


CONTENTS

I。　ORIGINS　AND　YOUTH　II。　BREAKING　INTO　POLITICS　III。　AT　THE　FIRST　CROSSROADS　IV。　NATURE　THE　HEALER　V