theodore roosevelt-第24节

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inishing　his　work　as　Governor　of　New　York　State；　and　in　removing　to　Washington。　Then　he　had　a　foretaste　of　the　life　of　inactivity　to　which　the　Vice…Presidency　doomed　him。

After　being　sworn　in　on　March　4；　1901；　his　only　stated　duty　was　to　preside　over　the　Senate；　but　as　the　Senate　did　not　usually　sit　during　the　hot　weather；　he　had　still　more　leisure　thrust　upon　him。　Of　course；　he　could　write；　and　there　never　was　a　time；　even　at　his　busiest；　when　he　had　not　a　book；　or　addresses；　or　articles　on　the　stocks。　But　writing　alone　was　not　now　sufficient　to　exercise　his　very　vigorous　faculties。　Perhaps；　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　he　may　have　had　a　foreboding　of　what　ennui　meant。　He　consulted　Justice　White；　now　Chief　Justice　of　the　Supreme　Court；　whether　it　would　be　proper　for　him　to　enroll　himself　as　a　student　in　the　Washington　Law　School。　Justice　White　feared　that　this　might　be　regarded　as　a　slight　to　the　dignity　of　the　Vice…Presidential　office；　but　he　told　Roosevelt　what　law…books　to　read；　and　offered　to　quiz　him　every　Saturday　evening。　Before　autumn　came；　however；　when　they　could　carry　out　their　plan；　a　tragic　event　altered　the　course　of　Roosevelt's　career。



CHAPTER　IX。　PRESIDENT

During　the　summer　of　1901；　the　city　of　Buffalo；　New　York；　held　a　Pan…American　Exposition。　President　McKinley　visited　this　and；　while　holding　a　public　reception　on　September　6；　he　was　twice　shot　by　Leon　Czolgosz；　a　Polish　anarchist。　When　the　news　reached　him；　Roosevelt　went　straight　to　Buffalo；　to　attend　to　any　matters　which　the　President　might　suggest；　but　as　the　surgeons　pronounced　the　wounds　not　fatal　nor　even　dangerous；　Roosevelt　left　with　a　light　heart；　and　joined　his　family　at　Mount　Tahawrus　in　the　Adirondacks。　For　several　days　cheerful　bulletins　came。　Then；　on　Friday　afternoon　the　13th；　when　the　Vice…President　and　his　party　were　coming　down　from　a　climb　to　the　top　of　Mount　Marcy；　a　messenger　brought　a　telegram　which　read：

The　President's　condition　has　changed　for　the　worse。

Cortelyou。

The　climbers　on　Mount　Marcy　were　fifty　miles　from　the　end　of　the　railroad　and　ten　miles　from　the　nearest　telephone　at　the　lower　club…house。　They　hurried　forward　on　foot；　following　the　trail　to　the　nearest　cottage；　where　a　runner　arrived　with　a　message；　〃Come　at　once。〃　Further　messages　awaited　them　at　the　lower　club…house。　President　McKinley　was　dying；　and　Roosevelt　must　lose　no　time。　His　secretary；　William　Loeb；　telephoned　from　North　Creek；　the　end　of　the　railroad；　that　he　had　had　a　locomotive　there　for　hours　with　full　steam　up。　So　Roosevelt　and　the　driver　of　his　buckboard　dashed　on　through　the　night；　over　the　uncertain　mountain　road；　dangerous　even　by　daylight；　at　breakneck　speed。　Dawn　was　breaking　when　they　came　to　North　Creek。　There；　Loeb　told　him　that　President　McKinley　was　dead。　Then　they　steamed　back　to　civilization　as　fast　as　possible；　reached　the　main　trunk　line；　and　sped　on　to　Buffalo　without　a　moment's　delay。　It　was　afternoon　when　the　special　train　came　into　the　station；　and　Roosevelt；　having　covered　the　distance　of　440　miles　from　Mount　Marcy；　was　driven　to　the　house　of　Ansley　Wilcox。　Most　of　the　Cabinet　had　preceded　him　to　Buffalo；　and　Secretary　Root；　the　ranking　member　present　Secretary　Hay　having　remained　in　Washington　asked　the　Vice…President　to　be　sworn　in　at　once。　Roosevelt　replied：

'I　shall　take　the　oath　of　office　in　obedience　to　your　request；　sir；　and　in　doing　so；　it　shall　be　my　aim　to　continue　absolutely　unbroken　the　policies　of　President　McKinley　for　the　peace；　prosperity；　and　honor　of　our　beloved　country。'

The　oath　having　been　administered；　the　new　President　said：

'In　order　to　help　me　keep　the　promise　I　have　taken；　I　would　ask　the　Cabinet　to　retain　their　positions　at　least　for　some　months　to　come。　I　shall　rely　upon　you；　gentlemen；　upon　your　loyalty　and　fidelity；　to　help　me。'*

*　Washburn；　40。


On　September　19；　John　Hay　wrote　to　his　intimate　friend；　Henry　Adams：

'I　have　just　received　your　letter　from　Stockholm　and　shuddered　at　the　awful　clairvoyance　of　your　last　phrase　about　Teddy's　luck。

Well；　he　is　here　in　the　saddle　again。　That　is；　he　is　in　Canton　to　attend　President　McKinley's　funeral　and　will　have　his　first　Cabinet　meeting　in　the　White　House　tomorrow。　He　came　down　from　Buffalo　Monday　nightand　in　the　station；　without　waiting　an　instant；　told　me　I　must　stay　with　him　that　I　could　not　decline　nor　even　consider。　I　saw；　of　course；　it　was　best　for　him　to　start　off　that　way；　and　so　I　said　I　would　stay；　forever；　of　course；　for　it　would　be　worse　to　say　I　would　stay　a　while　than　it　would　be　to　go　out　at　once。　I　can　still　go　at　any　moment　he　gets　tired　of　me　or　when　I　collapse。'*

*　W。　R。　Thayer：　John　Hay；II；　268。


Writing　to　Lady　Jeune　at　this　time　Hay　said：

I　think　you　know　Mr。　Roosevelt；　our　new　President。　He　is　an　old　and　intimate　friend　of　mine：　a　young　fellow　of　infinite　dash　and　originality。

In　this　manner；　〃Teddy's　luck〃　brought　him　into　the　White　House；　as　the　twenty…sixth　President　of　the　United　States。　Early　in　the　summer；　his　old　college　friend　and　steadfast　admirer；　Charles　Washburn；　remarked：　〃I　would　not　like　to　be　in　McKinley's　shoes。　He　has　a　man　of　destiny　behind　him。〃　Destiny　is　the　one　artificer　who　can　use　all　tools　and　who　finds　a　short　cut　to　his　goal　through　ways　mysterious　and　most　devious。　As　I　have　before　remarked；　nothing　commonplace　could　happen　to　Theodore　Roosevelt。　He　emerged　triumphant　from　the　receiving…vault　of　the　Vice…Presidency；　where　his　enemies　supposed　they　had　laid　him　away　for　good。　In　ancient　days；　his　midnight　dash　from　Mount　Marcy；　and　his　flight　by　train　across　New　York　State　to　Buffalo；　would　have　become　a　myth　symbolizing　the　response　of　a　hero　to　an　Olympian　summons。　If　we　ponder　it　well；　was　it　indeed　less　than　this？

In　1899；　Mr。　James　Bryce；　the　most　penetrating　of　foreign　observers　of　American　life　had　said；　in　words　that　now　seem　prophetic：　〃Theodore　Roosevelt　is　the　hope　of　American　politics。〃



CHAPTER　X。　THE　WORLD　WHICH　ROOSEVELT　CONFRONTED

To　understand　the　work　of　a　statesman　we　must　know　something　of　the　world　in　which　he　lived。　That　is　his　material；　out　of　which　he　tries　to　embody　his　ideals　as　the　sculptor　carves　his　out　of　marble。　We　are　constantly　under　the　illusions　of　time。　Some　critics　say；　for　instance；　that　Washington　fitted　so　perfectly　the　environment　of　the　American　Colonies　during　the　last　half　of　the　eighteenth　century；　that　he　was　the　direct　product　of　that　environment；　I　prefer　to　think；　however；　that　he　possessed　certain　individual　traits　which；　and　not　the　time；　made　him　George　Washington；　and　would　have　enabled　him　to　have　mastered　a　different　period　if　he　had　been　born　in　it。　In　like　manner；　having　known　Theodore　Roosevelt；　I　do　not　believe　that　he　would　have　been　dumb　or　passive　or　colorless　or　slothful　or　futile　under　any　other　conceivable　conditions。　Just　as　it　was　not　New　York　City；　nor　Harvard；　nor　North　Dakota；　which　made　him　ROOSEVELT；　so　the　ROOSEVELT　in　him　would　have　persisted　under　whatever　sky。

The　time　offers　the　opportunities。　The　gift　in　the　man；　innate　and　incalculable；　determines　how　he　will　seize　them　and　what　he　will　do　with　them。　Now　it　is　because　I　think　that　Roosevelt　had　a　clear　vision　of　the　world　in　which　he　dwelt；　and　saw　the　path　by　which　to　lead　and　improve　it；　that　his　career　has　profound　significance　to　me。　Picturesque　he　was；　and　picturesqueness　made　whatever　he　did　interesting。　But　far　deeper　qualities　made　him　significant。　From　ancient　times；　at　least　from　the　days　of　Greece　and　Rome；　Democracy　as　a　political　ideal　had　been　dreamed　of；　and　had　even　been　put　into　practice　on　a　small　scale　here　and　there。　But　its　shortcomings　and　the　frailty　of　human　nature　made　it　the　despair　of　practical　men　and　the　laughing　stock　of　philosophers　and　ironists。　Nevertheless；　the　conviction　that　no　man　has　a　right　to　enslave　another　would　not　die。　And　in　modern　times　the　English　sense　of　justice　and　the　English　belief　that　a　man　must　have　a　right　to　be　heard　on　matters　concerning　himself　and　his　government；　forced　Democracy；　as　an　actual　system；　to　the　front。　The　demand　for　representation　caused　the　American　colonists　to　break　away　from　England　and　to　govern　themselves　independently。　Every　one　now　sees　that　this　demand　was　the　just　and　logical　carrying　forward　of　English　ideals。

At　about　the　same　time；　in　France；　Rousseau；　gathering　into　his　own　heart；　from　many　sources；　the　suggestions　and　emotions　of　Democracy；　uttered　them　with　a　voice　so　magical　that　it　roused　millions　of　other　hearts　and　made　the　emotions　seem　intellectual　proofs。　As　the　magician　waves　his　wand　and　turns　common　pebbles　into　precious　stones；　so　Rousseau　turned　the　dead　crater　of　Europe　into　a　molten　volcano。　The　ideals　of　Fraternity　and　Equality　were　joined　with　that　of　Liberty　and　the　three　were　accepted　as　indivisible　elements　of　Democracy。　In　the　United　States　we　set　our　Democratic　principles　going。　In　Europe　the　Revolution　shattered　many　of　the　hateful　methods　of　Despotism；　shattered；　but　did　not　destroy　them。　The　amazing　genius　of　Napoleon　intervened　to　deflect　Europe　from　her　march　towards　Democracy　and　to　convert　her　into　the　servant　of　his　personal　ambition。

Over　here；　in　spite　of　the　hideous　contradiction　of　slavery；　which