theodore roosevelt-第47节

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ittee。　In　1908　he　had　them　so　docile　that　he　might　have　changed　their　membership；　and　changed　the　rules　by　which　elections　were　governed　if　he　had　so　willed；　but；　just　as　before　the　election　of　1904；　Roosevelt　had　doubted　his　own　popularity　in　the　country；　so　now　he　missed　his　chance　because　he　did　not　wish　to　seem　to　wrest　from　the　unwilling　Machine　powers　which　it　lost　no　time　in　using　against　him。

The　campaign　never　reached　a　dramatic　crisis。　Mr。　Bryan；　the　Democratic　candidate；　who　still　posed　as　the　Boy　Orator　of　the　Platte；　although　he　had　passed　forty…eight　years　of　age；　made　a　spirited　canvass；　and　when　the　votes　were　counted　he　gained　more　than　a　million　and　a　third　over　the　total　for　Judge　Parker　in　1904。　But　Mr。　Taft　won　easily　by　a　million　and　a　quarter　votes。

Between　election　and　inauguration　an　ominous　disillusion　set　in。　The　Rooseveltians　had　taken　it　for　granted　that　the　new　President　would　carry　on　the　policies　of　the　old；　more　than　that；　the　impression　prevailed　among　them　that　the　high　officials　of　the　Roosevelt　Administration；　including　some　members　of　his　Cabinet；　would　be　retained；　but　when　Inauguration　Day　came；　it　appeared　that　Mr。　Taft　had　chosen　a　new　set　of　advisers；　and　he　denied　that　he　had　given　any　one　reason　to　believe　that　he　would　do　otherwise。

March　4；　1909；　was　a　wintry　day　in　Washington。　A　snowstorm　and　high　winds　prevented　holding　the　inaugural　exercises　out　of　doors　as　usual　on　the　East　Front　of　the　Capitol。　President　Roosevelt　and　President…elect　Taft　drove　in　state　down　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　and　Mr。　Taft；　having　taken　the　oath　of　office；　delivered　his　inaugural　address　in　the　Senate　Chamber。　The　ceremonies　being　over；　Mr。　Roosevelt；　instead　of　accompanying　the　new　President　to　the　White　House；　went　to　the　railway　station　and　took　the　train　for　New　York。　This　innovation　had　been　planned　some　time　before；　because　Mr。　Roosevelt　had　arranged　to　sail　for　Europe　in　a　few　days；　and　needed　to　reach　Oyster　Bay　as　soon　as　possible　to　complete　his　preparations。

Many　an　eye…witness　who　watched　him　leave；　as　a　simple　civilian；　the　Hall　of　Congress；　must　have　felt　that　with　his　going　there　closed　one　of　the　most　memorable　administrations　this　country　had　ever　known。　Roosevelt　departed；　but　his　invisible　presence　still　filled　the　capital　city　and　frequented　every　quarter　of　the　Nation。



CHAPTER　XX。　WORLD　HONORS

What　to　do　with　ex…Presidents　is　a　problem　which　worries　those　happy　Americans　who　have　nothing　else　to　worry　over。　They　think　of　an　ex…President　as　of　a　sacred　white　elephant；　who　must　not　work；　although　he　has　probably　too　little　money　to　keep　him　alive　in　proper　ease　and　dignity。　In　fact；　however；　these　gentlemen　have　managed；　at　least　during　the　past　half…century；　to　sink　back　into　the　civilian　mass　from　which　they　emerged　without　suffering　want　themselves　or　dimming　the　lustre　which　radiates　from　the　office。　Roosevelt　little　thought　that　in　quitting　the　Presidency　he　was　not　going　into　political　obscurity。

Roosevelt　had　two　objects　in　view　when　he　left　the　White　House。　He　sought　long　and　complete　rest；　and　to　place　himself　beyond　the　reach　of　politicians。　In　fairness；　he　wished　to　give　Mr。　Taft　a　free　field；　which　would　hardly　have　been　possible　if　Roosevelt　had　remained　in　Washington　or　New　York；　where　politicians　might　have　had　access　to　him。

Accordingly；　he　planned　to　hunt　big　game　in　Africa　for　a　year；　and　in　order　to　have　a　definite　purpose；　which　might　give　his　expedition　lasting　usefulness；　he　arranged　to　collect　specimens　for　the　Smithsonian　Institution　in　Washington。　His　second　son；　Kermit；　then　twenty　years　of　age；　besides　several　naturalists　and　hunters；　accompanied　him。　His　expedition　sailed　from　New　York　on　March　23d；　touched　at　the　Azores　and　at　Gibraltar；　where　the　English　Commander　showed　him　the　fortifications；　and　transshipped　at　Naples　into　an　East…African　liner。　He　found　his　stateroom　filled　with　flowers　sent　by　his　admiring　friend；　Kaiser　William　II；　with　a　telegram　of　effusive　greeting；　and　with　messages　and　tokens　from　minor　potentates。　More　important　to　him　than　these　tributes；　however；　was　the　presence　of　Frederick　C。　Selous；　the　most　famous　hunter　of　big　game　in　Africa；　who　joined　the　ship　and　proved　a　congenial　fellow　passenger。　They　reached　Mombasa　on　April　23rd；　and　after　the　caravan　had　been　made　ready；　they　started　for　the　interior。

We　need　not　follow　in　detail　the　year　which　Roosevelt　and　his　party　spent　in　his　African　hunting。　The　railroad　took　them　to　Lake　Victoria　Nyanza；　but　they　stopped　at　many　places　on　the　way；　and　made　long　excursions　into　the　country。　Then　from　the　Lake　they　proceeded　to　the　Albert　Nyanza　and　steamed　down　the　Nile　to　Gondokoro；　which　they　reached　on　February　26；　1910。　On　March　14th　at　Khartoum；　where　Mrs。　Roosevelt　and　their　daughter　Ethel　awaited　them；　Roosevelt　emerged　into　civilization　again。　He　and　Kermit　had　shot　512　beasts　and　birds；　of　which　they　kept　about　a　dozen　for　trophies；　the　rest　going　to　the　Smithsonian　Institution　and　to　the　museums。　A　few　of　their　specimens　were　unique；　and　the　total　product　of　the　expedition　was　the　most　important　which　had　ever　reached　America　from　Africa。

After　spending　a　few　days　in　visiting　Omdurman　and　other　scenes　connected　with　the　British　conquest　of　the　Mahdists；　less　than　a　dozen　years　before；　the　Roosevelts　went　down　the　river　to　Cairo；　where　the　ex…President　addressed　the　Egyptian　students。　These　were　the　backbone　of　the　so…called　Nationalist　Party；　which　aimed　at　driving　out　the　British　and　had　killed　the　Prime　Minister　a　month　before。　They　warned　Roosevelt　that　if　he　dared　to　touch　on　this　subject　he；　too；　would　be　assassinated。　But　such　threats　did　not　move　him　then　or　ever。　Roosevelt　reproved　them　point…blank　for　killing　Boutros　Pasha；　and　told　them　that　a　party　which　sought　freedom　must　show　its　capacity　for　living　by　law　and　order；　before　it　could　expect　to　deserve　freedom。

》From　Egypt；　Roosevelt　crossed　to　Naples；　and　then　began　what　must　be　described　as　a　triumphal　progress　through　Central　and　Western　Europe。　Only　General　Grant；　after　his　Presidency；　had　made　a　similar　tour；　but　he　did　not　excite　a　tenth　of　the　popular　interest　and　enthusiasm　which　Roosevelt　excited。　Although　Grant　had　the　prestige　of　being　the　successful　general　of　the　most　tremendous　war　ever　fought　in　America；　he　had　nothing　picturesque　or　magnetic　in　his　personality。　The　peasants　in　the　remote　regions　had　heard　of　Roosevelt；　persons　of　every　class　in　the　cities　knew　about　him　a　little　more　definitely；　and　all　were　keen　to　see　him。　Except　Garibaldi；　no　modern　ever　set　multitudes　on　fire　as　Roosevelt　did；　and　Garibaldi　was　the　hero　of　a　much　narrower　sphere　and　had　the　advantage　of　being　the　hero　of　the　then　downtrodden　masses。　Roosevelt；　on　the　other　hand；　belonged　to　the　ruling　class　in　America；　had　served　nearly　eight　years　as　President　of　the　United　States；　and　was　equally　the　popular　idol　without　class　distinction。　And　he　had　just　come　from　a　very　remarkable　exploit；　having　led　his　scientific　and　hunting　expedition　for　twelve　months　through　the　perils　and　hardships　of　tropical　Africa。　We　Americans　may　well　thrill　with　satisfaction　to　remember　that　it　was　this　most　typical　of　Americans　who　received　the　honors　and　homage　of　the　world　precisely　because　he　was　most　typically　American　and　strikingly　individual。

Before　he　reached　Italy　on　his　way　back；　he　had　invitations　from　most　of　the　sovereigns　of　Europe　to　visit　them；　and　universities　and　learned　bodies　requested　him　to　address　them。　At　Rome；　as　guest　of　King　Victor　Emanuel　II；　he　received　ovations　of　the　exuberant　and　throbbing　kind；　which　only　the　Italians　can　give。　But　here　also　occurred　what　might　have　been；　but　for　his　common　sense　and　courage；　a　hitch　in　his　triumphal　progress。　The　intriguers　of　the　Vatican；　always　on　the　alert　to　edify　the　Roman　Catholics　in　the　United　States；　thought　they　saw　a　chance　to　exalt　themselves　and　humble　the　Protestants　by　stipulating　that　Colonel　Roosevelt；　who　had　accepted　an　invitation　to　call　upon　the　Pope；　should　not　visit　any　Protestant　organization　while　he　was　in　that　city。　Some　time　before；　Vice…President　Fairbanks　had　incensed　Cardinal　Merry　del　Val；　the　Papal　Secretary；　and　his　group；　by　remarks　at　the　Methodist　College　in　Rome。　Here　was　a　dazzling　opportunity　for　not　only　getting　even；　but　for　coming　out　victorious。　If　the　Vatican　schemers　could　force　Colonel　Roosevelt；　who；　at　the　moment；　was　the　greatest　figure　in　the　world；　to　obey　their　orders；　they　might　exult　in　the　sight　of　all　the　nations。　Should　he　balk；　he　would　draw　down　upon　himself　a　hostile　Catholic　vote　at　home。　Probably　the　good…natured　Pope　himself　understood　little　about　the　intrigue　and　took　little　part　in　it；　for　Pius　X　was　rather　a　kindly　and　a　genuinely　pious　pontiff。　But　Cardinal　Merry　del　Val；　apt　pupil　of　the　Jesuits；　made　an　egregious　blunder　if　he　expected　to　catch　Theodore　Roosevelt　in　a　Papal　trap。　The　Rector　of　the　American　Catholic　College　in　Rome　wrote：　〃　'The　Holy　Father　will　be　delighted　to　grant　audience　to　Mr。　Roosevelt　on　April　5th；　and　hopes　nothing　will　arise　to　prevent　it；　such　as　the　much…regretted　incident　which　made　the　reception　of　Mr。　Fairbanks　impossible。'　Roosevelt　replied　to　our　Ambass