theodore roosevelt-第65节

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were　the　culmination　and　crown　of　all　that　went　before。　He　was　a　fighter　from　the　days　when；　as　a　little　boy；　he　fought　the　disease　which　threatened　to　make　his　existence　puny　and　crippled。　He　was　a　fighter；　and　from　his　vantage…ground　as　President；　he　fought　so　valiantly　that　the　world　took　notice　and　he　brought　new　ideals　into　the　hearts　of　the　American　people。　He　was　just　as　brave　and　resourceful　and　tenacious　a　fighter　when　he　led　the　forlorn　hope；　as　when　he　marched　at　the　head　of　the　Nation　in　his　campaigns　against　corruption　and　the　mercenaries　of　Mammon。　During　these　later　years　he　gave　up　everything　…　his　ease；　his　probable　restoration　to　power；　the　friendships　that　were　very　dear　to　him；　even　his　party　which　no　longer；　as　he　thought；　followed　the　path　of　righteousness；　or　desired　righteous　ends　…　for　the　Cause　to　which　he　had　been　dedicated　since　youth。　Analyze　his　acts　at　any　period；　and　you　will　find　that　they　were　determined　by　his　loyalty　to　that　Cause。

And　how　could　so　great　a　soul　exercise　itself　to　the　full；　except　by　grappling　with　adversity？　The　prosperous　days　seemed　to　fit　him　like　a　skin；　but　only　in　these　days　of　apparent　thwarting　and　disappointment　could　he　show　himself　equal　to　any　blows　of　Fate。　At　first　he　struggled　magnificently　against　crushing　odds；　asking　no　allowances　and　no　favors。　He　founded　and　led　the　Progressive　Party　and；　in　1912；　received　the　most　amazing　popular　tribute　in　our　history。　And　he　would　have　pushed　on　his　work　for　that　party　had　not　the　coming　of　the　World　War　changed　his　perspective。　Thenceforth；　he　devoted　himself　to　saving　civilization　from　the　reptilian　and　atrocious　Hun；　that　was　a　task；　in　comparison　with　which　the　fortune　of　a　political　party　sank　out　of　sight。

His　work　demanded　of　him　to　rouse　his　country　men　from　the　apathy　and　indifference　which　a　timid　Administration　breathed　upon　it；　and　from　the　lethargic　slumber　into　which　the　pro…Germans　drugged　it。　During　four　years；　his　was　the　one　voice　in　the　United　States　which　could　not　be　silenced。　He　was　listened　to　everywhere。　Men　might　agree　with　him　or　not；　but　they　listened　to　him；　and　they　trusted　him。　Never　for　a　moment　did　they　suspect　that　he　was　slyly　working　for　the　enemy；　or　for　special　interests　here　or　abroad。

He；　the　supreme　American；　spoke　for　America　and　for　the　civilization　which　he　believed　America　fulfilled。　His　attacks　on　the　delays　and　the　incompetence；　on　the　faint…heartedness　and　contradictions　of　the　Administration　had　no　selfish　object。　His　heart　was　wrenched　by　the　humiliation　into　which　the　honor　of　the　United　States　had　been　dragged。　The　greatest　patriotic　service　which　he　could　render　was　to　lift　it　out　of　that　slough；　and　he　did。　The　best　evidence　that　he　was　right　lies　in　the　fact　that　President　Wilson；　tardily；　reluctantly；　adopted；　one　by　one；　Roosevelt's　demands。　He　rejected　Preparedness；　when　it　could　have　been　attained　with　comparative　leisure；　he　accepted　it；　when　it　had　to　be　driven　through　at　top　speed。　And　so　of　the　other　vitally　necessary　things。　He　ceased　to　warn　Americans　that　they　must　be　neutral　〃even　in　thought〃；　he　ceased　to　comfort　them　by　the　assurance　that　a　nation　may　be　〃too　proud　to　fight〃；　he　ceased　to　extol　the　〃justice　and　humanity　of　the　Germans。〃　That　he　suffered　these　changes　was　owing　to　the　fact　that　American　public　opinion；　largely　influenced　by　Roosevelt's　word　and　example；　would　not　tolerate　them　any　more。　And　President　Wilson；　when　he　can；　follows　public　opinion。

Roosevelt　took　personal　pleasure　in　the　bridging　of　the　chasm　which　had　opened　between　him　and　his　former　party　intimates。　On　neither　side　was　there　recantation；　but　they　could　unite　again　on　the　question　of　the　War　and　America's　duty　towards　it；　which　swallowed　up　partisan　grievances。　Many　of　the　old　time　Republicans　who　had　broken　politically　from　Roosevelt　in　1912；　remained　devoted　personal　friends；　and　they　tried　to　reunite　him　and　the　discordant　fragments。　One　of　these　friends　was　Colonel　Robert　Bacon；　whom　every　one　loved　and　trusted；　a　born　conciliator。　He　it　was　who　brought　Roosevelt　and　Senator　Root　together；　after　more　than　five　years'　estrangement。　He　gave　a　luncheon；　at　which　they　and　General　Leonard　Wood　met；　and　they　all　soon　fell　into　the　old…time　familiarity。　Roosevelt　urged　vehemently　his　desire　to　go　to　France；　and　said　that　he　would　go　as　a　private　if　he　could　not　lead　a　regiment；　that　he　was　willing　to　die　in　France　for　the　Cause。　At　which　Mr。　Root；　with　his　characteristic　wit；　said：　〃Theodore；　if　you　will　promise　to　die　there；　Wilson　will　give　you　any　commission　you　want；　tomorrow。〃

Roosevelt　never　fully　recovered　from　the　infection　which　the　fever　he　caught　in　Brazil　left　in　his　system。　It　manifested　itself　in　different　ways　and　the　one　thing　certain　was　that　it　could　not　be　cured。　He　paid　little　attention　to　it　except　when　it　actually　sent　him　to　bed。　In　the　winter　of　1918；　it　caused　so　serious　an　inflammation　of　the　mastoid　that　he　was　taken　to　the　hospital　and　had　to　undergo　an　operation。　For　several　days　his　life　hung　by　a　thread。　But；　on　his　recovery；　he　went　about　as　usual；　and　the　public　was　scarcely　aware　of　his　lowered　condition。　He　wrote　and　spoke；　and　seemed　to　be　acting　with　his　customary　vigor。　That　summer；　however；　on　July　14th；　his　youngest　son；　Quentin；　First　Lieutenant　in　the　95th　American　Aero　Squadron；　was　killed　in　an　air　battle　near　Chambray；　France。　The　lost　child　is　the　dearest。　Roosevelt　said　nothing；　but　he　never　got　over　Quentin's　loss。　No　doubt　he　often　asked；　in　silence；　why　he；　whose　sands　were　nearly　run；　had　not　been　taken　and　the　youth；　who　had　a　lifetime　to　look　forward　to；　had　not　been　spared。　The　day　after　the　news　came；　the　New　York　State　Republican　Convention　met　at　Saratoga。　Roosevelt　was　to　address　it；　and　he　walked　up　the　aisle　without　hesitating；　and　spoke　from　the　platform　as　if　he　had　no　thoughts　in　his　heart；　except　the　political　and　patriotic　exhortation　which　he　poured　out。　He　passed　a　part　of　the　summer　with　his　daughter；　Mrs。　Derby；　on　the　coast　of　Maine；　and　in　the　early　autumn；　at　Carnegie　Hall；　he　made　his　last　public　speech；　in　behalf　of　Governor　Whitman's　candidacy。　A　little　after　this；　he　appeared　for　the　last　time　in　public　at　a　meeting　in　honor　of　a　negro　hospital　unit。　In　a　few　days　another　outbreak　of　the　old　infection　caused　his　removal　to　the　Roosevelt　Hospital。　The　date　was　November　11th；the　day　when　the　Armistice　was　signed。　He　remained　at　the　hospital　until　Christmas　Eve；　often　suffering　acutely　from　inflammatory　rheumatism；　the　name　the　physicians　gave　to　the　new　form　the　infection　took。　He　saw　his　friends　for　short　intervals；　he　followed　the　news；　and　even　dictated　letters　on　public　subjects；　but　his　family　understood　that　his　marvelous　physical　strength　was　being　sadly　exhausted。　He　longed　to　be　taken　home　to　Sagamore　Hill；　and　when　his　doctor　allowed　him　to　go　home；　he　was　greatly　cheered。

To　spend　Christmas　there；　with　his　family；　even　though　he　had　to　spend　it　very　quietly；　delighted　him。　For　ten　days　he　seemed　to　be　gaining；　he　read　much；　and　dictated　a　good　deal。　On　January　5th；　he　reviewed　a　book　on　pheasants　and　wrote　also　a　little　message　to　be　read　at　the　meeting　of　the　American　Defense　Society；　which　he　was　unable　to　attend。　That　evening　he　spent　with　the　family；　going　to　bed　at　eleven　o'clock。　〃Put　out　the　light；　please；〃　he　said　to　his　attendant；　James　Amos；　and　no　one　heard　his　voice　again。　A　little　after　four　o'clock　the　next　morning；　Amos；　noticing　that　he　breathed　strangely；　called　the　nurse；　and　when　they　reached　his　bedside；　Roosevelt　was　dead。　A　blood　clot　in　his　heart　had　killed　him。　Death　had　unbound　Prometheus。

By　noon　on　that　day；　the　6th　of　January；　1919；　the　whole　world　knew　of　his　death；　and　as　the　news　sank　in；　the　sense　of　an　unspeakable　void　was　felt　everywhere。　He　was　buried　on　January　8th；　on　a　knoll　in　the　small　country　graveyard；　which　he　and　Mrs。　Roosevelt　had　long　before　selected；　overlooking　Oyster　Bay　and　the　waters　of　the　Sound。　His。　family　and　relatives　and　dear　friends；　and　a　few　persons　who　represented　State　and　Nation；　the　Rough　Riders；　and　learned　societies；　attended　the　services　in　the　little　church。　Just　as　the　coffin　was　being　borne　in；　the　sun　came　out　and　streamed　through　the　stained…glass　windows。　〃The　services　were　most　impressive　in　their　simplicity；　in　their　sense　of　intimacy；　in　the　sentiment　that　filled　the　hour　and　the　place　of　personal　loss　and　of　pride　of　possession　of　a　priceless　memory。〃　The　bearers　took　the　coffin　through　the　grove；　with　its　bare　trees　and　light　sifting　of　snow；　to　the　grave；　and　as　it　was　committed；　there　were　many　sobs　and　tears　of　old　and　young。　Rough　Riders；　who　had　fought　by　his　side；　cabinet　ministers　who　had　served　with　him；　companions　of　his　work　and　of　his　playtime；　were　all　mourners　now；　and　some　of　those　men　of　affairs；　who　had　done　their　utmost　to　wreck　him　eight　years　before；　now　knew　that　they　had　loved　him；　and　they　grieved　as　they　realized　what　America　and　the　world　had　lost。　〃Death　had　to　take　him　sleeping；〃　said　Vice…President　Marshall；　〃for　if　Roosevelt　had　been　awake；　there　would　have　been　a　fight。〃

　…

The　evil　men　do　lives　after　them；　so　does　the　good。　With　the　passing　of　years；　a　man's　name　and　fam