theodore roosevelt-第66节

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The　evil　men　do　lives　after　them；　so　does　the　good。　With　the　passing　of　years；　a　man's　name　and　fame　either　drift　into　oblivion；　or　they　are　seen　in　their　lasting　proportions。　You　must　sail　fifty　miles　over　the　Ionian　Sea　and　look　back　before　you　can　fully　measure　the　magnitude　and　majesty　of　Mount　Aetna。

Not　otherwise；　I　believe；　will　it　be　with　Theodore　Roosevelt；　when　the　people　of　the　future　look　back　upon　him。　The　blemishes　due　to　misunderstanding　will　have　faded　away；　the　transient　clouds　will　have　vanished；　the　world　will　see　him　as　he　was。

I　do　not　mean　that　it　will　reduce　him　to　an　abstraction　of　perfection；　as　ill…judged　worshipers　of　George　Washington　attempted　to　do　with　him。　Theodore　Roosevelt　was　so　vastly　human；　that　no　worshiper　can　make　him　abstract　and　retain　recognizable　features。　We　have　reached　the　time　when　we　will　not　suffer　anybody　to　turn　our　great　ones　into　gods　or　demigods；　and　to　remove　them　far　from　us　to　dwell；　like　absentee　deities；　on　a　remote　Olympus；　or　in　an　unimaginable　Paradise；　we　must　have　them　near；　intimates　whom　our　souls　can　converse　with；　and　our　hearts　love。　Such　an　intimate　was　Roosevelt　living；　and　such　an　intimate　will　he　be　dead。　Washington；　Lincoln；　Rooseveltthose　are　the　three　whom　Americans　will　cherish　and　revere；　each　of　them　a　leader　and　representative　and　example　in　a　structural　crisis　in　our　national　life。

Those　of　us　who　knew　him；　knew　him　as　the　most　astonishing　human　expression　of　the　Creative　Spirit　we　had　ever　seen。　His　manifold　talents；　his　protean　interests；　his　tireless　energy；　his　thunderbolts　which　he　did　not　let　loose；　as　well　as　those　he　did；　his　masterful　will　sheathed　in　self…control　like　a　sword　in　its　scabbard；　would　have　rendered　him　superhuman；　had　he　not　possessed　other　qualities　which　made　him　the　best　of　playmates　for　mortals。　He　had　humor；　which　raises　every　one　to　the　same　level。　He　had　loyalty；　which　bound　his　friends　to　him　for　life。　He　had　sympathy；　and　capacity　for　strong；　deep　love。　How　tender　he　was　with　little　children！　How　courteous　with　women！　No　matter　whether　you　brought　to　him　important　things　or　trifles；　he　understood。

I　can　think　of　no　vicissitude　in　life　in　which　Roosevelt's　participation　would　not　have　been　welcome。　If　it　were　danger；　there　could　be　no　more　valiant　comrade　than　he；　if　it　were　sport；　he　was　a　sports　man；　if　it　were　mirth；　he　was　a　fountain　of　mirth；　crystal　pure　and　sparkling。　He　would　have　sailed　with　Jason　on　the　ship　Argo　in　quest　of　the　Golden　Fleece；　and　he　would　have　written　a　vivid　description　of　the　adventure。　I　can　imagine　the　delight　he　would　have　taken；　as　the　comrade　of　Ulysses；　on　his　voyage　through　the　Midland　Sea；　looking　with　unjaded　curiosity　on　strange　towns　and　into　strange　faces；　and　steering　fearlessly　out　to　the　Hesperides；　and　beyond　the　baths　of　all　the　western　stars。　What　a　Crusader　he　would　have　been！　How　he　would　have　smitten　the　Paynim　with　his　sword；　and　then　unvisored　and　held　chivalrous　interview　with　Saladin！

Had　he　companioned　Columbus；　he　would　not　have　been　one　of　those　who　murmured　and　besought　the　great　Admiral　to　turn　back；　but　would　have　counseled；　〃On！　On！　It　is　of　little　matter　whether　any　one　man　fails　or　succeeds；　but　the　cause　shall　not　fail；　for　it　is　the　cause　of　mankind。〃　I　can　see　him　with　the　voyageurs　of　New　France；　exploring　the　Canadian　Wilderness；　and　the　rivers　and　forests　of　the　North　west。　I　can　see　him　with　Lasalle；　beaming　with　exultation　as　they　looked　on　the　waters　of　the　Mississippi；　and　I　can　think　of　no　battle　for　man's　welfare　in　which　he　would　not　have　felt　at　home。　But　he　would　have　taken　equal；　perhaps　greater；　delight　in　meeting　the　authors；　sages；　and　statesmen；　whose　words　were　his　daily　joy；　and　whose　deeds　were　his　study　and　incentive。　I　can　hear　him　question　Thucydides　for　further　details　as　to　the　collapse　of　the　Athenians　at　Syracuse；　or　cross…examine　Herodotus　for　information　of　some　of　his　incredible　but　fascinating　stories。　What　hours　he　would　have　spent　in　confabulation　with　Gibbon！　What　secrets　he　would　have　learned；　without　asking　questions；　from　Napoleon　and　Cavour！

His　interest　embraced　them　all；　some　of　them　he　could　have　taught；　many　of　them　would　have　welcomed　him　as　their　peer。　As　he　mixed　with　high　and　low　in　his　lifetime；　so　would　it　have　been　in　the　past；　and　so　will　it　be　in　the　future；　if　he　has　gone　into　a　world　where　personal　identity　continues；　and　the　spiritual　standards　and　ideals　of　this　world　persist。　But　yesterday；　he　seemed　one　who　embodied　Life　to　the　utmost。　With　the　assured　step　of　one　whom　nothing　can　frighten　or　surprise；　he　walked　our　earth；　as　on　granite。　Suddenly；　the　granite　grew　more　unsubstantial　than　a　bubble；　and　he　dropped　beyond　sight　into　the　Eternal　Silence。　Happy　we　who　had　such　a　friend！　Happy　the　American　Republic　which　bore　such　a　son！







THE　END