my memories of eighty years-第28节

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I　was　in　the　Senate　during　a　part　of　his　term　and　nearly　every　day　at　the　White　House；　where　his　reception　was　so　cordial　and　his　treatment　of　the　matter　presented　so　sympathetic　that　it　was　a　delight　to　go　there；　instead　of　being；　as　usual；　one　of　the　most　disagreeable　tasks　imposed　upon　a　senator。

He　had　a　way　of　inviting　one　to　a　private　conference　and　with　impressing　you　with　its　confidential　character　and　the　trust　he　reposed　in　your　advice　and　judgment　which　was　most　flattering。

Entertainments　at　the　White　House　were　frequent；　and　he　managed　to　make　each　dinner　an　event　to　be　most　pleasantly　remembered。　I　think；　while　he　was　very　courteous　to　everybody；　he　was　more　than　usually　so　to　me　because　of　an　incident　prior　to　his　inauguration。

A　well…known　journalist　came　to　my　office　one　day　and　said：　　〃I　am　just　from　Canton；　where　I　have　been　several　days　with　the　president。　I　discussed　with　him　federal　appointmentsamong　others；　the　mission　to　England；　in　which　I　am　interested　because　my　father　is　an　Englishman；　and　both　my　father　and　I　are　exceedingly　anxious　to　have　you　take　the　post；　and　Mr。　McKinley　authorized　me　to　ask　you　if　you　would　accept　the　mission。〃

The　embassy　to　England　presented　peculiar　attraction　to　me；　because　I　knew　personally　the　Prince　of　Wales　and　most　of　the　leading　English　statesmen　and　public　men。　　The　journalist　said　that　if　I　accepted　he　would　sound　the　press。　　This　he　did；　and　the　response　was　most　flattering　from　journals　of　all　political　views。

About　the　time　of　the　inauguration　Vice…President　Hobart；　who　was　a　cordial　friend　of　mine；　said　to　me：　　〃There　is　something　wrong　about　you　with　the　president。　　It　is　very　serious；　and　you　can　expect　no　recognition　from　the　administration。〃　　I　was　wholly　at　a　loss　to　account　for　the　matter　and　would　not　investigate　any　further。　　Not　long　afterwards　the　vice…president　came　to　me　and　said：　　〃I　have　found　out　the　truth　of　that　matter　of　yours　and　have　explained　it　satisfactorily　to　the　president；　who　deeply　regrets　that　he　was　misled　by　a　false　report　from　a　friend　in　whom　he　had　confidence。〃　　Soon　after　the　president　made　me　the　offer　of　the　mission　to　Germany。　　I　did　not　understand　the　language　and　felt　that　I　could　be　of　little　service　there；　and　so　declined。

When　President　McKinley　was　lying　seriously　wounded　at　Buffalo　from　the　shot　of　the　anarchist　Czolgosz；　I　went　there　to　see　if　anything　could　be　done　for　his　comfort。　　For　some　time　there　was　hope　he　would　recover；　and　that　it　would　be　better　for　him　to　go　to　Washington。　　I　made　every　arrangement　to　take　him　to　the　capital　if　the　doctors　decided　it　could　be　done。　　But　suddenly；　as　is　always　the　case　with　wounds　of　that　kind；　a　crisis　arrived　in　which　he　died。

Vice…President　Roosevelt　was　camping　in　the　Adirondacks。　　A　message　reached　him；　and　the　next　morning　he　arrived　in　Buffalo。　　The　Cabinet　of　Mr。　McKinley　decided　that　the　vice…president　should　be　at　once　inaugurated　as　president。　　Colonel　Roosevelt　was　a　guest　at　the　house　of　Mr。　Ainsley　Wilcox。　　He　invited　me　to　witness　his　inauguration；　which　occurred　the　same　evening。　　It　was　a　small　company　gathered　in　the　parlor　of　Mr。　Wilcox's　house。　　Elihu　Root；　secretary　of　state；　choking　with　emotion　and　in　a　voice　full　of　tears；　made　a　speech　which　was　a　beautiful　tribute　to　the　dead　president　and　a　clear　statement　of　the　necessity　of　immediate　action　to　avoid　an　interregnum　in　the　government。　　John　Raymond　Hazel；　United　States　district　judge；　administered　the　oath；　and　the　new　president　delivered　a　brief　and　affecting　answer　to　Mr。　Root's　address。

This　inauguration　was　in　pathetic　and　simple　contrast　to　that　which　had　preceded　at　the　Capitol　at　Washington。　　Among　the　few　present　was　Senator　Mark　Hanna。　　He　had　been　more　instrumental　than　any　one　in　the　United　States　in　the　selection　of　Mr。　McKinley　for　president　and　his　triumphant　election。　　Mr。　McKinley　put　absolute　trust　in　Hanna；　and　Hanna　was　the　most　powerful　personality　in　the　country。　　No　two　men　in　public　life　were　ever　so　admirably　fitted　for　each　other　as　President　McKinley　and　Senator　Hanna。　The　day　before　the　death　of　the　president　Hanna　could　look　forward　to　four　years　of　increasing　power　and　usefulness　with　the　president　who　had　just　been　re…elected。　　But　as　he　walked　with　me　from　Mr。　Wilcox's　house　that　night；　he　felt　keenly　that　he　never　could　have　any　such　relation　with　Colonel　Roosevelt。　　He　was　personally　exceedingly　fond　of　Mr。　McKinley；　and　to　his　grief　at　the　death　of　his　friend　was　added　a　full　apprehension　of　his　changed　position　in　American　public　life。



XlV。　　THEODORE　ROOSEVELT

The　bullet　of　the　assassin　had　ended　fatally；　and　McKinley　was　no　more。　　Theodore　Roosevelt；　vice…president；　became　president。　Few　recognized　at　the　time　there　had　come　into　the　presidency　of　the　United　States　one　of　the　most　remarkable；　capable；　and　original　men　who　ever　occupied　the　White　House。

During　the　following　seven　years　President　Roosevelt　not　only　occupied　but　filled　the　stage　of　public　affairs　in　the　United　States。　Even　now；　two　years　or　more　after　his　death；　with　the　exception　of　President　Wilson；　Roosevelt　is　the　best　known　American　in　the　world。　　It　is　difficult　to　predict　the　future　because　of　the　idealization　which　sometimes　though　rarely　occurs　in　regard　to　public　men；　but　Colonel　Roosevelt　is　rapidly　taking　a　position　as　third；　with　Washington　and　Lincoln　as　the　other　two。

My　relations　with　Colonel　Roosevelt　were　always　most　interesting。　His　father；　who　was　a　cordial　friend　of　mine；　was　one　of　the　foremost　citizens　of　New　York。　　In　all　civic　duties　and　many　philanthropies　he　occupied　a　first　place。　　The　public　activities　of　the　father　had　great　influence　in　forming　the　character　and　directing　the　ambitions　of　his　son。

Mr。　Roosevelt　entered　public　life　very　early　and；　as　with　everything　with　him；　always　in　a　dramatic　way。　　One　of　the　interesting　characters　of　New　York　City　was　Frederick　Gibbs；　who　was　an　active　politician　and　a　district　leader。　　Gibbs　afterwards　became　the　national　committeeman　from　New　York　on　the　Republican　national　committee。　　When　he　died　he　left　a　collection　of　pictures　which；　to　the　astonishment　of　everybody；　showed　that　he　was　a　liberal　and　discriminating　patron　of　art。

Gibbs　had　a　district　difficult　to　manage；　because；　commencing　in　the　slums　it　ran　up　to　Fifth　Avenue。　　It　was　normally　Democratic；　but　he　managed　to　keep　his　party　alive　and　often　to　win；　and　so　gained　the　reputation　that　he　was　in　league　with　Tammany。　He　came　to　me　one　day　and　said：　　〃Our　organization　has　lost　the　confidence　of　the　'highbrows。'　They　have　not　a　great　many　votes；　but　their　names　carry　weight　and　their　contributions　are　invaluable　in　campaigns。　　To　regain　their　confidence　we　are　thinking　of　nominating　for　member　of　the　legislature　young　Theodore　Roosevelt；　who　has　just　returned　from　Harvard。　　What　do　you　think　of　it？〃

Of　course；　I　advocated　it　very　warmly。　　〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃we　will　have　a　dinner　at　Delmonico's。　　It　will　be　composed　entirely　of　'highbrows。'　　We　wish　you　to　make　the　principal　speech；　introducing　young　Roosevelt；　who；　of　course；　will　respond。　　I　will　not　be　at　the　dinner；　but　I　will　be　in　the　pantry。〃

The　dinner　was　a　phenomenal　success。　　About　three　hundred　in　dress　suits；　white　vests；　and　white　neckties　were　discussing　the　situation；　saying：　　〃Where　did　these　stories　and　slanders　originate　in　regard　to　our　district　；　about　its　being　an　annex　of　Tammany　and　with　Tammany　affiliations？　　We　are　the　district；　and　we　all　know　each　other。〃

Young　Roosevelt；　when　he　rose　to　speak；　looked　about　eighteen　years　old；　though　he　was　twenty…three。　　His　speech　was　carefully　prepared；　and　he　read　it　from　a　manuscript。　　It　was　remarkable　in　the　emphatic　way　in　which　he　first　stated　the　evils　in　the　city；　State；　and　national　governments；　and　how　he　would　correct　them　if　he　ever　had　the　opportunity。　　It　is　a　curious　realization　of　youthful　aspirations　that　every　one　of　those　opportunities　came　to　him；　and　in　each　of　them　he　made　history　and　permanent　fame。

The　term　of　office　of　Frank　Black；　Governor　of　the　State　of　New　York；　was　about　expiring。　　Black　was　a　man　of　great　ability　and　courage。　　The　people　had　voted　nine　millions　of　dollars　to　improve　the　Erie　Canal。　　There　were　persistent　rumors　of　fraud　in　the　work。　　Governor　Black　ordered　an　investigation　through　an　able　committee　which　he　appointed。　　The　committee　discovered　that　about　a　million　dollars　had　been　wasted　or　stolen。　　Black　at　once　took　measures　to　recover　the　money　if　possible　and　to　prosecute　the　guilty。　　The　opposition　took　advantage　of　this　to　create　the　impression　in　the　public　mind　of　the　corruption　of　the　Republican　administration。　　The　acute　question　was：　　〃Should　Governor　Black　be　renominated？〃

Colonel　Roosevelt　had　just　returned　from　Cuba；　where　he　had　won　great　reputation　in　command　of　the　Rough　Riders；　and　he　and　his　command　were　in　camp　on　Long　Island。

Senator　Platt；　the　State　leader；　was　accustomed　to　consult　me；　and　his　confidence　in　my　judgment　was　the　greater　from　the　fact　that　he　knew　that　I　wanted　nothing；　while　most　of　the　people　who　surrounded　the　leader　were　recipients　of　his　favor；　and　either　the　holders　of　offices　or　expecting　some　consideration。