mark twain, a biography, 1900-1907-第27章
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told me of your sorrowful share in the trolley disaster which
brought unaccustomed tears to millions of eyes & fierce resentment
against those whose criminal indifference to their responsibilities
caused it； & the reminder has brought back to me a pang out of that
bygone time。 I wish I could take you sound & whole out of your bed
& break the legs of those officials & put them in itto stay there。
For in my spirit I am merciful； and would not break their necks &
backs also； as some would who have no feeling。
It is your brother who permits me to write this line& so it is not
an intrusion； you see。
May you get well…& soon！
Sincerely yours；
S。 L。 CLEMENS。
A very little later he was writing another letter on a similar subject to
St。 Clair McKelway； who had narrowly escaped injury in a railway
accident。
DEAR McKELWAY； Your innumerable friends are grateful； most grateful。
As I understand the telegrams； the engineers of your train had never
seen a locomotive before 。 。 。 。 The government's official
report； showing that our railways killed twelve hundred persons last
year & injured sixty thousand； convinces me that under present
conditions one Providence is not enough properly & efficiently to
take care of our railroad business。 But it is characteristically
Americanalways trying to get along short…handed & save wages。
A massacre of Jews in Moscow renewed his animosity for semi…barbaric
Russia。 Asked for a Christmas sentiment； he wrote：
It is my warm & world…embracing Christmas hope that all of us that
deserve it may finally be gathered together in a heaven of rest &
peace； & the others permitted to retire into the clutches of Satan；
or the Emperor of Russia； according to preferenceif they have a
preference。
An article； 〃The Tsar's Soliloquy；〃 written at this time； was published
in the North American Review for March （1905）。 He wrote much more； but
most of the other matter he put aside。 On a subject like that he always
discarded three times as much as he published； and it was usually about
three times as terrific as that which found its way into type。 〃The
Soliloquy；〃 however； is severe enough。 It represents the Tsar as
contemplating himself without his clothes； and reflecting on what a poor
human specimen he presents：
Is it this that 140；000；000 Russians kiss the dust before and
worship？manifestly not！ No one could worship this spectacle which
is Me。 Then who is it； what is it； that they worship？ Privately；
none knows better than I： it is my clothes！ Without my clothes I
should be as destitute of authority as any other naked person。 No
one could tell me from a parson and barber tutor。 Then who is the
real Emperor of Russia！ My clothes！ There is no other。
The emperor continues this fancy； and reflects on the fierce cruelties
that are done in his name。 It was a withering satire on Russian
imperialism； and it stirred a wide response。 This encouraged Clemens to
something even more pretentious and effective in the same line。 He wrote
〃King Leopold's Soliloquy；〃 the reflections of the fiendish sovereign who
had maimed and slaughtered fifteen millions of African subjects in his
greedgentle； harmless blacks…men； women； and little children whom he
had butchered and mutilated in his Congo rubber…fields。 Seldom in the
history of the world have there been such atrocious practices as those of
King Leopold in the Congo； and Clemens spared nothing in his picture of
them。 The article was regarded as not quite suitable for magazine
publication； and it was given to the Congo Reform Association and issued
as a booklet for distribution； with no return to the author； who would
gladly have written a hundred times as much if he could have saved that
unhappy race and have sent Leopold to the electric chair。 ＇The book was
price…marked twenty…five cents； but the returns from such as were sold
went to the cause。 Thousands of them were distributed free。 The Congo；
a domain four times as large as the German empire； had been made the ward
of Belgium at a convention in Berlin by the agreement of fourteen
nations； America and thirteen European states。 Leopold promptly seized
the country for his personal advantage and the nations apparently found
themselves powerless to depose him。 No more terrible blunder was ever
committed by an assemblage of civilized people。＇
Various plans and movements were undertaken for Congo reform； and Clemens
worked and wrote letters and gave his voice and his influence and
exhausted his rage； at last； as one after another of the half…organized
and altogether futile undertakings showed no results。 His interest did
not die； but it became inactive。 Eventually he declared： 〃I have said
all I can say on that terrible subject。 I am heart and soul in any
movement that will rescue the Congo and hang Leopold； but I cannot write
any more。〃
His fires were likely to burn themselves out； they raged so fiercely。
His final paragraph on the subject was a proposed epitaph for Leopold
when time should have claimed him。 It ran：
Here under this gilded tomb lies rotting the body of one the smell
of whose name will still offend the nostrils of men ages upon ages
after all the Caesars and Washingtons & Napoleons shall have ceased
to be praised or blamed & been forgottenLeopold of Belgium。
Clemens had not yet lost interest in the American policy in the
Philippines； and in his letters to Twichell he did not hesitate to
criticize tile President's attitude in this and related matters。 Once；
in a moment of irritation； he wrote：
DEAR JOE；I knew I had in me somewhere a definite feeling about the
President。 If I could only find the words to define it with！ Here
they are； to a hairfrom Leonard Jerome：
〃For twenty years I have loved Roosevelt the man； and hated
Roosevelt the statesman and politician。〃
It's mighty good。 Every time in twenty…five years that I have met
Roosevelt the man a wave of welcome has streaked through me with the
hand…grip； but whenever （as a rule） I meet Roosevelt the statesman &
politician I find him destitute of morals & not respect…worthy。 It
is plain that where his political self & party self are concerned he
has nothing resembling a conscience； that under those inspirations
he is naively indifferent to the restraints of duty & even unaware
of them； ready to kick the Constitution into the back yard whenever
it gets in his way。。。。
But Roosevelt is excusableI recognize it & （ought to） concede it。
We are all insane； each in his own way； & with insanity goes
irresponsibility。 Theodore the man is sane； in fairness we ought to
keep in mind that Theodore； as statesman & politician； is insane &
irresponsible。
He wrote a great deal more from time to time on this subject； but that is
the gist of his conclusions； and whether justified by time； or otherwise；
it expresses today the deduction of a very large number of people。 It is
set down here； because it is a part of Mark Twain's history； and also
because a little while after his death there happened to creep into print
an incomplete and misleading note （since often reprinted）； which he once
made in a moment of anger； when he was in a less judicial frame of mind。
It seems proper that a man's honest sentiments should be recorded
concerning the nation's servants。
Clemens wrote an article at this period which he called the 〃War Prayer。〃
It pictured the young recruits about to march away for warthe
excitement and the celebrationthe drum…beat and the heart…beat of
patriotismthe final assembly in the church where the minister utters
that tremendous invocation：
God the all…terrible！ Thou who ordainest；
Thunder； Thy clarion； and lightning； Thy sword！
and the 〃long prayer〃 for victory to the nation's armies。 As the prayer
closes a white…robed
