theodore roosevelt-第35章
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。 When one of the great contests between the President and the Interests was on； he remembered that one of their representatives in New York had damaging； confidential letters from him。 Hearing that these might be produced； Roosevelt telephoned one of his trusty agents to break open the desk of the Captain of Industry where they were kept； and to bring them to the White House； before ten o'clock the following morning。 This was done。 To believe that the President of the United States would engage in a vulgar robbery of the jimmy and black…mask sort indicates a degree of credulity which even the alienists could hardly have expected to encounter outside of their asylums。 It suggests also； that Baron Munchausen； like the Wandering Jew Ahasuerus； has never died。 Does any one suppose that the person whose desk was rifled would have kept quiet？ Or that； if the Interests had had even reasonably sure evidence of the President's guilt； they would not have published it？ To set spies and detectives upon him with orders to trail him night and day was； according to rumor； an obvious expedient for his enemies to employ。
I repeat these stories； not because I believe them； but because many persons did； and such gossip； like the cruel slanders whispered against President Cleveland years before； gained some credence。 Roosevelt was so natural； so unguarded； in his speech and ways； that he laid himself open to calumny。 The delight he took in establishing the Ananias Club； and the rapidity with which he found new members for it； seemed to justify strong doubts as to his temper and taste； if not as to his judgment。 The vehemence of his public speaking； which was caused in part by a physical difficulty of utterancethe sequel of his early asthmatic troubleand in part by his extraordinary vigor； created among some of the hearers who did not know him the impression that he must be a hard drinker； or that he drank to stimulate his eloquence。 After he retired from office； his enemies； in order to undermine his further political influence； sowed the falsehood that he was a drunkard。 I do not recall that they ever suggested that he used his office for his private profitthere are some things too absurd for even malice to suggestbut he had reason enough many times to calm himself by reflecting that his Uncle Jimmy Bulloch； the best of men； believed just such lies； and the most atrocious insinuations； against Mr。 Gladstone。
Of course； nearly all public men have to undergo similar virulent defamation。 I have heard a well…known publicist； a lawyer of ability； argue that both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln did not escape from what seems now incredible abuse； and that they were； nevertheless； the noblest of men and peerless patriots； and then he went on to argue that President Woodrow Wilson has been the target of similar malignity； and to leave you to conclude that consequently Wilson is in the same class with Washington and Lincoln。 If he had put his thesis in a different form； the publicist might have seen himself； as his hearers did； the absurdity of it。 Suppose he had said； for instance： 〃In spite of the fact that Washington and Lincoln each kept a cow； they were both peerless patriots； therefore； as President Wilson keeps a cow； he must be a peerless patriot。〃 One fears that logic is somewhat neglected even in the training of lawyers in our day。
The commonest charge against Roosevelt； and the one which seemed； on the surface at least； to be most plausible； was that he was devoured by insatiable ambition。 The critical remarked that wherever he went he was always the central figure。 The truth is； that he could no more help being the central figure than a lion could in any gathering of lesser creatures； the fact that he was Roosevelt decided that。 He did use the personal pronoun 〃I；〃 and the possessive pronoun 〃My；〃 with such frequency as to irritate good persons who were quite as egotistical as heif that be egotismbut who used such modest circumlocutions as 〃the present writer；〃 or 〃one；〃 to camouflage their self…conceit。 Roosevelt enjoyed almost all his experiences with equal zest； and he expressed his enjoyment without reserve。 He was quite as well aware of his foibles as his critics were； and he made merry over them。 Probably nobody laughed more heartily than he at the pleasantly humorous remark of one of his boys： 〃Father never likes to go to a wedding or a funeral； because he can't be the bride at the wedding or the corpse at the funeral。〃
Ambition he had； the ambition which every healthy…minded man ought to have to deserve the good…will and approbation of his fellows。 This he admitted over and over again； and he made no pretense of not taking satisfaction from the popularity his countrymen showered upon him。 In writing to a friend that he wished to be a candidate in 1904； he distinguished between the case of Lincoln in 1864 and that of himself and other Presidential candidates for renomination。 In 1864； the crisis was so tremendous that Lincoln must have considered that chiefly； irrespective of his own hopes： whereas Roosevelt in 1904； like Jackson； Grant； Cleveland； and the other two…term Presidents； might； without impropriety； look upon reelection as； in a measure； a personal tribute。
One of my purposes in writing this sketch will have failed； if I have not made clear the character of Roosevelt's ambition。 He could not be happy unless he were busily at work。 If that work were in a public office he was all the happier。 But the way in which he accepted one office after another； each unrelated to the preceding； was so desultory as to prove that he did not begin life with a deep…laid design on the Presidency。 He got valuable political notoriety as an Assemblyman； but that was； as I have so often said； because he could not be inconspicuous anywhere。 He took the office of Civil Service Commissioner； although everybody regarded that as a commonplace field bounded on three sides by political oblivion； and only a dreamer could have supposed that his service as Chief Police Commissioner of New York City could lead to the White House。 Only when he became Assistant Secretary of the Navy can he be said to have come within striking distance of the great target。 In enlisting in the Spanish War and organizing the Rough Riders； he may well have reflected that military prowess has often favored a Presidential candidacy； but even here； his sense of patriotic duty and his desire to experience the soldier's life were almost indisputably his chief motives。 As Governor of New York； however； he could not disguise from himself the fact that that position might prove again； as it had proved in the case of Cleveland； the stepping…stone to the Presidency。 On finding； however； that Platt and the Bosses； exasperated by him as Governor； wished to get rid of him by making him Vice…President； and knowing that in the normal course of events a Vice…President never became President； he tried to refuse nomination to the lower office。 And only when he perceived that the masses of the people； the country over； and not merely the Bosses； insisted on nominating him； did he accept。 This brief summary of his political progress assuredly does not bear out the charge that he was the victim of uncontrollable ambition。
Roosevelt's Ananias Club caught the imagination of the country； but not always favorably。 Those whom he elected into it； for instance； did not relish the notoriety。 Others thought that it betokened irritation in him； and that a man in his high position ought not to punish persons who were presumably trustworthy by branding them so conspicuously。 In fact； I suppose； he sometimes applied the brand too hastily； under the spur of sudden resentment。 The most…open of men himself； he had no hesitation in commenting on anybody or any topic with the greatest indiscretion。 For he took it for granted that even the strangers who heard him would hold his remarks as confidential。 When； therefore； one of his hearers went outside and reported in public what the President had said； Roosevelt disavowed it； and put the babbler in the Ananias class。 What a President wishes the public to know； he tells it himself。 What he utters in private should； in honor； be held as confidential。
Wh
