theodore roosevelt-第65章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
On April 15th； forty…eight days after they began their voyage on the River of Doubt； they saw a peasant； a rubber…gatherer； the first human being they had met。 Thenceforward they journeyed without incident。 The River of Doubt flowed into the larger river Madeira where they found a steamer which took them to Manaos on the Amazon。 A regular line of steamers connects Manaos with New York； where Roosevelt and Kermit and Cherrie； one of the naturalists； landed on May 19； 1914。 During the homeward voyage Roosevelt slowly recovered his strength； but he had never again the iron physique with which he had embarked the year before。 His friends had urged him not to go； warning him that a man of fifty four was already too old to waste his reserve force on unnecessary enterprises。 But his love of adventure； his passion for testing his endurance and pluck by facing the grimmest dangers； and his wish to keep out of American political turmoil for a time； prevailed against wiser counsel。 The Brazilian Wilderness stole away ten years of his life。
I do not know whether later； when he found himself checked by recurrent illness； he regretted having chosen to encounter that ordeal in Brazil。 He was a man who wasted no time over regrets。 The past for him was done。 The material out of which he wove his life was the present or the future。 Days gone were as water that has flowed under the mill。 Acting always from what he regarded as the best motives of the present； he faced with equal heart whatever result they brought。 So when he found on his return home that some geographers and South American explorers laughed at his story of the River of Doubt； he laughed； too； at their incredulity； and presently the Brazilian Government； having established the truth of his exploration and named the river after him； Rio Teodoro； his laughter prevailed。 He took real satisfaction in having placed on the map of Central Brazil a river six hundred miles long。
New York made no festival for him on this second homecoming。 The city and the country welcomed him； but not effusively。 The American people； how ever； felt a void without Roosevelt。 Whether they always agreed with him or not； they found him perpetually interesting； and during the ten or eleven weeks when he went into the Brazilian silence and they did not know whether he was alive or dead； they learned how much his presence and his ready speech had meant to them。 And so they rejoiced to know that he was safe and at home again at Sagamore Hill。
Roosevelt insisted； imprudently； on accompanying his son Kermit to Madrid； where he was to marry the daughter of the American Minister。 He made the trip to Spain and back； as quickly as possible； and then he turned to politics。 That year； Congress men and several Governors were to be elected； and Roosevelt allowed himself to be drawn into the campaign。 As I have said； he was like the consummate actor who； in spite of his protestations； can never bid farewell to the stage。 And now a peculiar obligation moved him。 He must help the friends who had followed him eagerly into the conflict of 1912； and； in helping them； he must save the Progressive principles and drive them home with still greater cogency。 He delivered a remarkable address at Pittsburgh； he toured New York State in an automobile； he spoke to multitudes in Pennsylvania from the back platform of a special train； he visited Louisiana and several other States。 But the November elections disappointed him。 The Progressive Party； if not dead； had ceased to be a real power in politics； but Progressivism； as an influence and an ideal； was surviving under other forms。
Probably the chief cause for this wane was the putting into operation； by President Wilson and the triumphant Democrats； of many of the Progressive suggestions which the Democratic Platform had also contained。 The psychological effect of success in politics is always important and this accounted for the cooling of the zeal of a certain number of enthusiasts who had vociferously supported Roosevelt in 1912。 The falling…off in the vote measured further the potency of Roosevelt's personal magnetism； thousands voted for him who would not vote for other candidates professing his principles。 Finally； other issuesthe imbroglio with Mexico； for instancewere looming up； and exciting a different interest among the American people。 Before we discuss the greatest issue of all； in which Theodore Roosevelt's career as a patriot culminated； we must recall two or three events which absorbed him at the time and furnished evidence of vital import to those who would appraise his character fairly。
During the campaign of 1912； his enemies resorted to all sorts of slanders； calumnies； lies； ignoble always； and often indecent； to blacken him。 On October 12th； the Iron Ore； a trade paper edited by George A。 Newett at Ishpeming； Michigan； pubished this accusation： 〃Roosevelt lies and curses in a most disgusting way； he gets drunk too； and that not infrequently； and all of his intimates know about it。〃 When he was President； Roosevelt had appointed Newett as postmaster； but Newett stayed by the Republican Party； and did not scruple to serve it； as he supposed； in this way。 The charge of drunkenness spread so far and； as usual； so many persons said that where there is much smoke there must be some fire； that Roosevelt determined to crush that lie once for all。 He would not have it stand unchallenged； to shame his children after he was dead； or to furnish food for the maggots which feed on the reputations of great men。 So he brought suit against Newett。 His counsel； James H。 Pound； assembled nearly two…score witnesses； who had known Roosevelt since he left College； men who had visited him； had hunted with him； had served with him in the Spanish War； had been his Cabinet Ministers； journalists who had followed him on his campaigning tours； detectives； and his personal body…servant； General Leonard Wood； and Jacob Riis； and Dr。 Alexander Lambert； who had been his family physician for a quarter of a century。 This cloud of witnesses all testified unanimously that they had never seen him drink anything stronger than wine； except as a medicine； that he took very little wine； and that they had never seen him drunk。 They also declared that he was not a curser or blasphemer。
After listening to this mass of evidence for a week； Newett begged to withdraw his charge and to apologize； and he confessed that he had nothing but hearsay on which to base his slanders。 Then Roosevelt addressed the court and asked it not to impose damages upon the defendant； as he had not prosecuted the libeler with the intention of getting satisfaction in money。 He wrote one of his sisters from Marquette； where the trial was held： 〃I deemed it best not to demand money damages； the man is a country editor； and while I thoroly* depise him； I do not care to seem to persecute him。〃 （May 31； 1913。）
* I copy 〃thoroly；〃 as he wrote it； as a reminder that Roosevelt practiced the spelling reform which he advocated。
Roosevelt had to undergo one other trial； this time as defendant。 The managers of the Republican Party…and the Interests behind them； not content with blocking his way to the nomination in 1912； wished utterly to destroy him as a political factor； for they still dreaded that； as a Progressive； he might have a triumphant resurrection and recapture the confidence of the American people。 To accomplish their purpose they wished to discredit him as a reform politician； and as a leader in civic and social welfare。
Roosevelt himself gave the occasion for their on slaught upon him。 In supporting Harvey D。 Hinman； the Progressive candidate for the Governor of New York in 1914； he declared that William Barnes； Jr。； who managed the Republican Machine politics in that State； had a bi…partisan alliance with the Democratic Machine in the interest of crooked politics and crooked business。 Mr。 Barnes； in whose ears the word 〃Boss〃 sounded obnoxious as applied to himself； brought suit for libel； and it came to trial at Syracuse on April 19； 1915。 Mr。 Barnes's counsel； Mr。 Ivins； peered into every item of Mr。 Roosevelt's political career with a microscope。 Mr。 Barnes had； of course； all the facts； all the traditions t
