theodore roosevelt-第7章

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ental　success。　Although　not　a　very　old　man；　I　have　yet　lived　a　great　deal　in　my　life；　and　I　have　known　sorrow　too　bitter　and　joy　too　keen　to　allow　me　to　become　either　cast　down　or　elated　for　more　than　a　very　brief　period　over　success　or　defeat。

I　have　very　little　expectation　of　being　able　to　keep　on　in　politics；　my　success　so　far　has　only　been　won　by　absolute　indifference　to　my　future　career；　for　I　doubt　if　any　one　can　realize　the　bitter　and　venomous　hatred　with　which　I　am　regarded　by　the　very　politicians　who　at　Utica　supported　me；　under　dictation　from　masters　who　were　influenced　by　political　considerations　that　were　national　and　not　local　in　their　scope。　I　realize　very　thoroughly　the　absolutely　ephemeral　nature　of　the　hold　I　have　upon　the　people；　and　the　very　real　and　positive　hostility　I　have　excited　among　the　politicians。　I　will　not　stay　in　public　life　unless　I　can　do　so　on　my　own　terms；　and　my　ideal；　whether　lived　up　to　or　not；　is　rather　a　high　one。　For　very　many　reasons　I　will　not　mind　going　back　into　private　life　for　a　few　years。　My　work　this　winter　has　been　very　harassing；　and　I　feel　both　tired　and　restless；　for　the　next　few　months　I　shall　probably　be　in　Dakota；　and　I　think　I　shall　spend　the　next　two　or　three　years　in　making　shooting　trips；　either　in　the　Far　West　or　in　the　Northern　woodsand　there　will　be　plenty　of　work　to　do　writing。*

*　Douglas；　41…42。


This　letter　is　a　striking　revelation　of　the　inmost　intentions　of　the　man　of　twenty…five；　who　already　stood　on　a　pinnacle　where　hard　heads　and　mature　might　well　have　been　dizzy。　Evidently　he　knew　him　self；　and　even　in　his　brief　experience　with　the　world　he　understood　how　uncertain　and　evanescent　are　the　winds　of　Fame。　If　he　had　ever　suffered　from　a　〃swelled　head；〃　he　was　now　cured。　He　felt　the　emptiness　of　life's　prizes　when　the　dearest　who　should　have　shared　them　with　him　were　dead。



CHAPTER　III。　AT　THE　FIRST　CROSSROADS

The　year　1884　was　a　Presidential　year；　and　Roosevelt　was　one　of　the　four　delegates…at…large*　of　New　York　State　to　the　Republican　National　Convention　at　Chicago。　The　day　seemed　to　have　come　for　a　new　birth　in　American　politics。　The　Republican　Party　was　grown　fat　with　four　and　twenty　years　of　power；　and　the　fat　had　overlain　and　smothered　its　noble　aims。　The　party　was　arrogant；　it　was　corrupt；　it　was　unashamed。　After　the　War；　immense　projects　involving　huge　sums　of　money　had　to　be　managed；　and　the　Republicans　spent　like　spendthrifts　when　they　did　not　spend　like　embezzlers。　I　do　not　imply　that　the　Democrats　would　not　have　done　the　same　if　they　had　been　in　command；　or　that　there　were　not　among　them　many　who　saw　where　their　profit　lay；　and　took　it。　The　quadrupeds　which　feed　at　the　Treasury　trough　are　all　of　one　species；　no　matter　whether　their　skins　be　black　or　white。

*　The　other　delegates…at…large　were　President　Andrew　D。　White　of　Cornell　University；　J。　T。　Gilbert；　and　Edwin　Packard。


But　now　a　new　generation　was　springing　up；　with　its　leaven　of　hope　and　idealism　and　its　intuitive　faith　in　honesty。

More　completely　than　any　one　else；　Roosevelt　embodied　to　the　country　the　glorious　promise　of　this　new　generation。　But　the　old　always　dies　hard　after　it　has　long　been　the　blood　and　mind　of　a　creed；　a　class；　or　a　party。　Terrible　also　is　the　blind；　remorseless　sweep　of　a　custom　which　may　have　sprung　up　from　good　soil；　not　less　than　one　spawned　and　nurtured　in　iniquity。　Frankenstein　laboriously　constructing　his　monster　seems　to　personify　society　at　its　immemorial　task　of　creating　institutions；　each　institution　as　it　becomes　viable　rends　its　creator。

So　the　Republican　Party　lived　on　its　traditions；　its　privileges；　its　appetites；　its　arrogance；　and　it　refused　to　be　transmuted　by　its　youngest　members。　In　1876　it　resorted　to　fraud　to　perpetuate　its　hold　on　power。　Unchastened　in　1880；　three　hundred　and　six　of　its　delegates　attempted　through　thick　and　thin　to　force　the　nomination　of　General　Grant　for　a　third　term。　The　chief　opposing　candidate　was　James　G。　Blaine；　whose　unsavory　reputation；　however；　caused　the　majority　of　the　convention　which　was　not　pledged　to　Grant　to　repudiate　Blaine　and　to　choose　Garfield　as　a　compromise。　Then　followed　four　years　of　factional　bitterness　in　the　party；　and　when　1884　came　round；　Blaine's　admirers　pushed　him　to　the　front。

Blaine　himself　was　not　a　person　of　delicate　instinct。　The　repudiation　which　he　had　twice　suffered　by　the　better　element　of　the　Republican　Party；　seemed　only　to　redouble　his　determination　to　be　its　candidate。　He　had　much　personal　magnetism。　Both　in　his　methods　and　ideals；　he　represented　perfectly　the　politicians　who　during　the　dozen　years　after　Lincoln's　death　flourished　at　Washington；　and　at　every　State　capitol　in　the　Union。　By　the　luck　of　a　catching　phrase　applied　to　him　by　Robert　G。　Ingersoll；　he　stood　before　the　imagination　of　the　country　〃as　the　plumed　knight；〃　although　on　looking　back　we　search　in　vain　for　any　trait　of　knightliness　or　chivalry　in　him。　For　a　score　of　years　he　filled　the　National　Congress；　House　and　Senate；　with　the　bustle　of　his　egotism。　His　knightly　valor　consisted　in　shaking　his　fist　at　the　〃Rebel　Brigadiers　〃　and　in　waving　the　〃bloody　shirt；〃　feats　which　seemed　to　him　heroic；　no　doubt；　but　which　were　safe　enough；　the　Brigadiers　being　few　and　Blaine's　supporters　many。　But　where　on　the　Nation's　statute　book　do　you　find　now　a　single　important　law　fathered　by　him？　What　book　contains　one　of　his　maxims　for　men　to　live　by？　Many　persons　still　live　who　knew　him；　and　remember　him；　but　can　any　of　them　repeat　a　saying　of　his　which　passes　current　on　the　lips　of　Americans？　So　much　sound　and　fury；　so　much　intrigue　and　sophistry；　and　self…seeking；　and　now　the　silence　of　an　empty　sepulchre！

The　better　element　of　the　Republican　Party　went　to　the　Chicago　Convention　sworn　to　save　the　party　from　the　disgrace　of　nominating　Blaine。　Roosevelt　believed　the　charges　against　him；　and　by　all　that　he　had　written　and　spoken；　and　by　his　political　career；　he　was　bound　to　oppose　the　politician；　who；　as　Speaker　of　the　National　House；　had；　by　the　showing　of　his　own　letters；　taken　bribes　from　unscrupulous　interests。　In　the　convention；　and　in　the　committee　meetings；　and　in　the　incessant　parleys　which　prepare　the　work　of　a　convention；　Roosevelt　fought　unwaveringly　against　Blaine。　The　better　element　made　Senator　George　F。　Edmunds　their　candidate；　and　Roosevelt　urged　his　nomination　on　all　comers。　When　the　convention　met；　Mr。　Lodge；　of　Massachusetts；　nominated　J。　R。　Lynch；　a　negro　from　Mississippi；　to　be　temporary　chairman；　thereby　heading　off　Powell　Clayton；　a　veteran　Republican　〃war…horse〃　and　office…holder。　Roosevelt　had　the　honorand　it　was　an　honor　for　so　young　a　manto　make　a　speech；　which　proved　to　be　effective；　in　Lynch's　behalf；　and　when　the　vote　was　taken；　Lynch　was　chosen　by　424　to　384。　This　first　victory　over　the　Blaine　Machine；　the　Edmunds　men　hailed　as　a　good　omen。

Roosevelt　was　chairman　of　the　New　York　State　delegation。　The　whirling　days　and　nights　at　Chicago　confirmed　his　position　as　a　national　figure；　but　he　strove　in　vain　in　behalf　of　honesty。　The　majority　of　the　delegates　would　not　be　gainsaid。　They　had　come　to　Chicago　resolved　to　elect　James　G。　Blaine；　and　no　other；　and　they　would　not　quit　until　they　had　accomplished　this。　Pleas　for　morality　and　for　party　concord　fell　on　deaf　ears；　as　did　warnings　of　the　comfort　which　Blaine's　nomination　would　give　to　their　enemies。　His　supporters　packed　the　great　convention　hall；　and　when　his　name　was　put　in　nomination；　there　followed　a　riot　of　cheers；　which　lasted　the　better　part　of　an　hour；　and　foreboded　his　success。

As　had　been　predicted；　Blaine's　nomination　split　the　Republican　Party。　Many　of　the　better　element　came　out　for　Grover　Cleveland；　the　Democratic　candidate；　who；　as　Governor　of　New　York；　had　displayed　unfailing　courage；　integrity；　and　intelligence。　Others　again；　disgusted　with　many　of　the　principles　and　leaders　of　both　parties；　formed　themselves　into　a　special　group　or　party　of　Independents。　They　were　hateful　alike　to　the　Bosses　who　controlled　the　Republican　or　Democratic　organization；　and　Charles　A。　Dana；　of　the　New　York　Sun；　who　took　care　never　to　be　〃on　the　side　of　the　angels；〃　derisively　dubbed　them　〃mugwumps〃a　title　which　may　carry　an　honorable　meaning　to　posterity。

I　was　one　of　these　Independents；　and　if　I　cite　my　own　case；　it　is　not　because　it　was　of　any　importance　to　the　public；　but　because　it　was　typical。　During　the　days　of　suspense　before　the　Chicago　Convention　met；　the　proposed　nomination　of　Blaine　weighed　upon　me　like　a　nightmare。　I　would　not　admit　to　myself　that　so　great　a　crime　against　American　ideals　could　be　committed　by　delegates　who　represented　the　standard　of　any　political　party；　and　were　drawn　from　all　over　the　country。　I　cherished；　what　seems　to　me　now　the　sadly　foolish　dream；　that　with　Roosevelt　in　the　convention　the　abomination　could　not　be　done。　I　thought　of　him　as　of　a　paladin　against　whom　the　forces　of　evil　would　dash　themselves　to　pieces。　I　thought　of　him　as　the　young　and　dauntless　spokesman　of　righteousness　whose　words　would　silence　the　special　pleaders　of　iniquity。　I　wrote　him　and　besought　him　to　stand　firm。

There　followed　the　days　of　suspense　when　the　newspapers　brought　news　of　the　wild　proceedings　at　the　convention；　and　for　me　the　shadow　deepened。　Then　the　telegraph　reported　Blaine's　triumphant　nomination。　I　waited；　we　all　waited；　to　learn　what　the　delegates　who　opposed　him　intended　to　do。　One　morning　a　dispatch　in　the　New　York　Tribune　announced　that　Roosevelt　would　not　bolt。　That　very　day　I　had　a　little　note　from　him　saying　that　he　had　done　his　best　in　Chicago；　that　the　result　sickened　him；　that　he　should；　however；　support　the　Republican　ticket；　but　he　intended　to　spend　most　of　the　summer　and　autumn　hunting　in　the　West。

I　was　dumfounded。　I　felt　as　Abolitionists　felt　after　Webster's　Seventh　of　March　speech。　My　old　acquaintance；　our　trusted　leader；　whose　career　in　the　New　York　Assembly　we　had　watched　with　an　almost　holy　satisfaction；　seemed　to　have　strangely　abandoned　the　fundamental　principles　which　we　and　he　had　believed　in；　and　he　had　so　nobly　upheld。　Whittier's　poem　〃Ichabod〃　seemed　to　have　been　aimed　at　him；　especially　in　its　third　stanza：

〃Oh；　dumb　be　passion's　stormy　rage；　When　he　who　might　Have　lighted　up　and　led　his　age；　Falls　back　in　night。〃

Amid　the　lurid　gleams　and　heat　of　such　a　disappointment；　men　cannot　see　clearly。　They　impute　wrong　motives；　base　motives；　to　the　backslider。　In　their　wrath；　they　assume　that　only　guilt　can　account　for　his　defection。

We　see　plainly　enough　now　that　we　misjudged　Roosevelt。　We　assumed　that　because　he　was　with　us　in　the　crusade　for　pure　politics；　he　agreed　with　us　in　the　estimate　we　put　on　party　loyalty。　Independents　and　mugwumps　felt　little　reverence　and　set　even　less　value　on　political　parties；　which　we　regarded　simply　as　instruments　to　be　used　in　carrying　out　policies。　If　a　party　pursued　a　policy　contrary　to　our　own；　we　left　it　as　we　should　leave　a　train　which　we　found　going　in　the　wrong　direction。　There　was　nothing　sacred　in　a　political　party。

In　assuming　that　Roosevelt　must　have　coincided　with　us　in　these　views；　we　did　him　wrong。　For　he　held　then；　and　had　held　since　he　first　entered　politics；　that　party　transcended　persons；　and　that　only　in　the　gravest　case